Director of Visitor Services - The National Musuem of Toys and Miniatures

University of Missouri - Kansas City
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (T/m) is a Kansas City treasure and a nationally recognized cultural institution. Home to the world's largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the nation's largest collections of historically significant antique toys, T/m invites visitors of every age to experience wonder, spark imagination, and connect with history through the art of play.

Founded in 1982 on the beautiful campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, T/m has grown to more than 33,000 square feet of exhibit space and a collection of over 100,000 objects. Our mission-to educate, inspire, and delight-drives everything we do, from the galleries we design to the team we build. We are a high-performing, collaborative, and joyful place to work, and we are growing.

The Opportunity

T/m is entering an exciting new chapter. With growing attendance, a strengthening earned revenue base, and a leadership team committed to building an institution that matches the quality of its collection, we are ready to make a transformational investment: formal, senior leadership for Visitor Services.

We are looking for a Director of Visitor Services who understands that every visitor encounter is a strategic act. The right candidate will see the front door not as a threshold to manage, but as the beginning of a relationship to build. They will be equally at home setting a membership conversion strategy, coaching a visitor services associate through a difficult guest interaction, curating the store to reflect our current exhibition, and reporting visitor experience data for our board meetings.

This role owns the full arc of the T/m visit: from arrival to departure and what happens after. It is a senior leadership position, a revenue ownership position, and an experience design position, all at once. If you are energized by the intersection of hospitality, strategy, and mission, and you want to help make one of Kansas City's most beloved institutions even better, we want to meet you.

Role Overview

The Director of Visitor Services serves as the senior leader for all visitor-facing operations at T/m. As a core member of the senior leadership team, this individual is responsible for designing and delivering an intentional visitor experience, leading and developing the Visitor Services team, and owning key earned revenue lines including the Museum Store and facility rentals.

This role operates at the intersection of strategic leadership and day-to-day execution, moving fluidly between big-picture vision and ground-level presence. The Director of Visitor Services will champion a culture of warmth, excellence, and genuine hospitality, one that reflects T/m's identity and deepens the visitor's connection to the institution. They will also serve as a collaborative institutional partner, working closely with the Executive Director, Development, Learning & Engagement, and Marketing to ensure the visitor experience is woven into every aspect of institutional strategy.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Visitor Experience Design

• Develop and lead the long-range strategy for T/m's visitor experience, aligned with the institution's strategic plan and the goal of building a visitor-to-member-to-donor pipeline.
• Serve as the institutional voice for the visitor in every planning conversation, ensuring that curatorial, programmatic, marketing, and operational decisions are evaluated through the lens of visitor impact.
• Design the full arc of the T/m visit, arrival, orientation, gallery experience, store, and departure, with intention and consistency.
• Establish and maintain service standards, visitor interaction protocols, and operational procedures that reflect T/m's values and brand.
• Use visitor data, surveys, and observation to continuously improve the experience and report findings to leadership.
• Serve as a senior member of the leadership team; actively participate in institutional planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and shared responsibility for organizational outcomes.

Team Leadership & Developmental Delegation

• Lead, supervise, and develop the Visitor Services team, including part-time associates and front-of-house staff.
• Build and maintain a staffing model that ensures excellent coverage across open hours, programs, and events, with enough depth to absorb the unexpected.
• Practice intentional developmental delegation: assigning ownership of meaningful work, building team capacity, and coaching toward increasing responsibility.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance check-ins, and annual evaluations; create individualized development plans for each direct report.
• Foster a positive, high-performing team culture grounded in hospitality, accountability, and mutual respect.
• Model T/m's values in every aspect of leadership: in how you communicate, how you handle challenges, and how you show up for your team.

Museum Store Ownership & Earned Revenue Management

• Own the Museum Store end-to-end: merchandising strategy, vendor relationships, inventory management, buying decisions, and gross profit performance.
• Set annual store revenue and gross profit goals; monitor performance and adjust strategy as needed throughout the year.
• Ensure the store experience is integrated with and reflective of current exhibitions, T/m's brand, and visitor identity.
• Manage all point-of-sale systems and cash management processes; ensure accurate daily reconciliation and reporting.
• Oversee admission revenue operations, including ticket pricing implementation, front desk procedures, and accurate recordkeeping across all ticketing platforms.
• Track and report earned revenue metrics to the Executive Director and Board with transparency and strategic context.

Membership Conversion & the Visitor Pipeline

• Own the on-site membership conversion experience: ensure every eligible visitor interaction includes a warm, compelling membership invitation.
• Partner with Development to build and execute a visitor-to-member-to-donor pipeline, understanding T/m's visitors as future donors, not just admissions.
• Use data to track membership attachment rates, conversion trends, and renewal performance; work with Development on strategies to improve each.
• Ensure front-of-house staff are trained, motivated, and equipped to serve as genuine ambassadors for membership.

Events & Rental Operations

• Serve as the operational lead for all T/m facility rentals and private events, in partnership with the Director of Development and Development Associate.
• Own day-of execution for events: staffing, setup, visitor flow, and guest experience from arrival to close.
• Develop and maintain operational protocols for events that ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for rental clients without disrupting regular museum operations.
• Collaborate with Development on event pricing, calendar management, and growth strategy; contribute operational insight to the annual rental ROI analysis.
• Maintain awareness of rental market trends and visitor services best practices in the cultural institution sector.

Operational & Budgetary Oversight

• Create and manage the Visitor Services department operating budget with fiscal responsibility and strategic intent.
• Ensure departmental operations run efficiently, with clear workflows, staff accountability, and on-time delivery.
• Maintain records, reporting, and documentation consistent with institutional requirements and UMKC systems.
• Manage vendor relationships related to visitor services operations, including POS systems, ticketing platforms, and store suppliers.
• Other duties as assigned.

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.

• 5-7 years of experience in visitor services, retail management, hospitality, or cultural institution operations, with increasing responsibility.
• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience supervising and developing paid staff.
• Proven experience managing retail operations, including buying, merchandising, inventory management, and margin performance.
• Demonstrated data fluency: comfort setting measurable goals, tracking performance, and using metrics to inform decisions.
• Experience with point-of-sale systems, ticketing platforms, and cash management processes.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration and work as part of a senior leadership team.
• Experience with event operations or facility rental management strongly preferred.
• Strong business acumen, including experience managing departmental budgets.

The Ideal Candidate Brings

• Genuine enthusiasm for T/m's mission, and a deep belief that the visitor experience is one of the most important things a cultural institution can get right.
• A hospitality mindset paired with strategic instincts: you care about how every guest feels, and you also think in pipelines, conversion rates, and return visits.
• The ability to think strategically and execute tactically, moving seamlessly between vision and ground-level presence.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the presence and confidence to represent Visitor Services at the leadership table and in the community.
• High emotional intelligence and the self-awareness to lead with humility, adaptability, and grace.
• A coaching mindset: genuine investment in the development and success of the people you lead.
• Retail fluency: you see a store as a curated experience, not a display case, and you know how to make it perform.
• Professional maturity and a track record of owning outcomes, meeting deadlines, and following through.
• Positivity, creativity, and a readiness to make a real difference at one of Kansas City's most beloved institutions.

The anticipated hiring range for this position has been established as up to $79,000 annually.

Salary is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the individual's particular combination of education, skills, and experience, as well as organizational requirements.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Missouri provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Grade: 11
University Title: DIRECTOR PROGRAM/PROJECTS OPERATIONS
To review the University of Missouri's Staff Compensation Structure you can view the Job Code detail page. Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

For best consideration, please submit a cover letter with your resume and application materials.

Job posting will remain open until filled. For best consideration apply by August 30, 2026.

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

What Success Looks Like

In this role, success means leading a Visitor Services department that is stable, intentional, and excellent. It means your team shows up with warmth and professionalism because you've built a culture where those things are expected and supported. It means the Museum Store is a curated, mission-aligned experience, not a gift shop. It means membership conversion is increasing because every visitor feels genuinely invited to belong. It means events run smoothly and clients come back. And it means you are a trusted, collaborative member of the senior leadership team who advocates for the visitor in every room you're in-and makes the whole institution better for it.

Kansas City offers the best of both worlds-a vibrant, urban community with Midwestern appeal. The city's rich history and its modern-day, innovative thinking come together to create an eclectic group of neighborhoods that offer a little something for everyone. From thriving arts districts, an energetic downtown nightlife, casual to upscale shopping and champion sports teams, you will have no problem making yourself at home. Of course, one of Kansas City's biggest claims to fame is its food, especially its world-famous barbecue. Foodies will delight in the culinary scene found throughout the city. Ranging from award-winning chefs to cozy pizza joints, Kansas City definitely is not lacking any flavor.

UMKC's campuses are conveniently nestled in the middle of all the action. Volker Campus is just minutes from the legendary Country Club Plaza, perfect for shopping or restaurants for lunch or after-work happy hours. Surrounded by hip neighborhoods and eateries, the Health Sciences Campus is located downtown near University Health Truman Medical Center and Children's Mercy Hospital.

UMKC is proud to be "Kansas City's university," and the campus and its people celebrate all the characteristics of the surrounding community. To learn more about life in Kansas City and find more resources, visit VisitKC.com.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Office of Equity & Title IX at 816-235-6910.