Visitor Experience Assistant

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values.   Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.     Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life.     Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure, always ready to explore new perspectives.   Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution.    SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self.
Schedule: Part Time (minimum of 21 hours), Temporary (4 months), fully onsite   Reporting to the Managers of Visitor Experience, the Visitor Experience Assistant is a primary representative of the museum for SFMOMA core audiences (members and visitors) and plays a key role in delivering an excellent, welcoming, inclusive, and uniquely SFMOMA visitor experience. VX Assistants work as part of a collaborative, cross-functional team to proactively provide all museum guests with a world-class museum experience and in concert with management, regularly seek ways to improve the experience.  Working independently with minimal supervisor contact, the VEA is empowered to handle escalations in line with the SFMOMA service platform, with management support as needed. The VEA team exemplifies SFMOMA's service standards by actively taking responsibility for the general safety and comfort of visitors and colleagues and taking pride in delivering above-and-beyond customer service to each museum guest. Success in this role will entail finding thoughtful and welcoming ways to interact with visitors of all types and remaining committed to promoting SFMOMA with a team-first approach in delivering an unparalleled museum visitor experience, where going above and beyond is standard operation.  

Responsibilities & Duties

• Greet visitors and act as a first point for questions, providing information related to their visit, the museum’s amenities and opportunities, exhibitions and programs, and other information as requested.  
• Sell and distribute general museum, exhibition, and event-related tickets.   
• Promote, sell and upgrade all museum membership levels and gift memberships. Help to achieve sales goals. Assist with other data collection as needed.  
• Accurately collect, update, and review information regarding membership accounts, levels, and benefits.   
• Responsible for supporting museum’s data integrity standards and CRM database, as needed. 
• Sell and distribute various branded and non-branded items, products and services for the museum to support visitors and their museum experience as needed.  
• Provide accurate handling of cash and monies in various forms, reconciling daily sales report at the end of each shift with receipts.  
• Maintain a strong understanding of process, policies, and standard operating procedures for data entry, visitor interactions, and safety.  
• Assist in crowd and line management, access control and queue setup and take down both for daily operations and in gallery operations, as needed.  
• Operate and maintain the museum’s Coat Check safely and responsibly, including lost and found, ADA item distribution, and inventory of items. 
• Participate in daily briefings and department trainings to remain current on team/museum happenings and needs.  
• Responsible for self-education surrounding department SOP’s and resources.  
• Maintain clean, stocked, and organized workstations and public spaces and maintain cross-functional inventory levels for collateral, tickets, and other peripheral items.   
• Monitor and act as a point of support for equipment in and around public spaces and workstations, escalating as needed.  
• Set an exemplary standard of behavior while ensuring that visitors are assisted in a professional, courteous manner aligned with the museum’s service standards and goals.  
• Assist with troubleshooting and visitor escalation when managers are not available.  
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of all Visitor Experience procedures, systems, and operations as well as knowledge of the exhibitions and artists on display.  
• Provide peer-to-peer support.  
• Participate in visitor market research by collecting visitor feedback and comments.  
• Ability to follow all museum and department policies including dress code and safety protocols. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications & Skills

• High school diploma required, with demonstrated knowledge in hospitality, art history or practice, education, or related fields a plus.  
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a fast-paced, customer service-focused retail, hospitality, or arts environment. Minimum one year experience as a cashier, teller, or operating a Point-of-Sale system.  
• Outstanding people and communication skills.   
• Ability to operate a point of sale/ticketing system.  
• Ability to follow established protocols and work independently.  
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently in a busy, noisy public environment.  
• Demonstrated punctuality and dependability.  
• Flexibility in a regularly changing and evolving environment.  
• Ability to work well within a team environment, to communicate well, and to conduct constructive problem resolution.  
• Bi- or multi-lingual candidates, and those proficient in American Sign Language, are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Working Conditions

• Open availability is required including evenings, weekends, and holidays.  
• Physical demands include: sitting, standing, and walking with occasional kneeling required. Lifting and carrying up to 20 lbs. Ability to reach overhead. 
• Museum spaces with variable noise levels including audible artworks and large crowds. May be asked to work outside. May be asked to work around artworks with lights, sounds and scents.  Job posting open date: 10/14/26   All jobs posted will remain open for at least five business days.       We encourage both internal and external candidates to apply within the initial open posting period as the application close date may or may not be extended beyond that initial period. Applications will not be accepted after a posting has been closed. 
  Location: San Francisco, 151 3rd Street.    Benefits: SF City Option, SFMOMA Membership, and more   At SFMOMA, we do not believe that any applicant can, or should, meet every qualification listed in a job posting. We are committed to welcoming applicants from all backgrounds and professional paths who are inspired to join a mission-driven, community-oriented organization grounded in inclusivity, passion, bravery, and empathy.  If this describes you, we encourage you to apply.    Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.    SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, genetic information, ancestry/national origin, marital status, disability, medical condition, HIV status, sexual orientation, veteran/military status, and any other category protected by federal or state law.    You may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable to or are limited in your ability to access job postings or provide additional information asked in the job posting.   You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at talent@sfmoma.org.