Visitor Experience Associate Part Time, On-Call, Up to 18 hours per week

The Part Time, On-Call Visitor Experience Associate (VEA) is a flexible, adaptable, positive team player scheduled as needed. The schedule is flexible and not fixed, but weekend shifts are likely. Hours may vary from week to week, with some weeks having no scheduled hours and others offering up to 18 hours. The staff member may be asked to cover last-minute shifts as needed. 

The VEA is responsible for creating a warm and welcoming environment for all museum and research library visitors and cultivating a positive experience for guests from all backgrounds in support of Oregon Historical Society's (OHS) mission. A part of OHS's visitor experience team, the VEA must have the ability to move seamlessly between the admissions desk and museum store. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Serves as the first point of contact for visitors to OHS’s museum, research library, administration offices, and museum store. Displays exemplary communication and customer service skills when interacting with customers in person, by  phone, or via email. Eagerly and promptly greets visitors and customers to help them feel welcome.
2. Demonstrates an aptitude for learning and adapting to new technology, including various point of sale systems and internal databases. Accurately records admissions and museum store sales through respective POS interfaces and maintains a sharp attention to detail to ensure tills match daily transaction revenue.
3. Supports the Senior Visitor Experience Manager (SVEM) in facilitating group visits. Welcomes and orients non-school group visits as needed.

Job Duties

OHS’s visitor experience team supports museum admissions, the museum store, the scheduling of group tours, and provides crucial support to the membership  team. The On-Call VEA is expected to work at both OHS’s museum admission desk and in the museum store.

ADMISSIONS DESK RESPONSIBILITIES

• Welcomes and orients all visitors and serves as an ambassador for OHS, including knowing its history, current and upcoming programs, exhibitions, library services, membership, donations, education programs, and visitor policies.
• Addresses visitor questions and concerns in a positive, courteous, and inclusive manner. Remains calm under pressure and resolves visitor issues or elevates to the SVEM as appropriate.
• Records museum admissions, group visits, memberships, and other sales transactions accurately in the admissions point of sale system.
• Works as an extension of the membership team by promoting admission and membership sales. Maintains complete discretion in all communications about membership and other data to which the position may have access.
• Collaborates with security to enforce and report health and safety issues affecting OHS guests, volunteers, and staff in accordance with current OHS policies and procedures.
• Answers in-person, phone, and email inquiries from the public and disperses communication to the appropriate department or staff member for response. 
• Performs additional duties as requested by manager to support the visitor experience, membership, marketing, and events teams to achieve organizational goals.

MUSEUM STORE RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Accurately processes sales via the museum store POS maintaining transaction documentation and accounting of cash in the register.
• Assists with the daily in-store accounting for store sales, transmittal of summary sales reports, and daily cash receipts to the finance department.
• Assists the SVEM in developing merchandising displays, proper signage, and ensuring shelves are kept clean and well stocked.
• Helps perform periodic physical inventory counts in addition to providing support during the annual inventory.
• Provides sales and support at special events, such as Hatfield lectures, author appearances, and Holiday Cheer, as requested by manager.  
• Performs additional duties as assigned.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintains an exceptional level of communication with managers and colleagues to ensure timely and efficient exchange of information using email, voicemail, and/or in person meetings.
• Reliably reports to work when scheduled or called in.
• Works collaboratively in a team environment with a spirit of cooperation with all OHS staff, volunteers, and interns/volunteers.
• Displays excellent organizational and communication skills. 
• Respectfully takes direction from supervisor and collaborates with supervisor on departmental innovations and improvements.
• This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

High School graduate. Minimum 2-3 years related experience in retail sales, customer service, guest/member services, or an equivalent combination of education or experience. Proven ability to communicate both orally and in writing with a wide variety of individuals. Excellent customer service skills. Demonstrated desire to work with the public. Familiarity with Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and U.S. history is strongly preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Moderate computer job skills including logging on to systems, ability to communicate by email, compose documents, enter database information, download forms, and preserve/backup important data. Basic knowledge of Windows and Microsoft Office Suite is essential. Comfort with learning new technology and an ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software and POS systems is required.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position requires regular sitting, standing, walking, climbing, balancing, bending, kneeling, crouching, and reaching. Employees must be able to use their hands to handle and feel and must be able to communicate and hear. The position may require lifting and moving items weighing up to 10 pounds frequently, 25 pounds regularly, and 50 pounds occasionally without assistance. The job also requires close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Employees may also handle fragile or large objects.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles such as dust. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This position may require extended work hours at busy times of the year. Must be willing and able to work a variable schedule to meet the demands of the position. Required to share office space and equipment with other employees or volunteers of the organization.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

The OHS has adopted a policy where all employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Employees may request an exception from vaccination due to a disability or sincerely held religious beliefs from the HR department. New employees must submit proof of vaccination or a valid exception request by their first day of work. 

The Oregon Historical Society is committed to Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation in the hiring process, please let us know.