JOB OPPORTUNITY: Visitor Services Associate (VSA)

Visitor Services Associate
Hourly, non-exempt. 12-15 hours per week.
3-5 hour shifts Wednesday–Sunday, 10:30am-5:30pm
Occasional evening shifts required. 

About Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) is a dynamic, ever-changing, visual arts organization in the San Francisco North Bay region. With a budget of $1.4 million, SVMA has over 650 member households, a professional full and part-time staff of 20-25, and a dedicated Board of Directors. In 2023 the Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary, and there are several commemorative events planned. For more information on Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, please visit svma.org. 

Position Overview

The Visitor Services Associate (VSA) is a critical public-facing member of SVMA’s small, energetic staff, who works closely with the Museum Store and Visitor Services Director. VSAs maintain a highly effective interface with SVMA’s visitors, members, volunteers, and the Sonoma community. They are enthusiastic and perceptive “people persons,” with excellent organization, communication, and sales skills to smoothly convey an outstanding visitor experience. 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Admissions Desk Responsibilities 

• Reports to Museum Store and Visitor Services Director, and works with Development & Marketing Staff on membership tasks.
• Serve as lead staff for the Museum’s visitor admissions desk, and cross trained as a sales associate in the Museum Store.
• Track weekly visitor attendance and produce reports as requested.
• Throughout the week, process admissions, memberships, special events and public program ticket sales.
• Create, update, process, monitor and keep accurate accounts of event tickets in the database and SVMA website and produce reports and guest lists for all tickets sold. 
• Attend staff meetings, exhibition walk-throughs, and collaborate with the Engagement and Exhibitions team to ensure familiarity with public programs and general exhibition content.
• Ensure a quality, safe and secure experience for all visitors; maintaining light gallery maintenance, function, and appearance; monitor surveillance system. 
• Help maintain the organization of the kitchen and event supplies; coordinate the event set-up with Event Volunteers. 

Museum Store Responsibilities

• Perform store opening and closing procedures.
• Offer a unique high-level customer service experience, assisting customers with questions.
• Demonstrate in-depth product knowledge to effectively sell merchandise.
• Possess working knowledge of all exhibition-related merchandise.
• Work as a team to ensure each customer receives the best service possible.
• Maintain a clean, organized sales floor at all times.
• Keep displays stocked and well organized.
• Communicate any inventory and customer service issues to the Store Manager.
• Flexible to seamlessly work between the Museum Store and Admissions Desk as needed. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Previous customer service experience - in retail, restaurant, or a museum setting - required; coursework, concentration, or related experience in the visual arts, a plus.
• Detail oriented with excellent organization, communication, and customer-service skills. 
• Tech savvy; proficient with Mac OS, G-Suite, point-of-sales and database systems, MS Office. 
• Successfully learn, use and operate the point-of-sale system, continually advancing technical skills.
• Accurately tabulate transactions, accept payments, count change, and perform reconciliation.
• Process each credit card, check, cash, gift card, and membership transaction accurately.
• Strive to continually improve the visitor experience, and advance selling skills.
• Flexibility to work alternate days, evenings, weekends, and tasks as needed. 
• Ability to work productively in a public environment that can be both fast-paced and full of distractions or extremely quiet and solitary. 
• Ability to appropriately and diplomatically handle sensitive information and communications with staff, Board, and stakeholders with integrity and confidentiality.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Essential physical demands include sitting and standing for long periods, bending, walking and moving about. Communicating in a noisy, crowded public environment.
• Occasional physical demands include lifting up to 40 lbs., moving and stacking furniture and equipment, event set-up, etc.  

COMPENSATION

• $16.00 an hour & annual SVMA Membership 

Please send resume to: admin@svma.org.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family/marital status, religion or other protected classes. 

Updated: February 2023