Manager of Security and Visitor Experience – Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Apply by October 22, 2026: https://employment.unl.edu/postings/102391

Salary $56,000 – $60,500

The Manager of Security and Visitor Experience embodies Sheldon Museum of Art’s commitment to centering the visitor experience by creating a safe, secure, and accessible environment for both people and works of art. They ensure that every visitor is warmly welcomed, effectively oriented, and given the tools they need to engage in a safe and meaningful way with the museum’s exhibitions, programs, and events. They serve as an advocate for the museum’s visitor while simultaneously developing, advancing, and ensuring compliance with the museum’s visitor and security policies.

The Manager of Security and Visitor Experience oversees the comprehensive visitor experience in all museum spaces including the Great Hall, the visitor center, the museum store, the galleries, and during public and private events. They develop and implement safety and security policies that align with best practices in the art museum field, and that contribute to a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all museum staff, volunteers, students, and visitors. Taking this integrated approach, the Manager of Security and Visitor Experience provides effective and engaging orientation and wayfinding for all visitors, oversees retail operations and ticketed admissions, and leads a team of security and visitor experience staff who monitor security cameras, patrol galleries, welcome visitors, staff programs, solicit memberships, and aid with event needs. They contribute to strategies for analyzing the museum’s visitors, recommend and implement visitor surveys, and report ﬁndings to museum staff. The Manager of Security and Visitor Experience serves as a member of the museum’s engagement team and thereby contributes to and implements strategies that improve Sheldon’s overall visitor experience, engage audiences, and encourage visitors to join the Sheldon Art Association.

The Manager of Security and Visitor Experience must be available to respond to alarm calls 24/7 and be flexible to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

Visitor Experience: 30%

Contribute to and implement a museum-wide Interpretive Plan articulating strategies for visitor orientation, wayfinding, and in-gallery experiences.
Continuously benchmark best practices in art museum visitor experience strategies and align Sheldon’s visitor experience activities with them.
Ensure that Sheldon’s museum experience is fully accessible to visitors with varying physical and developmental abilities, and languages spoken.
Develop and implement resources and exhibits for the visitor center that share the museum’s history and give visitors the tools they need for an engaging visit.
Work with the learning and engagement team to recommend and implement self-guided interpretive tools.
Regularly advocate for the visitor with all museum staff and provide an understanding/consideration of access issues.
Based on observations of visitor behavior and visitor feedback, recommend changes that would improve the overall experience of visitors.
Continually evaluate existing policies and systems to improve the overall visitor experience.
Ensure that the museum’s policies for programs, events, and space rental advance the museum’s mission while maximizing the potential for earned income.
Maintain a presence in the visitor center and regularly greet and orient visitors. Answer visitor questions, and resolve visitor complaints, concerns, and problems.
Oversee museum store operations including merchandising, sales, and reporting.

Security Management: 30%

Ensure that the museum’s security policies and procedures align with best practices in the museum field and meet the requirements of American Alliance of Museums accreditation.
Direct, manage, and supervise the delivery of safety and security programs for all Sheldon Museum of Art premises.
Provide ongoing guidance and supervision to security guards to ensure the safety of people and artwork.
Maintain and manage the museum’s security system. Identify security needs and research, develop, and implement changes or upgrades to security system.
Serve as main contact with contracted security company.
Serve as main contact with UNL departments impacting security needs (i.e. police, Landscape Services, Facilities Management & Planning, etc.)
Audit building security during both hourly operations and special events.
Oversee the development, implementation, and ongoing review of the museum’s disaster plan.
Serve as first point of contact for security and building alarms on all Sheldon Museum of Art properties 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Evaluate and identify the alarm and implement plan of action.
Be present to oversee and observe all after-hours receipt, delivery, and pick-up of fine art shipments.

Personnel Management: 30%

Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and coach security and visitor experience personnel to ensure that high standards for security, visitor experience, and customer service are consistently met.
Supervise, train, and schedule visitor experience associates for guest relations, point-of-sale systems for event ticketing and museum store, AV technology troubleshooting, and event set-up/needs.
Conduct orientations for all new visitor experience associates, and provide regular, ongoing training.
Oversee event operations personnel and assist as needed with set-up and event needs for all programs in the building.
Oversee security operations and provide visitor experience and engagement training for security guards to ensure that the museum environment is both welcoming and secure.
Oversee department records and key control and staff access codes.
Investigate and manage internal incidents.
Work occasional evenings and weekends when events require it, or the Assistant Manager of Visitor Experience is unavailable.

Internal Reporting and Strategy 10%

Develop guidelines and strategies to collect information about Sheldon’s visitors. Develop reports summarizing that data and regularly share them with museum staff.
Develop, update, monitor, and regularly share attendance data with museum staff to assist with museum planning.
Investigate, prepare, and submit reports on complaints, incidents, and security violations.
Contribute to a culture in which all staff members share responsibility for the visitor experience. Provide occasional visitor experience and customer service training to staff members and volunteers.
Participate as part of museum-wide cash-handling procedure.
Develop and monitor annual operating and project budgets for the visitor experience and security departments.
Contribute to funding proposals as requested and appropriate.

Supervision Received:

General supervision is received from the Associate Director for Learning, Engagement, and Public Practice.

Supervision Exercised:

Supervises assistant manager of visitor experience, lead security guard, regular and on-call security guards, and on-call visitor experience associates and volunteers.

Minimum Qualiﬁcations:

Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, humanities, business, hospitality, criminal justice or related field plus three years of professional experience in events coordination, security operations and/or management, customer service, or hospitality; equivalent education/experience considered.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Strong leadership, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.
Ability to recruit, develop, and manage directly reporting staff members.
Ability to develop and monitor annual operating and multi-year project budgets.
Demonstrated ability to meet challenges calmly and skillfully, and to troubleshoot and solve challenging customer service scenarios.
Proficient computer skills including word processing, spreadsheet, event management systems, databases, and presentation software.
Familiarity with operating and troubleshooting AV equipment.
Ability to work in a fast‐paced environment, adhere to deadlines, and demonstrate ﬂexibility in meeting shifting demands and priorities.
Ability to lift up to 24 pounds.
Knowledge of point-of-sale systems.

Preferred Qualiﬁcations:

Knowledge of best practices in art museum visitor experience strategies as identified by the American Alliance of Museums, the Visitor Studies Association, the Museum Store Association, and other professional organizations.
Knowledge of best practices in museum security as identified by the American Alliance of Museums and other professional organizations.
Master’s Degree.
An appreciation for and understanding of the operations and mission of a university art museum.
Previous experience analyzing audiences, tracking visitation, and preparing reports based on this information.
Knowledge of art history, especially that represented in the museum’s collection

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate will have a commitment to fostering fairness, belonging, and opportunity for all members of the community, contributing to institutional excellence that reflects various perspectives and experiences. They will exhibit strong cross-cultural competence, demonstrate high emotional intelligence, and have a proven ability to forge mutually respectful, trusting, and effective relationships with groups of staff, donors, artists, clients, community leaders, and decision makers. They will have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on team-based projects and across departments, and the ability to work effectively and simultaneously on numerous projects.