Job Postings

Manager of Volunteer Programs Seattle Art Museum

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Manage the planning, coordination, and evaluation of volunteer programs across all sites. Support volunteers and staff by overseeing recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance processes that ensure effective and meaningful participation across the museum.

Responsibilities will include the following, but are not limited to:

Volunteer Program – 95%

  • Lead the development and daily management of volunteer programs ensuring alignment with organizational values and strategic priorities
  • Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of volunteer engagement strategies, including inclusive recruitment, onboarding, retention, and recognition
  • In partnership with leadership, establish policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging
  • Collaborate with departments to assess volunteer needs, create role descriptions, and implement meaningful placements that support museum operations
  • Serve as a key partner to departments hosting volunteers, providing ongoing consultation, guidance, training, and support to ensure a positive and productive volunteer experience
  • Provide leadership and support for volunteers, ensuring open communication and opportunities for ongoing dialogue and feedback
  • Coordinate and facilitate ongoing training and enrichment opportunities, such as curator-led talks, tours, and field trips to deepen volunteers’ knowledge and connection to SAM
  • Maintain a robust volunteer recognition program, including planning the annual appreciation event and ongoing initiatives that foster retention and celebrate contributions
  • Coordinate volunteer communication, delivering timely updates on museum-wide initiatives and opportunities for engagement and development.
  • Oversee the SAM Volunteer Association and its Advisory Committee, managing meeting logistics, member appointments, program planning, and collaborative initiatives that elevate the volunteer community’s voice within the institution
  • Directly manage key volunteer cohorts (e.g., Sambassadors, Events, and Emeritus)
  • Manage the volunteer database (Volgistics), including volunteer profiles, shift scheduling, hours tracking, and reporting to monitor program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement
  • Represent SAM at local and national forums such as AAMV and MVP Roundtable, sharing insights and staying informed on trends and best practices.

 Other Duties – 5%

  • Contribute to an institutional focus of delivering exceptional, welcoming, and inclusive customer service—creating positive, meaningful experiences for all visitors, every time
  • Participate in institutional learning opportunities to grow our collective understanding and integration of antiracism, cultural competency, and equity values into SAM’s work

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Five years’ experience working with volunteers, including three years in a people management capacity
  • Demonstrated ability to lead inclusive recruitment, onboarding, and engagement efforts
  • Skilled in facilitating trainings, delivering presentations, and speaking publicly to diverse audiences; able to communicate clearly, confidently, and accessibly in both formal and informal settings
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain relationships across departments, cultures, and age groups
  • Ability to exercise discretion, sound judgment, and diplomacy, particularly in conflict resolution or sensitive situations
  • Proactive and strategic verbal and written communication, with an ability to tailor communications according to audience, balancing warmth and professionalism
  • Strong management and supervisory skills; ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects
  • Successfully assess priorities and work well with deadlines, exceptional time management, problem solving, and analytical skills
  • Highly organized, adept at self-initiation and working with autonomy
  • Exercise discretion in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and internet-based research
  • Working knowledge of Google Suite, Zoom, Asana, Slack
  • Ability to learn the museum’s volunteer database system
  • Ability to pass and maintain security background check clearance

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in the non-profit sector, preferrable arts & culture
  • Experience managing a volunteer workforce of over 200 persons
  • Familiarity with local or national volunteer organizations
  • Proficiency with Volgistics


APPROACH TO WORK
We come together to contribute our unique talents towards connecting art to life. We take our passion for the arts and personal connections to the mission, and channel it into our employee, visitor, and partner experience. We hold with care our impact on the local community, the arts and culture sector, and beyond. We know we’re at our best when we create an inclusive and equitable workplace and museum that reflects our plurality. The following are ways we agree to work together – they play a essential role in fulfilling our mission.
Be Accountable: Our work is ambitious – it requires us to stay organized, hold multiple responsibilities, maintain an eye for the details and the big picture, and consistently deliver exceptional work. We rely on our colleagues when working collaboratively and independently. We practice expert time management, are responsible for our commitments and deadlines, and proactively communicate when we need extra support. We know being accountable matters – it’s a commitment to care for everyone we work with.

Be Collaborative: We know that the success of the collective is paramount – we’re all working towards a common goal. Our diverse perspectives strengthen our work, so we default to inclusion. We’re eager to work in partnership cross functionally and create the space for others to contribute to the work.

Cultivate Innovation: Our success is rooted in the creation and adoption of new ideas that make a positive impact. Change is inevitable, so we stay open to the possibilities that come with it. We bring a commitment to navigating new circumstances with flexibility, adaptability, creativity, and persistence. We’re not afraid to meet the moment – taking strategic risks and maximizing resources to create positive change. We lean on each other as we experiment and build new ways of working together.

Bring A Learning Mindset: We know that curiosity and humility are key to our individual and collective growth and ultimately, improving our work. We regularly seek new inputs and perspectives that can expand our thinking. When met with something we don’t understand, we remain open to learning from colleagues and our community. Most importantly, when we encounter an inevitable stumble, we seek feedback and reflect on how to learn from the experience.

Lift Each Other Up: We practice helping each other be successful by empowering, supporting, and celebrating the work of our colleagues, teams, and the institution. An optimistic and inspiring attitude makes our work better – for our colleagues, our visitors, and the broader community we’re part of. We bring integrity and joy to our interactions with others – centering welcoming, engaging, and inspiring interactions with and within SAM.

WORK SCHEDULE

This role is typically scheduled to work business hours Monday – Friday. However, the needs of this role require a willingness to work a flexible schedule in support of the department or organization as self-directed or directed by your supervisor. Please connect with your Recruiter or Manager for more information about SAM’s current hybrid work policy and expectations. SAM’s hybrid work policy is subject to change.

COMPENSATION:$80,450 – $84,700

WORK CONDITIONS

Exposure: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with moderate background noise.