Visitor Experience Associate

About the Role

Lowell Observatory seeks applications for the position of Visitor Experience Associate (VEA). The visitor experience team helps inspire visitors wonder and interest in astronomy and other STEM related topics. Visitor Experience Associates have an enthusiastic approach to greeting and helping visitors to the observatory that will result in increased store sales, membership recruitment and positive visitor feedback.

Responsibilities

• Enthusiastically welcome and greet visitors to Lowell Observatory
• Possess a positive attitude towards Lowell's visitors providing them with superior service
• Understand and promote Lowell Observatory's mission to pursue the study of astronomy, maintain quality public education and outreach programs and bring the results of astronomical research to the general public
• Attend and educate oneself on programming to become an informed resource for visitors
• Inform and recruit visitors about Lowell's membership program
• Learn Lowell's sales software systems and be able to ring in admissions, gift shop sales, memberships any other register transactions
• Become knowledgeable about all products we carry i.e. telescope, binoculars, book, etc.
• Able to learn product physical locations and restock merchandise on a daily basis as well as throughout the day as needed
• Maintain cleanliness of visitor center lobby and restrooms throughout the day (i.e. pick up paper towels and tissue off bathroom floor and place in the trash) and restock paper products when necessary
• Disinfect high touch surfaces between guest groups in the giftshop and lobby
• Perform tasks necessary to open and close the gift shop and visitor center, including turning alarm on and off, counting cash, turning registers on and off and resetting store product, etc.
• Check email, website and daily task lists in order to have complete understanding of public program-related activities going on at Lowell Observatory
• Communicate information about daily public program happenings to visitors and staff
• Answer phone and be able to answer callers questions or direct them to the correct person and/or provide contact information

Qualifications

• Ability to work varied hours/days including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Demonstrate effective sales techniques
• Demonstrate a high level of integrity in the proper processing of customer transactions
• Candidates must possess basic math skills
• Demonstrate cash handling experience
• Willingness and ability to learn
• Must enjoy interacting with people
• Strong communication abilities
• Strong attention to detail
• Reliability

Experience and Education

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) is required
• Prefer one-year excellent guest service and one-year cash handling, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Working Conditions

• This position requires long periods of standing, bending, stretching, and reaching
• Speaking and listening, both in person and while using the telephone
• Ability to occasionally lift boxes of merchandise up to forty pounds onto a wheeled device for moving from building to building
• Some work on displays may require a ladder with 2-4 steps
• Moving throughout the campus, on sometimes uneven terrain, sometimes in low light
• The working conditions described here represent those an employee may encounter while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform Essential Functions.

Status and Compensation

• Status: Part-Time/Hourly
• Hours: 20-29 hours per week
• Compensation: $20.90/hour
• FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt
• Location: Lowell Observatory's Mars Hill Campus- Flagstaff, AZ

Benefits

• Part Time employees will receive sick time accrual according to AZ state law
• After 6 months of employment, part time employees are eligible to participate in a 5% match if they contribute 5% or more to their retirement plan

To apply, please send the following documents to jobs@lowell.edu: Lowell Application (https://lowell.edu/about/career-opportunities/), Resume, Letter of Interest Addressing Your Qualifications, and phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three professional references. The deadline for application submission is July 30th. Review of applications will begin on July 31st.