Director, Visitor Services

ABOUT THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art believes in the power of illustrated stories to connect us. With a growing collection that encompasses artworks from across cultures, places, times, and mediums, including paintings, sculptures, murals, photography, comic art, book and magazine illustrations, and the arts of filmmaking, the museum will explore narrative art’s potential to prompt questions, invite opinions, inspire community, and move people to think about the impact of images on our world.

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum was designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec as executive architect and is under construction in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park. An 11-acre campus with extensive new green space designed by Studio-MLA will embrace the museum’s 300,000-square-foot building, which will feature expansive galleries, two state-of-the-art theaters, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events.

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Lucas Museum is sharply focused on creating a superior level of visitor enjoyment and experience for all our onsite visitors. The Director of Visitor Services has a key leadership role in achieving this objective.  

On a day-to-day basis, the Director of Visitor Services is responsible for the overall management of the museum's Visitor Services department including hiring, training, and supervising frontline staff; preparing weekly schedules; conducting daily briefings with frontline staff; managing daily floor operations; maintaining exceptional standards of customer service; ensuring all publicly accessible spaces are impeccably clean; managing onsite ticketing and queuing; and aiding visitors in navigating their visits. The Director of Visitor Services will work closely with the Learning and Engagement, Volunteer, Accessibility, and Security departments to provide integrated workflows that address all visitor and institutional needs.  

On a strategic level, the Director of Visitor Services will work across departments to push for continuous improvement, building on data, experimentation, and engagement with staff and visitors. The Lucas Museum strives to be a leader in the field for innovative and equitable visitor engagement and this position will use both qualitative and quantitative lenses to assess these efforts. The Director will lead a cross-departmental team of stakeholders to make continuous improvements to visitor experience, driven by feedback and data. Additionally, this position will liaise with external partners across Exposition Park to align visitor-facing efforts.  

The Director of Visitor Services will be the point person responsible for promptly reviewing visitor feedback as the lead of a cross-departmental team with the goal of spotting and resolving issues and identifying opportunities. The Director of Visitor Services will also be a key member of the team that analyzes attendance data. The Director of Visitor Services will have a pivotal role in driving earned revenues in support of the Museum’s mission through a concerted effort to sell tickets, memberships, programming, and other offerings.

• PRE-OPENING
• With a cross-departmental team of colleagues, develop the procedures for all aspects of interactions with visitors, including ticketing, membership sales, queuing, visitor flow, group visit procedures, information distribution, and more 
• Participate in the creation of the museum’s CRM and POS systems 
• Develop training curriculum for all frontline staff 
• Participate in development of attendance tracking and reporting systems, visitor experience and visitor feedback reporting, and visitor surveying 
• Establish goals, standards of performance, and standard operating procedures which promote a consistently superior visitor experience 
• Work with HR to create a bespoke training program that produces best of class interactions with visitors and drives sales 
• Work with HR to identify the skills that will best serve the museum, and implement a program to hire people with those skills 
• Develop and manage departmental operating budget  

• POST-OPENING 
• Oversee the daily operations of the visitor services department, including ticketing, queuing, visitor flow, group visit procedures, information distribution, hiring/training/supervising, scheduling, and more 
• A major portion of the Visitor Services operation will be driving membership through sales and through an enhanced membership experience 
• Creating a culture within the staff of engagement that leads to higher sales of tickets and memberships 
• Act as a liaison between administrative staff and frontline staff 
• Proactively identify and develop solutions for visitor experience challenges and opportunities 
• Ensure secure and accurate collection and recording of all transactions, reconcile daily transaction reports, and provide regular reports of admissions data to colleagues 
• Oversee admissions operations cash handling; online, phone, and in-person ticket transactions 
• Manage queues in real-time to maximize attendance and visitor experience 
• Coordinate all daily visitor experience efforts with the museum’s restaurant, café, and shop; assure effective and efficient scheduling without conflict  
• Work closely with security to support a program of preparedness and rapid response that spots and deescalates issues 
• Work closely with Food & Beverage and the Retail store to ensure close cooperation and a superior customer service experience 
• Handle any visitor escalations that cannot be settled at the floor staff level 
• Develop and implement new programs and initiatives to improve the visitor experience 
• Use data, experimentation, and visitor feedback to continuously improve the visitor experience 
• Continuously refine hiring and training practices 
• Mentor and provide feedback to staff in a contemporaneous and effective manner 
• Work closely with colleagues in Expo Park to coordinate activities across multiple venues 
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices 

• 5 years of experience in a leadership role at an organization that modeled a high degree of customer service and sales. Museum experience is not essential, but experience in hospitality, attractions, cultural organizations and admissions-driven institutions preferred
• Experience directly managing and motivating large numbers of hourly staff 
• Experience creating and managing complicated staffing schedules for hourly staff 
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging in hiring, staffing, management, training, and leaderships practices 
• Ability to influence and engage direct reports and peers and create a positive work environment 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills 
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team 
• Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output 
• Solid strategic planning, organizational, and project management skills 
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines 
• Experience with point-of-sale systems, ticketing software, and retail operations 
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings, as required 
• Multi-language fluency strongly preferred

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DEAIB

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents and supports a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Lucas Museum fosters a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, whether based on race, national origin, gender, gender expression, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the best qualified people from a diverse candidate pool. Applications from traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.

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The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the art of illustrated stories. Our mission is to inspire and connect people through the exploration of visual stories and their influences in society. 

VALUES

Our internal and external practices are shaped by the following beliefs and behaviors.

People First: We meet people wherever they are (physically, intellectually, emotionally). Our inclusive practice connects who people are and what they find emotional in works of art.

Inspired: We believe that art can move you to feel, think, reflect, and act.

Collaborative: We believe that nimble thinking and working together yield exponential results. 

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Narrative Art:

Amplify the social impact of storytelling and illustration. 

Community:

Connect to a broad and diverse public.

Operational Excellence:

Create a healthy and durable institution. 

All staff at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art lead through a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the Museum and with the communities that we serve.

Salary and titles will be assigned commensurate to the successful candidates’ education and experience. An attractive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate(s).

Pursuant to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the museum requires all new hires to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical and/or religious exemption. Upon hire, all new hires will receive detailed instructions on complying with this policy.  Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

Salary : $108,000 - $115,000