Visitor Services Manager

ABOUT THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to illustrated storytelling.  Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection features works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judith F. Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb; and photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange. The Museum also houses the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career.    Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with a landscape by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA, the Museum is in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, on an 11-acre campus that includes new green space and a 300,000-square-foot building with galleries, two theaters, a library, restaurant, café, retail store, and community spaces.    

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to delivering an exceptional experience for all onsite visitors. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Visitor Services, the Manager, Visitor Services plays a key role in achieving this objective through effective daily operations and consistently high standards of service.

As part of the Visitor Services leadership team, the Manager is responsible for supervising, coaching, and developing frontline staff and directing daily Visitor Services operations  The Manager participates in hiring, training, and supervising frontline staff; creates weekly schedules in partnership with the Senior Manager; manages daily floor operations; maintains exceptional standards of customer service; oversees onsite ticketing and queuing; and assists visitors in all aspects of their visit. The Manager works cross-functionally to ensure publicly accessible spaces are clean, operational, and welcoming.

The Manager also serves as the venue Manager-on-Duty (MOD), exercising discretion and independent judgment in directing daily frontline operations. In this capacity, the Manager assesses operational needs, establishes priorities, directs Visitor Services staff deployment, resolves escalated visitor concerns, and coordinates responses to operational issues with Security, Retail, Food & Beverage, Volunteer Programs, and Facilities. The Manager makes timely decisions within established Museum policies to support safe operations and exceptional visitor service, elevating matters that require additional authority. The Manager models the Museum’s mission and values while fostering a culture of visitor engagement, collaboration, and accountability.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise and mentor the frontline Visitor Services team, reinforcing the Museum’s service standards and expectations
• Oversee daily Visitor Services operations, including ticketing, queuing, visitor flow, staff deployment, and break management
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training frontline staff
• Handle visitor concerns and escalations that cannot be resolved at the frontline staff level, exercising sound judgment and elevating matters as needed
• Serve as the venue Manager-on-Duty (MOD), leading frontline operations through close collaboration with Security, Retail, Food & Beverage, Volunteer Programs, and Facilities
• When serving as MOD, act as the primary point of contact between administrative staff and floor operations
• Oversee admissions operations, including cash handling, transaction processing, and ticketing inventory, in accordance with established procedures
• Ensure accurate daily reporting of ticket revenue, attendance, and floor incidents; verify daily transaction reconciliations and escalate discrepancies
• In partnership with the Senior Manager, create weekly schedules for all hourly Visitor Services personnel, ensuring coverage that supports the Museum’s high service standards and safe venue operations
• Provide timely and effective coaching and feedback to staff, addressing performance concerns in partnership with the Senior Manager and People & Culture
• Foster a culture of visitor engagement that drives membership sales and promotes an enhanced membership experience
• Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure public spaces are clean, operational, and ready to welcome visitors, communicating concerns and following up on their resolution
• Partner closely with Security in responding to medical incidents and emergency events, carrying out Visitor Services responsibilities under established procedures
• Identify recurring visitor concerns and operational opportunities, recommend improvements to the Senior Manager, and implement approved changes
• Assist in managing and maintaining inventories of department equipment, including radios, POS technology, uniforms, etc.
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices in visitor services and museum operations

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Analytical Rigor: Simplifies complex problems by using critical thinking to evaluate problems, gathering information, incorporating multiple perspectives, understanding causes, and identifying best-possible solutions. Invests time in planning, discovery, and reflection to drive better decisions and more efficient implementations. Adopts an audience-centric approach, understanding the needs of the audience and incorporating them, as appropriate, into the decision.

• Courageous Communication: Intentionally works well with others both on the team and cross-functionally to achieve individual, team, department, or organizational goals. Values diverse input and working with others as a way to achieve the best output possible.

• Collaborative Excellence: Displays courage when handling difficult conversations and genuinely and intentionally communicates. Relays key messages effectively, targeted to specific audiences. Identifies others' communication styles and perspectives, adjusting language and approach accordingly. Employs active listening to understand, rather than reply. Asks for, integrates, and values feedback from team, peers, and leaders.

• Adaptive Resilience: Thrives and grows in a rapidly changing and complex environment. Displays flexibility, activates networks, and adopts a continuous growth mindset to learn from mistakes and bounce back from adversity.

• Building Trust & Relationship Management

• Accountable Ownership and clearly shares information and the "why" behind decisions.

• Asks for and values the opinions of others. Displays empathy when listening.

• Acknowledges when trust has been broken and focuses on rebuilding.

• Relates comfortably with people across levels, functions, cultures, and geographies. Identifies interpersonal and group dynamics and reacts effectively.

• Accountable Ownership

• Takes ownership of outcomes, positive or negative, without blaming others within the team or cross-functionally.

• Recognizes when they are not approaching a situation with accountability but instead with a blame mindset.

• Takes accountability for assigned tasks and executes on deliverables in a timely manner.

• Strategic Alignment & Execution

• Contributes to the organization by understanding and aligning actions with the organization's goals, core functions, needs, and values.

• Seeks out and incorporates multiple perspectives, experiences, and industry trends to develop a holistic perspective. Operationalizes ideas within the business model.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, up to 8 hours per shift. 
• Ability to move throughout multiple Museum locations, including galleries, theaters, outdoor spaces, and other public areas. 
• Ability to maintain an active and visible presence while providing exceptional guest service. 
• Ability to work in a high-volume, public-facing environment with large groups of guests, including school groups, tours, special events, and peak attendance periods, while maintaining professionalism, situational awareness, and composure. 
• Ability to frequently bend, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb stairs as needed. 
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 25 pounds, including wheelchairs, stanchions, signage, guest service equipment, and other operational materials. 
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with guests and colleagues in person, by telephone, and over two-way radio. 
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors in varying environmental conditions. 
• Ability to maintain awareness of guest activity and surrounding conditions while monitoring galleries, queues, and public spaces. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of experience in a supervisory or management role at an organization that modeled a high degree of customer service and sales
• Museum experience is not essential, but experience in hospitality, attractions, cultural organizations or admissions-driven institutions preferred
• Experience directly managing and motivating large numbers of hourly staff
• Experience managing complex staffing schedules for hourly staff
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging in hiring, staffing, management, training, and leadership practices
• Ability to influence and engage direct reports and peers and create a positive work environment
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Solid strategic planning, organizational and project management skills
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Experience with POS systems, ticketing software, and retail operations
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings, as required
• Multi-language fluency strongly preferred EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DEAIB The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents and supports a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Lucas Museum fosters a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, whether based on race, national origin, gender, gender expression, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the best qualified people from a diverse candidate pool. Applications from traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged.   The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.   ***************************************************************************************************************   MISSION AND VISION   The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the art of illustrated stories. Our mission is to inspire and connect people through the exploration of visual stories and their influences in society.    VALUES Our internal and external practices are shaped by the following beliefs and behaviors.   People First: We meet people wherever they are (physically, intellectually, emotionally). Our inclusive practice connects who people are and what they find emotional in works of art.   We believe that art can move you to feel, think, reflect, and act.   We believe that nimble thinking and working together yield exponential results.      Amplify the social impact of storytelling and illustration.    Connect to a broad and diverse public.   Create a healthy and durable institution.