The Power Plant

Gallery Attendant

Deadline to Apply

AUG 30 2023

With a greater focus on the Visitor Experience, we are looking for engaging, enthusiastic and customer service-centric Gallery Attendants with strong communication skills to join the team. This position will require incumbents to engage gallery visitors through The Power Plant’s thought-provoking programming, as well as ensure the visitor experience is seamless throughout the gallery.

Position Title: Gallery Attendant
Reporting to: Lead Gallery Attendants and Assistant Manager, Visitor Experience
Hours of Work: Varied, based on need. Minimum of 3 shifts per week, with each shift being 4-6 hours in duration. This position requires regular weekend availability and occasional evening hours
Type of Employment: Part-time. This is a bargaining unit position and a member of OPSEU
Compensation: 18 per hour
Location: Toronto, On-site work

Summary of Function


Gallery Attendants provide front line service to visitors to The Power Plant by encouraging meaningful public engagement with contemporary art through daily interaction, tours, and public programs. Gallery Attendants are responsible for a number of important functions including welcoming and orienting visitors in the space and exhibitions, answering visitor questions, leading tours, enhancing the visitor experience by encouraging conversation and engagement with art and ideas, monitoring the galleries for security, visitor data collection, promoting and processing orders for The Shop, working special events, and performing administrative tasks as required.

Duties


  • Welcome and orient patrons and visitors as they enter the gallery. Collect admissions (as needed), conduct tours, and provide visitors with information concerning current and upcoming exhibitions, education and public programs, membership, special events, and general information.
  • Supervise the entrances and all areas of the exhibitions to enhance the visitor experience, enforce gallery rules, and maintain proper gallery capacity.
  • Engage with visitors by starting conversations at the front of house introducing the exhibitions and providing more information about the shows/ selected works on display in the gallery.
  • Ensure the safety and security of artworks.
  • Ensure the tidiness and cleanliness of the gallery including front of house, galleries and common entrances.
  • Examine the exhibitions throughout the day to assess artwork that may be malfunctioning or damaged and perform corrective action or submits incident reports to appropriate staff in a timely manner.
  • Attend Gallery Attendant meetings, shift briefings, and/or other meetings called by the Assistant Manager, Visitor Experience and/or Head of Marketing, Communications & Visitor Experience.
  • Conduct extensive research on the exhibitions’ themes and artists to become familiar with the content and talking points.
  • Prepare and lead thoughtful and intelligent tours, and maintain a comprehensive knowledge and in-depth understanding of the artists and themes in the exhibitions to facilitate discussion and meaningful engagement with viewers.
  • Perform opening and closing duties including turning on/off works in the exhibition, ensuring all visitors have exited the Gallery upon closing, reconciling sales and completing the daily deposit, and keeping front of house and the galleries tidy.
  • Perform daily sales transactions for attendance, publication, merchandise, editions, using Square point of sales software.
  • Engage visitors in participating in the Visitor Survey.
  • Capture names, addresses, and postal codes from visitors for the gallery’s database to extend engagement, encourage lasting connections, and for future marketing and development needs.
  • Perform administrative/clerical tasks including writing reports related to exhibition maintenance, attendance and audience response, assisting in mailings and during periodic and annual inventory.
  • Replenish publication and merchandise stock in the shop as needed, as well as replenish gallery ephemera, program postcards, Family Guides, educational hand-outs, and gallery surveys at the front desk and in other areas.
  • Promote and provide additional information on upcoming public programs and events.
  • Provide staffing assistance for public programs and events as needed including the annual Power Ball, member events and revenue generation events during which duties may also include selling drink tickets, preventing drinks/food from entering specified areas, taking photographs, etc.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements


  • Proven track record of providing excellent customer service.
  • Experience working in a retail sales environment and product promotion is an asset.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong public speaking abilities for leading tours, introducing speakers and making presentations to visitors.
  • Polite, courteous and pleasant mannerism.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and must enjoy interacting with the public.
  • Ability to operate audio/visual and other exhibition equipment, as well as computer, cash drawer, receipt printer, photocopier, and other office equipment.
  • Ability to observe and perform multiple activities in the gallery.
  • Interest in contemporary art is considered a plus.
  • Knowledge of languages(s) other than English is an asset.
  • Availability to work weekends and on occasion, evening hours as needed.
  • The Power Plant recognizes its heightened duty to protect employees from health and safety risks of COVID-19. As such, an offer of employment shall be conditional on proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with a vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization.
  • This position is based in Toronto, on-site at the gallery. As such, candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Non-Canadian applicants must have a valid employment Visa and proper documentation authorizing their ability to work in Canada on an ongoing basis.

How to Apply


The Power Plant is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage qualified applicants of all backgrounds to apply.

Acceptable applications must include a current resume and a cover letter indicating how you would meet the essential criteria for this position. To apply, please submit your application to jobs@harbourfrontcentre.com by no later than August 30, 2023. Please quote TPP Gallery Attendants in the subject line of your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted. Suitable accommodations will be available upon request during the hiring process.

More Opportunities


Lead Gallery Attendant

We are currently looking for a responsible, courteous and enthusiastic Lead Gallery Attendant with strong communication skills to provide great front-line service to visitors, and to encourage meaningful public engagement with contemporary art through daily interaction, tours, and public programs.