The Wende Museum

Culver City, CA

Visitor Engagement and Education Manager

About the Wende Museum

“Wende” is a German word that means “transformation.” It is commonly used to describe the era of uncertainty and possibility leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Headquartered in a renovated National Guard Armory in Culver City, the Wende Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is an experimental and forward-thinking institution that pairs unparalleled collections from the Cold War era with contemporary artists, filmmakers, musicians, scholars, and others. With a commitment to both international scholarship and local community engagement, the Wende offers wide-ranging programs, from lectures and research access to free yoga classes and art activities for all ages. We are looking for a confident, adaptable, detail-oriented Visitor Engagement and Education Manager who can proactively lead the daily operations of our outstanding VE&E team, and who has a strong passion for visitor services and education.  

Job Description

The Visitor Engagement and Education Manager plays a key role in making the overall museum experience, from gallery visits and tours to ongoing education programming and events, positive and thought-provoking for all museum stakeholders. As the head of Education, the VE&E Manager unites engagement and education and takes the museum’s growing VE&E initiative into its exciting next phase. This is a supervisory position with high inter-departmental exposure and reports to the Gallery and Special Projects Manager.

This position requires the flexibility to work a Wednesday through Sunday week, including some evenings, to support ongoing programming, the museum’s public open days (Fri-Sun), and events. While days and hours may vary from week to week, an average workweek of 40 hours is expected. 

Competitive salary, with medical/dental/vision benefits and paid vacation and holidays

The full-time position is available October 2019

Summary of Responsibilities

Visitor Engagement 

• Manage and supervise a team of seven VE&E Associates and Leads

• Oversee daily visitor engagement operations including opening and closing procedures 

• Schedule rolling monthly VE&E Associate and Lead shifts

• Coordinate hospitality for special visits and internal meetings with Development Associate 

• Coordinate event execution with Event Lead under the leadership of the Gallery and Special Projects Manager 

• Produce monthly visitor engagement data reports

Education 

• Manage major educational initiatives

• Develop and update the education curriculum and set department goals

• Supervise the Education Lead (who gives school tours, leads workshops, et.c)

• Oversee high school and volunteer program in partnership with Education Lead

• Develop tour trainings and plan exhibition-specific education programming with Education Lead

• Manage education schedule and coordinate public, private and educational tours (e.g., school field trips) 

Gift Shop 

• Manage gift shop operations and supervise Gift Shop Lead

• Stock and order exhibition-related and evergreen inventory

• Manage inventory in partnership with Gift Shop Lead and VE&E Associates  

Requirements

Ideal candidate

• • Responsive and resourceful problem solver

  • Highly organized and detail-oriented

  • Able to multitask a wide variety of activities, prioritizing conflicting needs

• Proactive self-starter able to follow projects through to completion

• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines

• Able to work effectively independently and also as a positive team player

• Demonstrates emotional maturity and strong interpersonal skills

Skills and Experience

• • Minimum of 2 years experience in front of house management in an arts organization, or similar

  • Minimum 2 years experience in education related field

  • Team management experience 

  • Hospitality, event and retail experience 

• Non-profit experience

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• • Strong computer skills. Advanced expertise in Microsoft Office Suite

• Experience working in Altru or other advanced CRM systems a plus

Valid California Driver’s License and reliable automobile with insurance coverage for use on the job

The Wende Museum is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. People of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.  

How to Apply

Submit a resume and brief cover letter in a single PDF attachment with the subject line “Visitor Engagement and Education Manager” to dnaierman@wendemuseum.org