Visitor Services Office Supervisor

Champaign County Forest Preserve District•Mahomet, IL

5d•$22 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Visitor Services Office Supervisor is responsible for overseeing front-end operations at the Museum of the Grand Prairie and Nature Center and directly managing Visitor Services Associate staff. This includes maintaining a positive and welcoming visitor experience, managing operations of the Museum Store, and performing essential administrative and office support duties.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience required, preferably in history, museum studies, hospitality, business, or related field.
At least 2 years of relevant work experience in a retail, customer service, or hospitality environment is required.
Ability to effectively hire, train, and evaluate staff.
Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships.
Ability to maintain self-control and composure in difficult situations.
Capacity to use effective time management skills and be able to work under multiple deadlines, requests from other departments, and interruptions with accuracy.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and concisely, especially in a team environment.
Capacity to be self-motivated and achieve goals with minimal supervision or direction.
Capacity to perform basic computer skills, including demonstrated proficiencies in word processing and basic spreadsheet and database applications.
Actively involves others in planning and problem solving.
Successfully communicate the Forest Preserves’ mission and vision to all guests and successfully interact with audiences of all backgrounds and abilities.
Creative problem-solving skills; flexibility, excellent judgment, and a professional attitude.
Microsoft Office experience required.
Knowledge of, or ability to learn, point of sale systems.
Basic math and money handling skills.
Excellent attention to detail.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and to have a good awareness of safety, particularly in challenging or stressful situations.
CPR/AED and First Aid certification, or the ability to become certified within 12months of employment.
Valid driver’s license is required.

Nice To Haves

Retail management and supervisory experience preferred.
Previous experience in a museum or similar institution is preferred.
Experience providing office or administrative support is desirable.

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Public Programs Manager to ensure a high level of visitor satisfaction through oversight of the visitor experience at the Museum of the Grand Prairie and Nature Center. This may include developing and implementing policies & procedures associated with customer service, visitor safety, and the dissemination of Forest Preserve information to create a welcoming environment for all patrons.
Develop and coordinate Visitor Services Associate schedules to effectively staff the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Nature Center and other Forest Preserve sites during public hours and programs.
Greet and assist visitors to the Museum and Nature Center and acquaint them with the facilities and the offerings of the Champaign County Forest Preserves. Collect and record visitation numbers and information. Answer telephone, route messages and requests to appropriate staff.
Address and resolve visitor needs, concerns, and complaints, assuring they are settled in a positive, timely and appropriate manner.
Oversee the operations of the Museum Store including the purchasing, inventorying, point of sale communications and merchandising products sold in the Museum Store.
Prepare and deliver deposits to the bank. Work with the Finance Department on accurate record keeping; including purchase card procedures and reporting.
Develop, maintain, and monitor the budget for the Museum Store.
Develop and implement formal and informal tools for gathering visitor data and feedback.
Train Visitor Services Associates and oversee daily operations to ensure a positive guest experience. This includes ensuring Visitor Services Associates make customer service, visitor safety, care of the facility and its exhibits, and building security top priorities.
Organize and lead Visitor Services Associate staff meetings, including setting agendas, sharing operational updates, and fostering team collaboration.
Manage performance and professional development of Visitor Services Associates (annual performance reviews, ongoing feedback, monitoring productivity, goal setting, etc.).
Enforce Forest Preserve rules of conduct and inform appropriate authority if patrons or employees are in danger. Respond promptly and accurately to safety issues, accidents, or concerns of the public.
Assist the department with the completion of various administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, managing facility calendars, reserving facilities, taking program payments and other responsibilities as assigned.
Maintain vendor files and submit purchase orders and invoices in such a manner that payments can be made promptly and accurately.
Perform all job tasks in compliance with the Forest Preserve’s Safety Manual and the department training manuals.
Collaborate with the Public Programs Manager and Marketing Department to provide adequate maintenance of the museum’s website and other public materials.
Share light housekeeping duties such as dusting, running vacuum, cleaning restrooms, cleaning display cases, window glass, etc.
Act as sales associate for Museum gift shop, including overseeing preparation of or preparing a daily record of sales and monthly reports.
Develop and maintain inventory records for all museum store merchandise, consignment work, and oversee end-of-the-year inventory.
Regularly participate in professional development, including attending and/or leading workshops, seminars, conferences, and other educational programs.
Perform other duties as assigned.