Title: Guest Operations Manager of Guest Services and Museum Store

State Role Title: Retail Manager III

Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience

Pay Band: 5

Agency: The Science Museum of Virginia

Location: Broad Street Station

Agency Website: https://smv.org/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Science Museum of Virginia is seeking an energetic, people-first professional to lead its Guest Services, Museum Store and Concessions teams. If you are a leader who thrives on creating unforgettable guest experiences, this will be more than just a management role, it’s a chance to shape lasting impressions of every individual who walks through our doors.

As the Guest Operations Manager of Guest Services and Museum Store, you’ll oversee all aspects of guest-facing operations, from the excitement of ticketing and admissions to the buzz of the Museum Store and the enjoyment of our concessions during events and exhibitions. You’ll develop and lead a dedicated team to deliver seamless, engaging, and memorable interactions. Whether it's coordinating special pop-up shops for touring exhibitions or optimizing the membership sales experience, your work will directly impact how guests connect with science, inspiring learning and creativity.

This position will hire and train staff, coordinate schedules and help foster an environment of teamwork and professionalism, ensuring a superior experience for all museum guests. You will be responsible for managing event ticketing, troubleshooting issues, answering phone inquiries, engaging and responding to guest needs, and increasing membership sales. This position is also responsible for coordinating with the foundation membership department and the education department in scheduling groups and staffing public events when on-site sales are needed. The Manager will develop and implement policies in coordination with other departments to ensure an informed and knowledgeable frontline staff with regard to exhibitions, permanent collections and all museum programming and events.

Additional responsibilities include generating sales with a focus on increasing sales on a monthly and annual basis, incentivizing and motivating staff to drive sales, creating a positive shopping experience with guests and assisting in the museum’s core values in its role of providing an excellent guest/shopper experience through customer service.

If you’re passionate about service, inspiring teams, and want to be at the heart of something meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits

The position offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, FSA, HRA, HSA, life insurance, 457 and pension plan, short and long-term disability and employee assistance program. The Science Museum has a generous paid time off policy, including vacation leave, four days family & personal leave, eight sick days per year and 13 paid holidays.

Minimum Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional leadership skills and sound judgment. They will be a dynamic, thoughtful leader with a passion for exceptional guest experiences and a calm, solutions-oriented mindset. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and brings at least 5 years of leadership or supervisory experience. Must be confident working independently, proactive in identifying and solving problems and comfortable engaging with a diverse public and coaching team members. A strong working knowledge of POS and ticketing systems, business math, and guest service best practices is required. Must be fluent in Google Suite and bring a creative, resourceful approach to problem-solving. Emergency response and current First Aid/CPR certification are required as well as the ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends and holidays.

Additional Considerations

A comprehensive understanding the Science Museum of Virginia’s exhibits, programs, pricing, and events, or a strong understanding of the local community and region is a plus.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

The Science Museum of Virginia will accept ONLY online applications for all Science Museum employment opportunities. To be considered for this position, you must submit a Commonwealth of Virginia application or resume through the on-line “Virginia Jobs” (RMS) employment site no later than 11:55 p.m. on the closing date listed. If the position is an open until filled recruitment; the position will remain open for a minimum of 5 workdays or until the position is filled. Each application is reviewed for documentation that shows the applicant meets the minimum and additional qualifications stated in the job announcement. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the information provided on the application; therefore, it is essential to provide detailed information. Submitting an application lacking in detail, may impact your interview eligibility. The RMS website will provide a confirmation of receipt when the application is submitted for consideration. Please refer to your RMS account for the status of your application and this position. Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment within 90 days of the closing date. Computers are available for applying for jobs in public libraries and the Virginia Employment Commission offices.

The Science Museum seeks motivated people of all backgrounds. We value diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans) employer the Science Museum Welcomes Veterans to apply! We provide hiring preference to Veterans and Members of the Virginia National Guard in support of Executive Order 29, (2010). If you are a Veteran or Virginia National Guard Member, we urge you to respond accordingly on your state application or resume.

Selected candidate(s) must successfully pass a criminal history background check. A record of criminal history does not automatically bar an applicant from consideration. Employment verification will be conducted to include current/previous supervisory employment reference checks.

The Science Museum will record information from each new employee’s Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) into the Federal E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone: ‪804.372.3766‬

Email: hr@smv.org

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.