Volunteer & Experience Manager
Overview:
Sullenberger Aviation Museum (SAM), with a mission to inspire, educate, and elevate the next generation to pursue careers in STEM, aerospace, and aviation, while inviting visitors to explore the vast contributions of aviation in our lives, economy and culture, has partnered with the Charlotte-Douglas International (CLT) Airport to develop a new museum to open in the Summer of 2024.
SAM is looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking individual to join the museum as the Volunteer and Experience Manager at this exciting time of growth and opportunity. SAM seeks to hire a manager passionate about hospitality, customer services, and creating memorable and educational experiences for visitors and volunteers alike, who has proven success facilitating experiences with diverse audiences and managing a robust volunteer program. This position will be a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for diversifying the volunteer recruitment processes and promoting equitable access to STEM education.
The Volunteer and Experience Manager ensures all guests and volunteers experience an outstanding first impression of SAM, welcoming museum visitors, providing information about museum exhibits, programs, events, and offerings and making certain to provide impactful and lasting memories by creating a hospitable environment. This position will administer the volunteer and internship programs, ensuring that volunteers have memorable experiences and advocate for the volunteer’s needs. This will include overseeing volunteer recognition programs and events. The Volunteer and Experience Manager will also assist the Director of Education in recruiting, onboarding, managing, and training volunteers, and ensuring training materials are regularly updated. This role will also assist with the supervision of volunteers and collaborate across departments to ensure that the Museum meets its mission through high-quality guest experiences and all educational programming is sufficiently staffed with high quality educators and volunteers.
Qualifications:
Candidates must be detail-oriented and thrive in an ever-changing environment, with a strong desire to facilitate experiences for visitors, team members, and volunteers. Must work well both in a fast-paced team environment and individually. Must be organized with strong and timely presentation and communication skills. Creative problem solving, interpersonal, and technology skills are essential. Must have experience managing and growing volunteer programs, as well as balancing multiple projects.
This position reports to the Vice President of Education and will work in collaboration with SAM’s staff to expand and deliver on the museum’s volunteer and education experiences.
Major duties and expectations:
• Ensures visitor experiences align with the museum’s mission and vision through volunteer support
• Responsible for developing and executing an overall volunteer program operating model focusing on hospitality for patrons of the museum, welcoming visitors, and maintaining the museum facility and collections
• Manages the volunteers and coordinates directly with the department leads
• Ensures all education programming is adequately staffed for an optimal visitor experience
• Upholds client facing expectations as outlined in the Staff and Volunteer Handbook
• Ensures visitors have the resources, guidance, and support they need to enjoy their experience
• Develops and maintains volunteer recruitment, training, management, and retention programs
• Represents the museum in a professional, positive manner to all stakeholders
• Excels in building high-quality relationships with a strong desire to uplift others through enrichment
• Monitor volunteer needs and correctly schedule volunteers to cover departmental needs
• Collaborate across departments to ensure volunteer trainings are meeting departmental objectives
• Ensure volunteers are appropriately placed according to their skills, interests, and abilities
• Maintains volunteer data within the volunteer management database
• Assist in developing, implementing, and executing events for volunteer and internship programs
• Assists with museum fundraising events and development projects
• Develops, promotes, implements, and evaluates guest experience and volunteer program assessments and initiatives
• Attends and supports museum special events as needed – including evening and weekend events
• Identifies opportunities for growth within the community and potential partnerships for volunteer programs
• Must be technologically proficient, with the ability to develop adaptable training resources and materials
Required experience:
• Customer service/hospitality experience
• Database management or data entry experience
• Experience in training and program planning and execution
• Experience working with and managing volunteers, 2-3 years
• Experience working with visitors across a broad range of demographics
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Ability to develop and grow volunteer programs
• Strong relationship-building skills with both internal and external partners
• Public speaking skills, emphasis on leading large group presentations
Preferred
• Professional experience in a museum setting
• Spanish language proficiency
• First Aid/CPR Certification
