Visitor Experience Assistant

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, and 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 Assistant, 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 experiences on historic ships, in the exhibition galleries, and throughout the campus. You will sell tickets, answer front-desk questions, assist with retail operations, and staff museum events. Essential to this role is engaging with diverse visitors, including non-traditional museum-goers.

Visitor Experience Assistants will be trained to assist with docking the Museum’s sailing vessels and checking in guests for seasonal sails. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Regular weekend work is required, and candidates must be able to work until 9:30 p.m. at least one night each week.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

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

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

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

● Encourage visitorship and guest participation in programmatic activities across the Museum campus, such as events, facilitating family and all-ages activities,

assisting with wayfinding, and promoting tickets to public sails.

● 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.

● 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 the aforementioned ships dock.

● Assist with point-of-sale ticketing for Museum visits and programs, including walking tours, sails, exhibitions, and events.

● Follow all safety protocols for staff and empathetically assist guests in following guest safety protocols.

Additional Responsibilities

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

● Assist with public programs and events.

● Promote merchandise sales and ring up retail transactions.\

● Participate in ongoing light maintenance procedures as needed.

●Other tasks as required.

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.

● Experience with, or ability to learn and use, ticketing software.

● Responsibility in handling cash and credit card transactions.

● Reliability and ability to work well in a group environment.

●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 be available until 9:30 pm at least one night per

week.

Preferred but Non-Mandatory 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.

●Experience with, or ability to learn and use, ticketing software.

●Responsibility in handling cash and credit card transactions.

● Reliability and ability to work well in a group environment.

●. 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 be available until 9:30 pm at least one night per week.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. 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 superior.

● 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. This is a temporary,non-exempt position; employment dates are May 29th to October 31st.

Extensions may be possible. No full-time positions are available.

Remuneration: $18/hour

How to Apply

Email your resume and cover letter with “Visitor Experience Assistant” in the subject line to visitorexperiencejobs@seany.org.

 Applications without an attached cover letter will not be considered.

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.

Email your resume and cover letter with “Visitor Experience Assistant” in the subject line to visitorexperiencejobs@seany.org.  

Applications without an attached cover letter will not be considered.

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