Guest Services Team Lead, Events, Smart Museum

Department
 

AI Museum Operations

About the Department
 

As the fine arts museum of the University of Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art is a site for rigorous inquiry and exchange that encourages the examination of complex issues through the lens of art objects and artistic practice. Through strong scholarly and community collaborations and a welcoming approach to its exhibitions, collections, publications, research and teaching, and public programs, the Smart Museum plays a dynamic role in expanding artistic canons, rethinking received histories, introducing new perspectives, and engaging diverse communities—locally, nationally, and internationally. The Smart Museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.

Job Summary
 

The Guest Services Team Lead – Events, promotes a positive visitor experience and ensures protection of the Smart Museum’s art objects by managing the Guest Services team that welcomes Museum event attendees and ensures compliance with Museum visitor protocols. This role also acts as the primary contact and on-site manager for Smart Museum events, University of Chicago events at the Smart Museum, and external venue rental events. The Guest Services Team Lead - Events is responsible for the general management of the event front-line staff including full-time and part-time staff, as well as University students. This position also addresses event attendee issues and questions as well as any facilities and securities issues that arise when they are serving as the primary keyholder for the Museum. The Guest Services Team Lead - Events reports to the Deputy Director.

Responsibilities

• Acts as the primary contact for event rental requests for Smart Museum staff, University of Chicago departments, and external customers.
• Actively manages the Smart Museum (internal and external) event calendar to ensure proper staffing and security.
• Ensures that the event overview sheets are completed in a timely fashion to verify the key contact for the event, the event start/stop time, and proper setup is executed.   
• Assists the Smart Communications staff to update and maintain the venue rental website pages and promotional collateral. Supports and holds Guest Services staff accountable for their areas of responsibility including knowledge of the Museum’s mission and current program offerings, safety procedures, customer service, and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Provides coaching, feedback, and performance management to staff.
• Oversees scheduling and proactively ensures appropriate Guest Services staffing levels for daily operations as well as off-hours activities and events. On the rare occasions that additional security staff is needed, oversees communication and scheduling with the University’s security services contractor (Allied Universal). Primarily staffs front desk and gallery positions as needed to cover staff breaks.
• Ensures compliance with Smart Museum visitor protocols including protection of art objects and files incident reports with the Registration and Exhibitions teams as needed. Implements policies and procedures within the Guest Services team to support museum service standards, enhance the visitor experience, implements assessments as directed, and establishes benchmarking standards of service for the Guest Services team. Maintains and updates training manuals for Guest Services staff.
• Assists Guest Services staff in responding to patron issues and questions, including calls and emails regarding events at the Smart Museum.
• In coordination with the Exhibitions team, develops training materials and procedures for each exhibition to ensure that the Guest Services team effectively manages project-specific needs, including turning audio/visual (a/v) equipment on and off, checking regularly to ensure that a/v equipment is working properly, etc. Also ensures that collateral materials are properly maintained.
• Implements protocols for managing the visitor reservation system, attendance and visitor information gathering, and other data as directed. Maintains necessary documentation including museum attendance records, and regularly communicates this information to other staff.
• Manages the day-to-day activities related to publications sales in the museum building, including training staff, managing sales functions, and tracking inventory.
• Serves as one of the primary keyholders responsible for opening and closing the Museum during after-hours and weekend events.
• Ensures that security procedures are followed when opening and closing the museum and galleries.