Armory Center for the Arts based in Pasadena, California, seeks a part-time Visitor Services Associate to assist with facilitating daily Visitor Services at the Armory and ensuring the visitor experience is warm, welcoming, and informative. Must be available up to 29 hours per week, Thursday-Sunday. 

Organizational Overview 

Armory Center for the Arts nurtures our community and its young people by creating, learning, and presenting art to advance equity and social justice. Deeply committed to cultural equity and community empowerment, the Armory presents contemporary art exhibitions, performances, and educational experiences at its main facility in Pasadena and offsite throughout the City of Pasadena and Greater Los Angeles. For more information on the Armory, visit armoryarts.org/about.

What We Are Looking For

The Visitor Services Associates (VSA) are tasked with engaging with the public in order to provide an educational, safe, and memorable experience at the Armory. VSAs are also tasked with running the daily, frontline operations; including light administrative tasks, monitoring the gallery and studio spaces, and set-up / break-down of programs. 

The ideal candidate is:  

Curious about community arts spaces, galleries, and working studios.
Excellent visitor service skills and courteous phone manner.  
Confident public speaker able to work with groups of all ages and backgrounds.  
Ability to interact with various personality traits and maintain a professional demeanor with both staff and visitors alike.  
Responsible, flexible, punctual, and able to work well under pressure. Positive attitude.  
Ability to work any shift including weekends, nights, and holidays; and/or work extended hours if required.  
High school diploma or GED.  
Minimum of two years prior experience working in a cultural organization or educational setting.
Familiarity and comfort with standards, practices, and procedures of museums and/or childcare.
Familiarity and comfort with business protocols; office skills.
The physical ability to speak, hear, see, reach, bend, twist, type, sit, stand, lift 25 pounds, and climb a short ladder.
Fluency in other languages is a plus.
 General Duties, Responsibilities, Essential Functions

Greet and welcome visitors upon their arrival and orient them to the Armory. Assess visitor needs and share the wide range of programming and activities available.  
Be well informed about Exhibition and Studio programs and schedules.
Assist visitors with wayfinding around the Armory.  
Provide information and monitor visitors and adherence to site rules.  
Answer visitor questions regarding a wide variety of topics including general Armory matters or the Old Pasadena neighborhood; If necessary, direct visitors to the appropriate place/person, or take their contact info for follow up. 
Monitor and control visitor flow at entry and exit points. Report any issues.
Respond to visitor concerns and complaints and report any concerns to Supervisors in a timely and efficient manner.  
Provide professional, efficient, and approachable support and excellent service to visitors and staff alike.   
Assist with exhibition openings, public programs, and special events that take place at the Armory throughout the year.  
Provide administrative, technical, or programmatic support as needed. 
Maintain clean and orderly work areas, specifically exhibition reception desk and front office.
Answer front office phones and check voicemails. Change outgoing messages for each exhibition. Direct unresolved questions to the supervisor. 
Perform any other duties as may reasonably be required. 

Exhibitions

Open and close galleries, including turning on and off any video or other tech.
Support department’s social media activities. 
Maintain organized and accurate daily visitor log. Input new email addresses into the database.
Sell Armory books, merchandise, and editions; maintain book inventory; track sales.
Maintain an organized closet behind the reception desk.
Assist with departmental events by providing setup of AV, chairs, recording, and other needs as requested. 
Monitor the condition of all galleries on a daily basis. Remove trash or other debris as needed. Report burned out bulbs, scuffs, or other matters that require attention. 
Provide some administrative support to the Director of Exhibition Programs / Chief Curator & Exhibition Manager / Assistant Curator. 

On-site Classes 

Check in all students, following strict COVID-19 safety protocols. 
Open doors to studio spaces at the start of every class, locking and monitoring front and back Armory doors during class, ensuring student safety during their time at the Armory. 
Assist visitors and students with wayfinding to their classes, especially in the first 2 weeks of each session. 
During class, monitor all Studio class spaces and answer questions from teaching artists or teen volunteers. 
Assist the Studio Director in maintaining an organized, clean, and active studio space.
Assist with the organization of materials for classes and set up of studio spaces in preparation for each class. 
Supervise students ages 11 and younger if parents are late for check-out. 
Provide other administrative assistance to the Studio Director. 
 

Compensation 

This is a part-time position paid at an hourly rate. Pay is $19.35/hour. Work hours are 29 hours per week on average, including some evening and weekend shifts. This position will occasionally be required to cover other shifts depending on needs of the organization. The schedule is subject to change. 

Benefits

Vacation time, paid Holidays, free parking, opportunities for professional development, and free Armory studio art classes. 

COVID Vaccination Policy

For the safety and well-being of the entire community, Armory Center for the Arts requires that all staff, students, and visitors be vaccinated and boosted against the COVID-19 virus before they will be allowed in an Armory facility, exhibit space, classroom, or office.

How to Apply

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to careers@armoryarts.org. In the subject line of the email, please write “Visitor Services Associate.” No phone calls please. Applications are due by Thursday, December 15, at 5pm.

We understand that it is unlikely that an applicant meets all of the qualifications for a given role. If much of this job description describes you, you are encouraged to apply for this role.

An Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of the Armory Center for the Arts to provide all persons with equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran or marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.