About this role
Museum Visitor Experience Assistant - Student Hourly
Job Description: 45% - Greet and engage museum visitors, process admission and membership contributions, answer questions about visiting the museum, schedule group visits, occasionally give tours, and open and close the museum.
45% - Restock the gift shop and process retail sales transactions, balance a cash drawer and prepare deposits, perform confidential data entry and financial tasks, and periodically monitor the museum galleries.
10% - Communicate and aid other museum staff, assist in set-up and breakdown for special museum events, assist in miscellaneous museum projects.
Disclaimer: The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
Contact Information to Applicants: Lynn Ward [email protected]
Required Qualifications: • Excellent communications skills, as evidenced in application materials. • Work experience which required attention to detail, as evidenced in application materials. • Experience in handling money/cash register experience, as evidenced in application materials. • Work experience which demonstrates dependability, ability to work independently, and ability to work and communicate with all populations, as evidenced by application materials
Preferred Qualifications: • Experience working with the public, as evidenced in application materials. • Major in biology, geology, archaeology, museum studies, communications, marketing, business, or other field related to the operation of a natural history museum.
Position Overview: The Visitor Experience Assistant is responsible for creating a positive, memorable, and engaging experience for visitors at the KU Natural History Museum in Dyche Hall. They are required to greet and interact with visitors, answer questions regarding the museum and surrounding areas (in person, on the phone, and by email), and assist visitors with any needs they may have related to their visit. Occasionally Visitor Experience staff members (VEX) give guided tours through the museum. VEX are responsible for opening and closing the museum; restocking the museum gift shop and processing retail sales; tracking attendance and contributions; communicating with and aiding museum staff in other departments; and completing miscellaneous museum projects. Special events occur occasionally in the evenings and on weekends and VEX may be asked to assist with these programs.
Eligible candidates must have availability to work shifts during the weekend, breaks, and in the summer.
Additional Candidate Instruction: In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position: • Cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met. Please provide availability (must have availability to work shifts during the weekend, breaks, and in the summer). • Resume addressing required qualifications. Please specifically provide information regarding cash and register handling. • Contact information for three professional references. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
To ensure consideration, apply before the application review starts on Tuesday, 9/8/2026. A review of applications will continue and is ongoing until a pool of qualified candidates is identified.
Position Requirements: During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).
Student employees must be able to work shifts during the weekend, breaks, and in the summer.
Employment Conditions: (1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.