Visitor Services Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Key Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership

• Hire, train, oversee, and provide floor-based support to a team of retail and visitor services staff members and volunteers.
• Develop a store and front-of-house experience that extends the visitor journey, where guests feel welcomed, inspired, and connected to the stories within the collection.
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations to ensure product quality, implement visitor services strategy, and maintain brand standards across all guest touchpoints.

• Participate in strategic interdepartmental meetings to represent the retail and visitor services perspective and integrate feedback on departmental initiatives.

1. Strategic Planning & Execution

• Partner with Marketing and Leadership to develop and implement a strategic plan for retail and visitor services operations, ensuring alignment with the museum's vision, brand identity, and community commitments.
• Establish objectives for store layout, wayfinding, and design that enhance the customer experience and reinforce the museum's narrative.
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations to create onboarding procedures and training programs for retail and visitor services staff.

1. Product Curation

• Curate and source unique, relevant products that reflect the museum's collection and mission, prioritizing Indigenous artists, Oklahoma makers, and regional artisans where possible.
• Collaborate with artists, publishers, and vendors to develop a distinctive merchandise mix and Gilcrease-branded products.
• Oversee inventory management using point-of-sale systems to track stock levels, sales trends, and reorder points.
• Attend retail conferences to scout new products, cultivate manufacturer relationships, and stay current on museum retail best practices.

1. Financial Management & POS Expertise

• Handle daily financial transactions using advanced point-of-sale systems; ensure the integrity of cash controls and manage end-of-day reconciliations.
• Analyze sales and admissions data to inform buying decisions, optimize stock levels, and drive revenue growth.
• Prepare and deliver regular reports on store and admissions performance to track revenue against targets.
• Develop and manage the annual fiscal year budget for retail and visitor services operations.
• Oversee annual fiscal year-end inventory count and ensure compliance with accounting and recordkeeping requirements.
• Evaluate merchandise security measures to minimize loss.

1. E-commerce Sales & Fulfillment

• Manage and oversee e-commerce operations, including platform maintenance, product presentation, and customer service.
• Manage order fulfillment using internal processes or third-party logistics partners.

1. Store Layout & Design

• Partner with the Director of Operations to create an aesthetically compelling retail environment that enhances sales, enriches the visitor experience, and advances the museum's mission.
• Refresh store displays regularly in alignment with new exhibitions, seasonal themes, and promotional campaigns.

1. Visitor Services & Admissions

• Deliver an effective and responsive visitor services program encompassing admission sales, visit planning, wayfinding, membership sales, and data collection on visitor feedback.
• Manage procedures for the admission ticketing system; serve as the functional expert for the ticketing interface.
• Coordinate with other departments to plan and execute special events and programs.

• Monitor visitor feedback and implement improvements to enhance guest satisfaction.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree; a degree in Business, Retail Management, Hospitality, or Museum Studies is a plus.
• Minimum five (5) years of retail management experience, with a strong background in visual merchandising and product presentation, e-commerce familiarity is a plus.
• Extensive experience with point-of-sale systems, including inventory management software and cash control protocols.
• Track record of quickly mastering new systems, product categories, and operational processes.
• Knowledge of inventory control techniques, standard retail practices, accounting procedures, and financial management.
• Strong procurement and sourcing skills, with an emphasis on identifying unique, high-quality products.
• Demonstrated ability in store layout, visual merchandising, and design optimization.
• Proven record of creating and executing strategic retail and visitor services plans.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.

Preferred:

• Experience in museum retail, cultural attraction retail, or nonprofit retail environments.
• Experience with Shopify, Tessitura, or comparable ticketing/CRM platforms.
• Understanding of wholesale markets and manufacturers/distributors of museum-quality products.
• Track record of attending relevant retail or museum industry conferences.
• Familiarity with Indigenous art markets, Oklahoma makers, or regional artisan communities.
• Portfolio demonstrating visual merchandising, store design, or product curation experience.
• A commitment to Gilcrease's mission of celebrating and preserving the diverse heritage of the Americas, and a belief in the power of museums to foster understanding and connection across communities.

Work Setting

• The museum store is located within Gilcrease Museum's new 95,000-square-foot facility, adjacent to the cafe and main entrance, with views of the 460-acre grounds and downtown Tulsa.
• This is a full-time position based at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• The role requires regular evening and weekend work for special events, programs, and peak visitation periods.
• Some outdoor work is required for campus events and activities across the museum grounds.

About Gilcrease Museum

The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, known as Gilcrease Museum, houses the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of art of the American West, as well as a growing collection of art and artifacts from Central and South America. The interdisciplinary collection contains more than 350,000 items representing hundreds of Indigenous cultures from across the Americas, with works spanning from 12,000 BCE to the 21st century. The collection includes 350 years of American paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, including 18 of the 22 different bronze sculptures created by Frederic Remington.

Founded in 1949 by Thomas Gilcrease, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Tulsa oilman, the museum became a civic treasure when Tulsans voted in 1954 to acquire the collection and keep it in the city. Today, Gilcrease Museum is owned by the City of Tulsa in partnership with The University of Tulsa. The museum sits on 460 acres with themed gardens developed using the collection as a guide. The grounds are free and open daily.

Adjacent to the museum, the Helmerich Center for American Research houses one of the most extensive archives of rare books, documents, maps, and unpublished materials related to the history of North America.

The University of Tulsa is a student-centered research university that cultivates interconnected learning experiences to explore complex ideas and create new knowledge in a spirit of free inquiry. Guided by our commitment to service and inclusion, we prepare individuals to make meaningful contributions to our campus, our community, and our world.
The University endeavors to create and nurture an informed and inclusive environment in its workplace and educational programs. Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity are integral parts of the University not just because they are legally mandated, but because we recognize that the present and future strength of the university is based primarily on people and their skills, experience, and potential. The University does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information, ancestry, or marital status. The University seeks to recruit, select, and promote students, faculty, and all other employees on the basis of individual merit.