Visitor Experience Associate, IS-1001-05

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art seeks to recruit a full-time Visitor Experience Associate/Greeter to help create a welcoming atmosphere and a positive experience for onsite museum visitors. The Visitor Experience Associate/Greeter is the initial representative of the museum to answer questions and offer guidance at the museum’s primary entrances. This may include assisting with lockers and accessibility needs such as wheelchairs. They respond verbally to inquiries from onsite volunteers, offering information and assistance to ensure that they have positive and meaningful experiences. The Visitor Experience Associate/Greeter tracks printed materials and supplies and advise the supervisor of purchase requirements. They monitor the galleries and report to their supervisor: digital screens/interactives needing repairs, signage needs, and other service needs. They assist with data collection for visitor surveys. They walk throughout the galleries to respond verbally to visitor inquiries and offer guidance. The Visitor Experience Associate is expected to work on all weekends and holidays. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching, and interpreting art in ways that deepen the public and scholarly understandings of Asia and the world. NMAA opened in 1923 as America’s first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. We now steward one of the world’s most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East, and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa). The museum also stewards an important collection of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art. Today, NMAA is emerging as a leading national and global resource for understanding the arts, cultures, and societies of Asia, especially at their intersection with America. Guided by the belief that the future of art museums lies in collaboration, increased access, and transparency, NMAA is fostering new ways to engage with its audiences while maintaining its commitment to excellence. Located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the museum is free and open 364 days a year. The Smithsonian, which is the world’s largest museum complex, welcomes twenty to thirty million visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, please visit asia.si.edu. The ideal candidate can prioritize and manage the tasks involved in a daily visitor services operation, including sharing information, managing crowds, and monitoring floor activities and staff. They also have skills in verbal communication to work with visitors and staff with a variety of backgrounds, learning styles, and ages. They must be available to work onsite, including weekends and holidays.

Requirements

Ability to locate, gather, and perform basic interpretation of policies and procedures.
Knowledge and basic experience working in an office and with organization programs sufficient to provide accurate responses to inquiries or refer questions to appropriate staff.
Knowledge of and experience in visitor services at public organizations with high volume visitation.
Skill in customer service and working with the public to anticipate and respond to visitor needs and questions.
Ability to work collaboratively with various individuals to effectively coordinate projects, resolve conflicts, and exchange information.
Skill in prioritizing and managing the tasks involved in a daily visitor services operation, including sharing information, managing crowds, and monitoring floor activities.
Skill in Microsoft Office, database programs, and other similar computer software.
Skill in oral and written communication sufficient to interact with various individuals effectively and diplomatically.
Ability to stand for long periods.
This position requires weekend and occasional evening availability.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
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Responsibilities

Explains entry process to visitors and greets them, providing information at main entrances. Also responds verbally to visitor inquiries, offering information and guidance about the National Museum of Asian Art and other museums around the National Mall and answers general information about Washington, DC.
Direct visitors and the public with problems, questions, or complaints to a supervisor or the appropriate resource.
Assists with the education of visitors regarding rules, regulations, and safety concerns to ensure visitor safety and resource preservation.
Assist with the gathering of visitor data such as zip code information or survey results.
Works cooperatively with supervisors to ensure the safe and expeditious movement of visitors into and throughout the museum.
Assist with monitoring the museum’s digital interactives. Reports needed repairs to supervisor.
Assists with the monitoring of the museum’s signage. Report outdated or needed signage to the supervisor.
Rove throughout the galleries as assigned to answer visitor inquiries and assist with wayfinding.