Guest Experience Service Associate

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Service Associate reports to the Guest Experience Assistant Manager and is responsible for tasks pertaining to the day-to-day operations and providing platinum-level customer experiences to guests of the California Academy of Sciences. Areas of responsibility included are the entryway, theaters, exhibits, and various special events throughout the museum. As assigned by the on-duty Assistant Manager, the Service Associate will respond to constantly changing operational needs by providing excellent customer service.  

This position requires evening, full weekend, and holiday availability. The California Academy of Sciences is open to the public 365 days a year.  

Organizational CultureJoin a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices.

About the Guest Experience Team:

The Guest Experience team provides the highest level of service to all of our visitors, members and beyond. Our team is responsible for overseeing public floor operations including the entryway, theaters, exhibits and various special events. We are often responding to constantly changing operational needs and work closely as a team to solve problems. Our team is essential to creating a positive guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• This position is responsible for working in and has duties in the following areas of the Academy: Guest Experience (hosting, group entry facilitation, way-finding), show control (Planetarium and Forum), and exhibit facilitation (Rainforest and Earthquake).
• Assist in special event after-hours operation in the aforementioned areas, as assigned.  During special events staff will be under the direct supervision of the Guest Experience event lead. 
• Proactively engage with visitors by providing information on daily programs, exhibits, suggested museum itineraries, and San Francisco attractions
• Facilitate traffic flow in and out of the museum, exhibits, and theaters
• Continuously interact with our guests to ensure an excellent experience which exceeds their expectations
• Provide necessary support to the Assistant Managers as needed to ensure smooth operation of the department, including light office work and visitor registration
• Work with the Custodial Team to assist with general cleaning and sanitation of workspaces and high touch areas of the public floor
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

Experience

• Prior experience in a fast paced customer-facing environment
• Experience with a ticketing system, electronic scanners and tablets preferred
• Experience with children and families preferred

Skills, and Abilities: 

• Honesty and reliability required
• Commitment to excellent customer service
• Ability to work independently and show initiative
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work in a busy, fast paced environment
• Ability to be courteous with the public, including children, for extended periods of  time
• Familiarity with Google Suite preferred
• Ability to transport 25 lbs.

Physical Environment:The physical expectations described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this position. At the Academy, we get to work in pretty unique spaces! We have active positions on the public floor that require repetitive motion, moving through and rotating to different positions throughout the day.  In the Rainforest exhibit, we work in humid temperatures around various wildlife ie. birds, snakes, spiders, and insects. In the Planetarium exhibit, staff work in a sometimes darkened theatre environment with steps on a 30-degree slope. This position requires performing repetitive motions 75% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits:The hourly rate for this position is $25.43. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Part-Time, Up to 19 hours per week

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).