South Street Seaport Museum
New York City, NY
US

DESCRIPTION

South Street Seaport Museum seeks enthusiastic and personable Visitor Experience Associates to engage with guests and introduce them to Seaport Museum content.

South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the historic seaport district in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries, education spaces, working 19th-century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.” seaportmuseum.org

Job Summary

As a Visitor Experience Associate, you will welcome visitors to the Museum, helping to tell the story of the rise of New York as a port city and its critical role in the development of the United States. With energy and enthusiasm, you will engage locals and tourists, newcomers and returning visitors, through guided tours, hands-on engagement activities, and staff-supported self-guided experiences on historic ships, in the exhibition galleries, and throughout the campus. You will also sell tickets, answer front-desk questions in person and on the phone, assist with retail operations, including at Bowne & Co. Stationers and staff Museum events. Essential to this role are engaging with diverse visitors, including non-traditional museum-goers, and also good situational awareness to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, both guests and staff. Visitor Experience Associates will, after receiving training, assist with docking the Museum’s sailing vessels and checking in guests for seasonal sails.

Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm; the Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday for the majority of the year, and open weekends-only during the winter schedule. Consistent weekend availability is required, along with occasional holidays and evenings; spring and summer weekday availability is a plus.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

● Welcome visitors to the Museum and maintain a friendly, personable, and positive attitude.

● With warmth and enthusiasm, proactively engage visitors on board historic ships and in exhibition spaces, answering questions, sharing information, listening to guests, and encouraging engagement and connection with the content.

● Support the visitor experience of diverse guests, including non-traditional museum-goers and non-English-speakers

● Keep guests, ships, and artifacts safe by assisting guests in understanding and following safety rules. Be constantly aware of everything going on around you to help monitor for safety and to maintain a safe environment.

● Lead tours of docked ships, including the lightship Ambrose and the tall ship Wavertree, and provide interpretation across the Museum campus, with a focus on the visitor as well as on the content, and encouraging engagement.

● Using ACME ticketing software, handle point-of-sale ticketing for Museum visits and public programs including walking tours, public sails, exhibitions, and events, along with selling and troubleshooting membership to the Museum.

● Explain Pay What You Wish admission and encourage suitable participation. Collect check-in data from guests.

● Encourage visitorship and guest participation in programs and activities across the Museum campus, such as by promoting events and public sails, and assisting with wayfinding including approaching guests around the campus to inform them of our offerings.

● Facilitate family and all-ages activities.

● Encourage guests to continue engagement with the Museum through memberships, donations, joining the mailing list, following the Museum on social media, submitting feedback and reviews, attending future events, and other activities.

● Respond to and resolve visitor complaints and concerns with patience, empathy, and professionalism, including referring visitors to managers or other staff members as needed.

● Assist with guest check-in and boarding for sailing experiences on the schooner Pioneer and the tugboat W.O. Decker, as well as line/rope catching to help aforementioned ships dock.

● Work as a team with Visitor Experience staff and colleagues across the Musuem to support the needs of guests and each other.

● Participate as a member of a professional learning community in ongoing group and individual professional development to increase content knowledge as well as both hard and soft skills.

● Communicate proactively with colleagues and supervisors using email, radio, and other designated tools.

Additional Responsibilities

● Help set up and strike signage, exhibits, stanchions, and other components at the beginning and end of the day.

● Welcome guests at the reception desk or tent, answer questions from both Museum visitors and the non-Museum going public, and handle incoming mail, email, packages, and appointments.

● Assist with public and private programs and events.

● Promote merchandise sales and ring up retail transactions.

● Participate in ongoing light maintenance procedures, as needed.

● Support both Front of House and Back of House Museum functions including administrative tasks such as data management and visitor tracking collaboratively and -interdepartmentally.

● Additional tasks as required. Professional Qualifications:

● Experience in education, interpretation, or customer service, preferably in a museum/cultural institution and/or non-profit organization.

● Demonstrated interest in museums/cultural institutions, maritime and/or New York City history and geography, and storytelling.

● Interest in and ability to learn new content about Museum ships, the port of New York, and related content.

● Bachelor’s Degree (completed or in progress) or equivalent relevant experience, preferred.

● Teaching or presentation experience is a plus.

● Second language proficiency is a plus.

Personal Qualifications

● An outgoing personality with the ability to communicate well in public settings.

● Professional and personable demeanor.

● Flexibility and positivity in dealing with new experiences and people.

● A solid sense of teamwork and collaboration.

● Good situational awareness.

● Experience with, or ability to learn and use, ticketing software; experience with ACME is a plus.

● Responsibility in handling cash and credit card transactions.

● Reliability and ability to function well as a team member.

● Reliable communication skills, both verbal and written.

● Must be available to work weekend hours (preferably both Saturdays and Sundays) as well as some weekdays, and occasional evening availability is a plus.

● Theatrical experience is a plus.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Applicants must be able to:

● Spend several hours walking and/or standing in indoor and outdoor public spaces.

● Climb and descend ramps, stairs, and ladders.

● Adapt to a changing environment while working outdoors in hot, cold, and/or inclement weather, (foul weather gear will be provided) as long as it is deemed safe to do so by a Supervisor.

● Stoop, bend, and carry weights of up to 30 pounds.

● Work on a floating dock attached to the pier; catch and throw a docking line/rope.

Compensation/Benefits

Part-time/hourly positions, 2–5 days per week. Positions are temporary from 2/12/25 - 11/2/25 but may be converted to year-round. No full-time positions available. This is a non-exempt position.

Remuneration: $20-$22/hour, merit-based salary increases with time and experience.

Note: Visitor Experience Associates with teaching experience are encouraged to apply to become Museum Educators and Maritime Educators, teaching K-12 school programs on Museum ships and in Museum galleries.

How to Apply

Email your resume and cover letter with “Visitor Experience Associate” in the subject line to [email protected]. Applications without an attached cover letter will not be considered. No phone calls, please.

South Street Seaport Museum is an equal-opportunity employer. Non-traditional applicants and/or those with suitable alternatives to the above criteria are encouraged to apply. The Seaport Museum strongly encourages applications from members of groups underrepresented in careers related to museums; we seek to foster a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as New York City and our audience.

DURATION

Feb 12, 2025 - Nov 9, 2025

SALARY

$20.00 – $22.00 per hour

APPLY BY EMAIL

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