Department Coordinator

The Department Coordinator (DC) is an integral part of daily and ongoing operation of the on-site retail business. This unique role carries independent responsibility to front- and back-of-house procedures, as well as serving as the primary substitute for any absent Assistant Manager. Through this role, the DC is a nimble leader of teams, custodian of process, and essential asset to our dynamic business.

This position’s primary directive is to support departmental growth of retail revenue from existing and new channels. That task shall be supported by engaging with new software and systems to support the creation of an omnichannel environment and experience within the department.

Working a schedule complementary to its colleagues, the DC is consistently a capable sales floor lead and supervisor to assistants. For departmental colleagues, the DC uses its unique departmental visibility to coordinate special events, propose novel and ongoing visual merchandising initiatives, and support ongoing directives of the Senior Manager.

The Department Coordinator must be a curious, adaptable, nimble and possess a passion for retail product, customer service and organizational standards. Responsibilities

Customer and Revenue

• Opens store and supervises preparation for inventory and staff of the daily business
• Coordinates with Sr Manager for typical and unusual events in anticipation of the effect on daily operations

Inventory & Inventory & Operations

• Order bulk branded supplies, anticipate demand, and maintains levels
• Coordinates inventory through damage process
• With Sr Manager, plans and executes all uncommon sales events including staff sales and liquidation
• Assists eCommerce team for order fulfillment as needed

Visual Merchandising & Brand Expression

• Develops and coordinates updates to floor plan for ongoing arrivals and events, floor changes, fixture removals, and monitors adherence to Visual Merchandise standards with direction from Sr Manager and collaboration with Assistant Managers.

IN ABSENCE OF ANOTHER MANAGER / AS NEEDED:

Customer and Revenue

• Ensures proper capturing of customer data, applications of discounts, and overall maintenance of retail POS standards and systems
• In partnership with Assistant Managers, plans and revises floor plan coverage to suit needs and business merchandising
• Monitors customer service interaction policies to guarantee ideal engagement and to maximize sales
• Leads by example as salesperson and museum representative as in line with brand goals and institutional priorities
• Opens and/or closes registers and records deposits and composes daily reporting

People Management & Organizational Leadership

• Plans and adapts daily break schedules as needed
• Utilizes familiarity with Union guidelines for appropriate coordination of employee actions in planned as well as unexpected circumstances
• Ensures scheduling optimized to traffic and revenue forecasts
• Ensures all sales, service, and operating procedural standards through active engagement with teams and reference to manuals and handbooks

Inventory & Operations

• Closely monitors inventory records and identifies discrepancies to relevant colleagues
• In partnership with the Assistant Managers, helps to ensure Loss Prevention, anticipating and preventing issues as well as coordinating with security, management, and authorities as needed in the event of occurrences
• Ensures inventory levels on the floor are consistently and rapidly maintained and coordinates with Assistant Managers to execute restock as needed
• Assists as needed in ongoing and as-necessary cycle counts
• Carefully coordinates the ongoing organization of physical inventory for FOH needs and departmental standards
• Receives and processes all physical inventory directly.
• Oversees all departmental non-inventory inbound and outbound shipping and logistics, including fixturing, rentals, repairs, special projects, and publications

Visual Merchandising & Brand Expression

• Executes floor changes, fixture removals and monitors adherence to Whitney Visual Merchandise standards
• Ensures signage is properly displayed to department standards
• Oversees daily cleaning checklists and monitors all furniture and fixtures for necessary updates

Retail Technology

• Serves as the main contact for daily and ongoing POS technology troubleshooting

Occasional Duties & Unusual Working Conditions

• Ensures staff is held to department standards and priorities
• Supports Managers in Rescheduling staff for absences
• Supports Managers in ensuring appropriate floor coverage for sales and loss prevention
• Ability to lift and carry moderate weights of merchandise. Extended periods on the sales floor.
• Must possess a high level of confidentiality.

Requirements

• BA preferred but not required
• Minimum 2 years of previous retail management
• POS system administration and inventory management; retail analytics and business intelligence tools; proficiency with Microsoft Office, and retail management software.
• Flexible availabity including weekends, evenings and holidays. An appreciation of diverse audiences is essential.
• Advanced fluency with Microsoft Excel inclusive of PivotTables and Data Validation, POS system administration, IT Systems, and inventory management; retail analytics and business intelligence tools; proficiency with Microsoft Office, and retail management software.
• Additional languages a plus

​​​​​ Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly range is $31- $34 and will be commensurate with experience
• Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(b) elections
• Generous Paid Time Off benefits
• Commuter benefits - parking and mass transit
• Admission to world-renowned museums across the city and nationally
• Pet insurance and discounted membership for Citibike
• This position is covered by UAW Local 2110

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.

About the Whitney

The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.

EEO Statement

The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.