Job Listing: Retail & Guest Services Associate

The Poe Museum - Richmond, VA

Closes - open until filled

Position Title - Retail & Guest Services Associate

Salary - $16/hour

Job Type - part-time

Apply - Please send resume and cover letter to maeve@poemuseum.org

Summary - The Retail & Guest Services Associate position offers the opportunity to serve as the first point of contact for all visitors to the museum and to cultivate an engaging gift shop experience in support of the Poe Museum’s mission: illuminating Poe for everyone, evermore. The associate will serve as an ambassador of the museum before, during, and after guests’ visits and provide on-site assistant at museum events. This position reports directly to the Shop Manager. 

Our successful candidate will be outgoing and focused on excellent customer service. A background in hospitality with experience in dealing with groups of people of all ages is a plus.

Job Responsibilities:

• Be the face of the Poe Museum for all visiting guests. Be able to answer Edgar Allan Poe related questions and be excited and willing to involve yourself in conversations that continue illuminating Poe for the guests. • Provide an educational and welcoming environment in the gift shop.
• Organize, clean, and provide upkeep to inventory on display and in storage.
• Be the first point of contact for the Poe Museum, i.e. organizing ingoing and outgoing mail, taking calls etc... • Work with colleagues to help administer guest experience operations during general museum hours, programs, and community events.
• Have and share general information about Edgar Allan Poe, the Poe Museum, Richmond history, literature, and other locations that guests would be interested in visiting (nearby museums, restaurants, cultural events etc...)
• Keep a balanced cash register and record daily transactions.
• Perform opening and closing duties for the gift shop (restocking inventory, counting the cash register, feeding and cleaning up after our resident cats).
• Be able to move or lift heavy boxes.
• Work directly with the Shop Manager to create a positive, neat, and fulfilling gift shop experience. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Flexible schedule, friendly and personable
• High school diploma or GED
• Customer services experience in retail, hospitality, or similar environment
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Availability to work shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays 

About the Poe Museum: The Poe Museum is a century old historic institution in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia and is a repository and resource for all things related to Poe’s life, work, and influence. The museum’s staff and Board of Directors are honored to be faithful stewards and caretakers of Poe’s legacy and to honestly share his story with the world in meeting the mission of “Illuminating Poe for everyone, evermore.” The museum creates a sense of belonging and community along with a rich and diverse set of experiences for its varied audiences which include Poe enthusiasts, educators, scholars, collectors, and more. Additional information about the beginnings and history of the Poe Museum may be found at poemuseum.org