Visitor Services Representative

About Weeksville Heritage Center

Weeksville Heritage Center (WHC) is a historic site and cultural center in Central Brooklyn that uses education, arts, and a social justice lens to preserve, document and inspire engagement with the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America, and the Historic Hunterfly Road Houses. Founded in 1838, Weeksville was the second largest of approximately 100 independent African-American communities established before the Civil War.

When a group of community activists rediscovered three remaining original homes 1968, they purchased, rehabilitated, and restored the Hunterfly Road Houses, re-opening their doors as the Weeksville Heritage Center in 1973. In 2014, WHC opened its new Cultural Arts and Education Center and campus, including a visual arts gallery, performance space, resource center, and administrative offices. WHC is now poised for a bright new era, with the resources and vision in place to fully activate our history and expand our education, preservation, and public programming.

Recently announced as New York City’s newest Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) member, the first since 1998, WHC is one of New York City’s cultural treasures, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the story of the 19th century African-American community of Weeksville, a nationally significant, exceptionally well-documented and rare extant example of an independent African-American community organized by Black entrepreneurs and land investors to promote economic, social, and political rights.

The Opportunity

The Visitor Services Representative is the first point of contact between Weeksville and most of its public visitors and is essential to building awareness, continued visitors, and overall relations with the wider community. The Visitor Services Representative provides exceptional customer service to visitors and general information to the public about Weeksville Heritage Center through walk-ins and tours as well as calls and online inquiries.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Provide exemplary customer service and general information to students, visitors
  • and other guests
  • Administer front desk responsibilities, including but not limited to answering phones
  • and directing calls, forwarding messages and responding to general phone, in-
  • person, and email inquiries, and receiving and sorting mail.
  • Monitor the lobby and other main entrance areas during business hours
  • Liaise with the Facilities department to ensure upkeep of all public areas
  • Sort and record outgoing/incoming mail and deliveries
  • Maintain inventory of office supplies, pantry area and re-stock as necessary
  • Educate visitors on upcoming programs, events, and provide general information about Weeksville
  • Order office supplies monthly for WHC staff as needed
  • Perform other duties as assigned

    Required Skills, Knowledge, and Qualifications

    • Minimum 2 years’ experience working in customer service and familiarity with office
    • software such as Microsoft and Google Workspace
    • Retail and/or Hospitality experience preferred
    • Ability to work with various levels of an organization and the public
    • Good written and verbal communication skills
      Schedule

      We are seeking a part-time Visitor Services Representative, working 20 hours per week. Weeksville Heritage Center is closed on Sundays and Mondays so the work schedule would be Tuesday through Saturday, from 1 PM to 5 PM, with the potential for more hours as needed

      Salary and Benefits

      This is a nonexempt hourly position with an hourly pay range of $19 – $21. This position is eligible to take part in the benefits program at Weeksville Heritage Center which offers a benefits package that is competitive with the market, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a retirement 401k and pension plan that employees can contribute to after the eligibility period, and paid vacation, paid sick leave, and personal days.

      How to Apply

      Submit a resume and cover letter to: inquiries@weeksvillesociety.org. Please include Visitor Services Representative in the subject line and include where you found this job posting in the body of your email. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest in the position.

      Weeksville Heritage Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates for employment are considered without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.