Address
Form of workJob Description
Frist Art Museum
Director of Hospitality and Inclusion
Nashville, TN
About Frist Art Museum
The Frist Art Museum (FAM), located in thriving downtown Nashville, is one of the nation’s leading Art Museums. A non-collecting institution, FAM is committed to presenting exhibitions of the world’s art from all cultures and periods and in all mediums. The museum offers innovative programs, classes, lectures, and family activities onsite and throughout the community it was created to serve. Working closely with community advisors and partners, the museum provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, cultural, and entertaining experiences for all people of Middle Tennessee and beyond.
FAM opened in April 2001 in Nashville’s historic downtown post office building. Its development was the result of unprecedented community involvement and cooperation between public and private supporters to create an institution to lead Nashville’s flourishing visual arts community and serve as a main pillar of Nashville’s broader cultural community. For more about the museum’s history (including a lively 22-minute video), please follow this link.
The museum regularly presents international exhibitions of art that otherwise would not be accessible to visitors in the region. A recent example was Picasso. Figures from the Musée National Picasso-Paris, which FAM hosted from February 5 through May 2, 2021, before it traveled to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. FAM curators also originate exhibitions, including the acclaimed Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video, which toured nationally; Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Franciscan and Dominican Order in Renaissance Italy; and Fairy Tales, Monsters, and the Genetic Imagination, which toured internationally. All were accompanied by scholarly catalogues. FAM collaborates with local institutions of higher learning, such as the Fisk University Art Galleries and Vanderbilt University, especially when highlighting local history such as the civil rights movement in Nashville.
FAM values the role it serves as a community partner and convener, bringing people from many different corners of the region together and promoting Nashville artists. FAM believes in the power of art for feeding the soul, addressing social ills, giving voice to the disenfranchised, and breaking down the barriers of ignorance, misunderstanding, and all forms of discrimination. The organization’s Board and staff are deeply committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and Inclusion at all levels of governance, management, and operations.
The Opportunity
FAM seeks a Director of Hospitality and Inclusion (DHI) to provide strategic direction and leadership for all aspects of the museum’s Hospitality and guest support services. A new position, the DHI will report to the CEO and serve as a vital member of the museum’s leadership team, playing a critical role in delivering on FAM’s commitment to bringing art and people together through meaningful and memorable experiences. Drawing on a proven track record of guest services leadership, customer satisfaction team management, and brand fulfillment, the DHI will elevate FAM’s warm and welcoming culture of Hospitality and extend it to every aspect of the museum’s work.
The DHI will oversee goal setting, coordination, and daily operations of front-of-house activities, including guest services, the museum shop, the café, security and parking, facility and event rentals, and individual, member, and group ticket sales. Responsible for forecasting visitor trends, tracking and reporting visitation, maintaining operations budgets, and establishing and achieving new revenue goals and other KPIs, the DHI will constantly monitor and assess the entire guest experience to continuously exceed visitor expectations. The DHI will train and coordinate a large number of Hospitality staff and volunteers, aligning positions that are currently divided among several departments while growing the team. The DHI will directly supervise six key positions: Guest Services Director, Security Director, Café Manager, Gift Shop Manager, Special Events Director, and Engagement Scheduling Manager.
To increase the depth and dimension of the “FAM Experience,” the DHI will ensure staff-wide respect for the diverse perspectives of our guests, delivery of the highest standards of customer satisfaction, and advancement of the museum’s brand. As a dynamic leader, the DHI will collaborate cross-departmentally to strengthen hospitality efforts across the institution, ensuring excellent guest service, maximizing revenue potential, and increasing return visitation and brand loyalty all by delivering rich and enjoyable visitor experiences.
Primary Duties
Leadership
Potential candidates will have a minimum of seven years of experience managing a large and diverse staff, with a professional history that demonstrates increasing levels of responsibility from one or more of the following roles or similar:
Compensation for the Director of Hospitality and Inclusion includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience and an excellent package of employee benefits.
To Apply
The Frist Art Museum has retained the services of ThinkingAhead Executive Search. Interested applicants should send a resume and statement of interest to Jonathan McIntosh at jmcintosh@thinkingahead.com.
The Frist Art Musem is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
ThinkingAhead Executive Search is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a work environment that supports, inspires and respects all individuals. Personnel processes are merit- based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic ancestry, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. This applies to every aspect of employment including hiring, training, advancement and termination. The firm is committed to creating a just culture of diversity, equity and Inclusion by practicing, within the company and the marketplace we serve, intentional strategies that serve marginalized individuals and groups.
Director of Hospitality and Inclusion
Nashville, TN
About Frist Art Museum
The Frist Art Museum (FAM), located in thriving downtown Nashville, is one of the nation’s leading Art Museums. A non-collecting institution, FAM is committed to presenting exhibitions of the world’s art from all cultures and periods and in all mediums. The museum offers innovative programs, classes, lectures, and family activities onsite and throughout the community it was created to serve. Working closely with community advisors and partners, the museum provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, cultural, and entertaining experiences for all people of Middle Tennessee and beyond.
FAM opened in April 2001 in Nashville’s historic downtown post office building. Its development was the result of unprecedented community involvement and cooperation between public and private supporters to create an institution to lead Nashville’s flourishing visual arts community and serve as a main pillar of Nashville’s broader cultural community. For more about the museum’s history (including a lively 22-minute video), please follow this link.
The museum regularly presents international exhibitions of art that otherwise would not be accessible to visitors in the region. A recent example was Picasso. Figures from the Musée National Picasso-Paris, which FAM hosted from February 5 through May 2, 2021, before it traveled to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. FAM curators also originate exhibitions, including the acclaimed Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video, which toured nationally; Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Franciscan and Dominican Order in Renaissance Italy; and Fairy Tales, Monsters, and the Genetic Imagination, which toured internationally. All were accompanied by scholarly catalogues. FAM collaborates with local institutions of higher learning, such as the Fisk University Art Galleries and Vanderbilt University, especially when highlighting local history such as the civil rights movement in Nashville.
FAM values the role it serves as a community partner and convener, bringing people from many different corners of the region together and promoting Nashville artists. FAM believes in the power of art for feeding the soul, addressing social ills, giving voice to the disenfranchised, and breaking down the barriers of ignorance, misunderstanding, and all forms of discrimination. The organization’s Board and staff are deeply committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and Inclusion at all levels of governance, management, and operations.
The Opportunity
FAM seeks a Director of Hospitality and Inclusion (DHI) to provide strategic direction and leadership for all aspects of the museum’s Hospitality and guest support services. A new position, the DHI will report to the CEO and serve as a vital member of the museum’s leadership team, playing a critical role in delivering on FAM’s commitment to bringing art and people together through meaningful and memorable experiences. Drawing on a proven track record of guest services leadership, customer satisfaction team management, and brand fulfillment, the DHI will elevate FAM’s warm and welcoming culture of Hospitality and extend it to every aspect of the museum’s work.
The DHI will oversee goal setting, coordination, and daily operations of front-of-house activities, including guest services, the museum shop, the café, security and parking, facility and event rentals, and individual, member, and group ticket sales. Responsible for forecasting visitor trends, tracking and reporting visitation, maintaining operations budgets, and establishing and achieving new revenue goals and other KPIs, the DHI will constantly monitor and assess the entire guest experience to continuously exceed visitor expectations. The DHI will train and coordinate a large number of Hospitality staff and volunteers, aligning positions that are currently divided among several departments while growing the team. The DHI will directly supervise six key positions: Guest Services Director, Security Director, Café Manager, Gift Shop Manager, Special Events Director, and Engagement Scheduling Manager.
To increase the depth and dimension of the “FAM Experience,” the DHI will ensure staff-wide respect for the diverse perspectives of our guests, delivery of the highest standards of customer satisfaction, and advancement of the museum’s brand. As a dynamic leader, the DHI will collaborate cross-departmentally to strengthen hospitality efforts across the institution, ensuring excellent guest service, maximizing revenue potential, and increasing return visitation and brand loyalty all by delivering rich and enjoyable visitor experiences.
Primary Duties
Leadership
- Align, motivate, and set goals for the Hospitality and Inclusion Department’s work according to the Strategic Plan, other leadership priorities, and through the creation of an audience development plan.
- Produce data-driven strategies for increasing visitation, revenue, and guest satisfaction.
- Plan for and develop the entire guest journey, including pre-site planning, wayfinding, hospitality interactions, safety, parking, and health, data capture, evaluation, and relationship management.
- Directly supervise Guest Services Director, Security Director, Café Manager, Gift Shop Manager, Special Events Director, and Engagement Scheduling Manager.
- Develop and oversee the management of budgets for the entire Hospitality and Inclusion Department.
- With input from with the Leadership Team, establish earned revenue goals and pricing structure for all earned revenue offerings.
- In collaboration with the Human Resources Director, establish people-first policies and innovative practices to recruit, hire, retain, and grow a thriving and diverse front-of-house team.
- Supervise the management and coordination of visitor services staff, security guards, shop staff, café staff, volunteers, and other front-of-house personnel and contractors to create a coherent Museum Experience Associates team.
- Establish a training process to ensure all front-of-house staff communicate enthusiastically, knowledgeably, and warmly about exhibitions, programs, the membership program, and other museum activities.
- Prioritize the museum’s DEAI values and incorporate anti-bias and other related practices into training to ensure staff deliver the highest standards of guest service and engagement.
- Remain current on leading museum hospitality best practices and DEAI best practices, sharing expertise to ensure the Frist becomes an industry-wide hospitality leader.
- Oversee CRM and point-of-sale, and use data to produce strategic goals, including revenue, attendance, and other KPIs (membership uptake, net promoter score, shop sales, etc.), to motivate staff, hold team members accountable, and continuously improve operations and guest experience.
- Work with Gift Shop Manager to expand vision for onsite retail operations, including possible development of e-commerce, sales of local artisans and/or artist projects, and coordination with exhibitions and the museum’s brand.
- Work with Café Manager to develop onsite food service operation, including possible opportunities for an exhibition-related food program and coordination with food-related community partners.
- Work with Special Events Director to advance the facility rental program by developing and managing annual sales goals, and advising on and approving event inquiries, pricing, contracts, vendor management, and logistics.
- Collaborate with the Communications Department to creatively expand the Frist’s brand and enhance the museum’s reputation for Hospitality and Inclusion, and address visitor requests, comments, concerns, and complaints in a timely and respectful manner.
- In partnership with the Director of Education and Interpretation Director, enhance the museum’s efforts to generate a sense of belonging among its visitors and help develop programs that activate the café, event spaces, and event partner co-labs.
- Work closely with Director of Education to facilitate field trips and other group visits, including ticketing, tour logistics, workshop facilitation, and other onsite management.
- In collaboration with the Community Engagement Director, deepen relationships with Community Partner organizations and extend hospitality to their larger constituent networks, enhancing the reach of the museum’s programs and operations.
- Seek out opportunities to build and sustain meaningful relationships with artists and community organizations to ensure all communities are served as part of a thriving arts ecosystem.
- Collaborate with the Director of Internal Affairs to ensure exhibits and visitor spaces are in excellent condition, buildings and grounds are visually appealing, and the entire campus is well-maintained and secure.
Potential candidates will have a minimum of seven years of experience managing a large and diverse staff, with a professional history that demonstrates increasing levels of responsibility from one or more of the following roles or similar:
- Guest services or hospitality leader in a museum, theater, performance venue, or other cultural or guest-centric venue.
- Guest or client relations management leader in the hospitality, customer service, or healthcare industry.
- Relationship management leader at a college/university, cultural institution, or public-facing for-profit or nonprofit corporation or governmental agency.
- Demonstrated commitment to DEAI and community engagement initiatives, preferably within a mission-driven organization.
- Exceptional emotional intelligence and ability to build consensus by honoring distinct positions while aligning people toward shared goals.
- Deep appreciation for the community-creating power of the arts, and personal knowledge of and/or willingness to develop an appreciation for the Nashville region and its diverse cultures.
- Excellent customer service skills and demonstrated experience in developing positive customer interactions when leading a team.
- Proficiency in effective communication, team building and motivation, and development and implementation of defined training protocols.
- Direct experience within talent acquisition and building a team; some knowledge of human resources practices and procedures and coaching and conflict resolution helpful.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience; master’s degree preferred.
- Training in emergency preparedness and other life safety measures preferred.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) desired.
- Knowledge of ABC rules and sufficient training to manage protocols for beverage services, oversight of bartender staff, and adherence to health and safety codes.
- Training in life safety, emergency preparedness, and security measures preferred.
- Must be able to work occasional weekend schedules, school vacation weeks, evening events, and some holidays.
Compensation for the Director of Hospitality and Inclusion includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience and an excellent package of employee benefits.
To Apply
The Frist Art Museum has retained the services of ThinkingAhead Executive Search. Interested applicants should send a resume and statement of interest to Jonathan McIntosh at jmcintosh@thinkingahead.com.
The Frist Art Musem is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
ThinkingAhead Executive Search is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a work environment that supports, inspires and respects all individuals. Personnel processes are merit- based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic ancestry, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. This applies to every aspect of employment including hiring, training, advancement and termination. The firm is committed to creating a just culture of diversity, equity and Inclusion by practicing, within the company and the marketplace we serve, intentional strategies that serve marginalized individuals and groups.
