Seasonal Visitor Experience Associate at Lowell Obervatory

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Visitor Experience Associate
Seasonal for Summer 2024

Lowell Observatory receives over 100,000 visitors annually.  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.

Named an “Arizona Top Company to Work For,” Lowell Observatory (LO) is an independent, non-profit research institution founded in 1894 by Boston mathematician Percival Lowell. We are located atop a mesa overlooking downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, where we are steadily growing and carrying out our dual mission of astronomical research and communication of our discoveries to the public.  We strive to be a fun, collegial, dynamic place where we inspire incredible people to do remarkable work.
 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Enthusiastically welcome and greet visitors to Lowell Observatory
• Possess a positive attitude towards Lowell’s visitors providing them 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 caller’s questions or direct them to the correct person and/or provide contact information

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

• 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 or while using the telephone. Ability to 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Status:  Part-Time/Hourly

Term:  Seasonal: May through August 2024 with possibility of extension and/or promotion into regular employment.

Compensation:  $20/hour

Hours:  20-25 hours per week

FLSA Classification:  Non-Exempt

Benefit Eligible:  See below*

Location:  Lowell Observatory’s Mars Hill Campus- Flagstaff, AZ

To Apply: Please send the following documents to jobs@lowell.edu

• Standard Application (www.lowell.edu/careers)
• Resume
• Letter of interest addressing your qualifications, weekly availability, and any upcoming Summer travel Plans
• Phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three references

Review of applications will begin on April 15th. Position is open until filled.

*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, as well as 2 paid personal days per year.

Employment is subject to passing a background check

Lowell Observatory is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. Lowell Observatory has always been, and always will be, committed to diversity and inclusion. We seek individuals from all backgrounds to join our teams, and we encourage our employees to bring their authentic, original, and best selves to work.

Lowell Observatory sits at the base of mountains sacred to tribes throughout the region. We honor their past, present, and future generations, who have lived here for millennia and will forever call this place home.

Lowell Observatory is committed to providing access, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. Our non-smoking campus is at an elevation of 7,200ft/2200m, and the LDT is 40 miles south of Flagstaff at an elevation of 7,800 ft/2370m. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources office for assistance.  

Version April 2022/HR