The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is seeking an experienced, leadership-minded individual to join the Visitor Services Department as Lead Gallery Associates. Lead Gallery Associates support the museum’s mission to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art by monitoring the galleries, assisting with crowd control, and facilitating a positive experience for visitors and gallery staff. 

Lead Associates model excellent customer service and gallery best practices and serve in a supervisory capacity in absence of Supervisors or Manager, including handling customer service issues and opening and closing shifts as needed.

This is a part time, non-exempt position with no benefits, working 24-28 hours per week.

This is a VMFA internal position only. 

• Provide excellent customer service to visitors by assisting them with questions, directions or other instructions and ensure that visitors abide by all gallery guidelines.
• Serve as a team leader in your gallery zone by: Scheduling and providing breaks for associates; monitoring staffing and visitor levels and adjusting or requesting assistance as needed; documenting any art or public safety incidents; and assisting associates with customer service inquiries and issues.
• Assist with training of new associates by participating in training and orientation sessions and by shadowing with new associates in the galleries.
• Report incidents to Supervisor/Manager in a timely manner and escalate customer service or staff issues when needed.
• Coordinate with security staff in the event of an emergency and notify security staff of any safety or security issues as needed.
• Open and close shifts as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Outstanding interpersonal and oral communication skills, and the ability to work confidently and courteously with museum staff and the general public.
• Strong leadership, organization, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to make independent decisions.
• Knowledge of gallery guidelines, emergency procedures, and day-to-day gallery operations.
• Advanced knowledge of museum collections, exhibitions, gallery guidelines, emergency procedures, and day-to-day gallery operations including scheduling and shift open/close procedures.
• Ability to work effectively in both fast-paced and slow-paced environments.
• Ability to communicate with the public in person; to use a radio for communication; to observe visitors in the galleries; to traverse the galleries for the majority of their shift with short breaks, with reasonable accommodations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in a team lead or supervisory capacity in a museum, retail, or hospitality environment