Reports to: Director of Exhibitions
Salary Range: $60,000
Status: Exempt – Full-time, Salaried

Position Summary
Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center seeks a highly organized, service-oriented leader to serve as its Senior Manager of Visitor Experience. This newly created position is designed to bring a significantly elevated level of operational rigor, accountability, and hospitality to every aspect of the guest experience.

Reporting directly to the Director of Exhibitions, the Senior Manager of Visitor Experience will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Visitor Experience department. This position will establish and maintain high standards for visitor service, front-of-house operations, gallery engagement, safety, accessibility, and team performance. The Senior Manager will ensure that every visitor, from a first-time guest to a longtime member, artist, donor, student, or community partner—receives a warm, welcoming, consistent, and professional experience.

The Senior Manager will directly supervise the Visitor Experience Manager, set departmental priorities and expectations, develop clear systems and procedures, and ensure that the team is prepared to support Oklahoma Contemporary’s exhibitions, programs, events, and institutional goals. The ideal candidate will combine genuine hospitality with disciplined management, strong judgment, careful attention to detail, and an ability to hold themselves and others accountable.

Responsibilities

Membership Management & Growth

• Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for the Visitor Experience department.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate the Visitor Experience team, establishing clear expectations, priorities, and measures of success.
• Clarify responsibilities and lines of authority among the Senior Manager, Visitor Experience Manager, Visitor Experience Lead, and Visitor Experience Associates.
• Develop a culture defined by professionalism, reliability, responsiveness, collaboration, and genuine care for visitors.
• Establish consistent systems for departmental planning, shift coverage, internal communication, documentation, and follow-through.
• Monitor departmental performance and address operational or personnel concerns promptly and appropriately.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, onboarding, performance management, corrective action, and employee development.
• Prepare and manage the Visitor Experience departmental budget in collaboration with the Director of Exhibitions and Director of Finance.

Visitor Hospitality and Service Standards

• Develop, implement, and maintain institution-wide standards for visitor hospitality and front-of-house service.
• Ensure that all guests are welcomed warmly, provided with accurate information, and treated with professionalism and respect.
• Create service standards and training that reflect Oklahoma Contemporary’s commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and free admission.
• Regularly observe front desk, gallery, event, and public-space operations to assess service quality and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop clear protocols for responding to visitor questions, concerns, complaints, accessibility needs, and unusual situations.
• Model calm, thoughtful, and solutions-oriented service, particularly during high-attendance programs, challenging interactions, or operational disruptions.
• Gather and evaluate visitor feedback, attendance data, and other performance indicators to improve the guest experience.

Front-of-House Operations

• Oversee the daily readiness and effective operation of the front desk, galleries, lobby, public spaces, and other visitor-facing areas.
• Ensure appropriate staffing and coverage for regular operating hours, exhibitions, public programs, rentals, special events, and institutional activities.
• Work with the Visitor Experience Manager to create schedules, approve time off, coordinate breaks, and anticipate staffing needs.
• Establish opening, closing, cash-handling, attendance-tracking, incident-reporting, and emergency-response procedures.
• Ensure that visitor-facing information, signage, materials, and digital resources are accurate, current, and professionally presented.
• Maintain effective and accurate use of the Altru system for ticketing, registration, attendance reporting, membership processing, donations, and other front-desk transactions.
• Coordinate with Security, Facilities, Exhibitions, Learning and Engagement, Studio School, Events, Development, and Marketing to ensure operational readiness.
• Serve as a visible and engaged front-of-house leader during major exhibitions, opening celebrations, fundraising events, and other high-profile activities.

Team Development and Training

• Lead the recruitment, onboarding, training, and professional development of Visitor Experience staff in partnership with the Visitor Experience Manager.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive training materials, standard operating procedures, checklists, and departmental resources.
• Ensure staff members are knowledgeable about current exhibitions, programs, institutional policies, accessibility practices, emergency procedures, and community resources.
• Conduct regular departmental meetings, training sessions, coaching conversations, and performance check-ins.
• Create clear expectations for professional conduct, attendance, communication, appearance, gallery monitoring, and visitor interaction.
• Build a team that is confident, informed, adaptable, and prepared to represent Oklahoma Contemporary positively.
• Identify opportunities for staff growth and create pathways for increased responsibility and leadership.

Exhibition and Program Support

• Collaborate closely with the Director of Exhibitions and Exhibitions staff to ensure that Visitor Experience employees understand exhibition content, gallery expectations, artwork protections, and interpretive priorities.
• Develop staffing and operational plans for exhibition openings, public programs, performances, educational activities, rentals, and special events.
• Ensure that visitor-facing employees receive timely and accurate information regarding schedules, closures, content advisories, accessibility considerations, and program changes.
• Coordinate with appropriate staff to prepare for anticipated attendance, VIP visits, school groups, tours, and other specialized audiences.
• Support a visitor experience that encourages curiosity, conversation, and meaningful engagement with contemporary art.

Safety, Security, and Accessibility

• Partner with Operations, Security, and Exhibitions staff to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for visitors, employees, artists, and artwork.
• Ensure consistent compliance with emergency procedures, incident-reporting requirements, gallery rules, and institutional policies.
• Train Visitor Experience staff to respond appropriately to emergencies, medical incidents, disruptive behavior, artwork concerns, and other unexpected situations.
• Promote accessibility throughout the visitor experience and help identify and remove physical, informational, and service-related barriers.
• Exercise sound judgment and escalate significant operational, safety, personnel, or reputational concerns to the appropriate institutional leaders.

Institutional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary departmental liaison for visitor-facing operations and represent Visitor Experience in cross-departmental planning.
• Communicate proactively with colleagues regarding staffing, schedules, programs, events, visitor concerns, and operational needs.
• Develop productive working relationships across the organization and help ensure that departmental decisions consider their impact on visitors.
• Support Oklahoma Contemporary’s mission, strategic priorities, exhibitions, educational programs, fundraising efforts, and commitment to serving the community.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in visitor services, hospitality, museum operations, customer service, arts administration, events, retail, or a related field.
• At least three years of experience supervising employees, including responsibility for coaching, scheduling, training, and performance management.
• Demonstrated success establishing systems, procedures, service standards, and accountability within a public-facing operation.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong judgment and the ability to respond calmly and professionally to sensitive, complex, or rapidly changing situations.
• Demonstrated commitment to hospitality, accessibility, inclusion, and respectful engagement with diverse audiences.
• Ability to balance a warm, visitor-centered approach with consistent enforcement of institutional policies and expectations.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with standard workplace technology and the ability to learn ticketing, scheduling, point-of-sale, attendance, and visitor-management systems.
• Experience working in a museum, cultural institution, nonprofit organization, or other mission-driven environment is preferred.
• Interest in contemporary art and a willingness to learn about Oklahoma Contemporary’s exhibitions and programs.

Core Competencies

• Hospitality and visitor-centered service
• Operational rigor and accountability
• Staff leadership and development
• Clear and proactive communication
• Sound judgment and discretion
• Collaboration and relationship building
• Organization and attention to detail
• Adaptability and problem-solving
• Accessibility and inclusion
• Professionalism and integrity

Limitations and Disclaimer

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.

Other Requirements and Working Conditions

• Use of a car required; legally registered and insured for daily use.
• Use of a computer, telephone and printer/copier daily.
• Team environment with frequent group meeting participation and collaboration necessary.
• Physical requirements: combination of sitting, standing, walking and driving on a frequent basis. Lifting modest weights (up to 30 pounds) may be required occasionally.
• Other duties as assigned.

Oklahoma Contemporary is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, different abilities, gender identity or veteran status.

About Oklahoma Contemporary

Oklahoma Contemporary is an inclusive center for the arts where people of all ages and backgrounds can experience art, encounter new ideas, and ignite their creative potential. Through visual art exhibitions, performances, public programs, community-building initiatives, outdoor installations, and special events, Oklahoma Contemporary creates opportunities for everyone to come together in celebration of contemporary culture and artistic expression. With year-round classes and seasonal youth camps across multiple disciplines, the arts center’s education programs encourage youth and adults to express their ideas across a variety of media and learn new skills. Oklahoma Contemporary believes that art is for everyone and places accessibility and education at the center of all programming. Admission to exhibitions is always free. Oklahoma Contemporary is a regional 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by businessman and philanthropist Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers.

Inclusion

Oklahoma Contemporary strives to demonstrate leadership by modeling excellence and best practices for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. We believe in the power of human creativity and value the opportunities for connection and learning that exist when cultures and communities come together in collaboration and understanding.

We commit to championing policies and practices that value diversity, foster cultural equity, and create an accessible and inclusive environment. Oklahoma Contemporary does not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion. We recognize our strengths lie in the broad range of people who contribute their time and talents to our mission and are dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive place for them to explore creativity.