About Dia Art Foundation

Dia Art Foundation was established in 1974 for the purpose of collecting, commissioning, and presenting major works of art made in the 1960s onward. Today it consists of nine permanent sites across the United States and Germany, as well as three changing exhibition spaces in New York State: Dia Chelsea in the city, Dia Beacon in the Hudson Valley, and Dia Bridgehampton on Long Island. Dia is taken from the Greek word for “through” and conveys the foundation’s role as a facilitator of meaningful artistic experiences that can be encountered in single and repeated visits.   

Position summary

Reporting to the Director of Visitor Experience and working closely with both the Visitor Services (VS) and Learning and Engagement (L&E) teams, the Groups and Tours Associate is responsible for coordinating Dia’s group visits and guided tours—including all scheduling, logistics, and communications—and is the liaison to Dia guides. The individual in this position is conversant with Dia Art Foundation’s history, public programming, special events, exhibitions, and publications, as well as the museum’s security policies. The Group and Tours Associate is the primary point of contact for parties inquiring about or scheduling group tours and for all day-of tour needs. The Associate further supports the success of Dia’s tours through observation, data gathering and analysis, and proactive-outreach initiatives.

Essential duties and responsibilities 

• Oversee full life cycles, from initial outreach to post-visit feedback analysis, of public tours, K–12 field trips, private groups, and self-guided visits, in addition to tours and visits initiated by Dia departments
• Compose internal and external communications pertaining to schedules, logistics, and all other details relevant to guided and self-guided group visits primarily at Dia Beacon and Dia Chelsea
• Respond to groups’ needs and requests, providing information on schedules, amenities, accessibility, pricing, and Dia’s approach, tailoring visits as needed 
• Establish relationships with group contacts and manage all informational and administrative processes for booked tours
• Maintain relationships and establish ongoing dialogue with guides, assessing their availability and ensuring assigned tours align with the strengths and interests of the guide and the group; communicate all relevant information to guides in a timely manner and notify L&E of any content-specific requests
• Track guides’ work hours and submit to L&E payroll supervisor
• Act as primary day-of contact between VS, security, guides, and tour groups; greet groups on arrival, inform them of policies, facilitate last-minute questions or concerns, introduce the guides, and assist throughout the tour as needed
• In collaboration with L&E, assess tours and visits’ impact; hone evaluative processes, including targeted visitor feedback and tour observation; liaise with L&E on ongoing feedback and development opportunities for guides
• Execute administrative tasks, including invoicing and processing payments for tours, managing database calendars, and generating reports on attendance and revenue
• Manage the group-and-tour database, keep contact information up to date, and proactively reach out to both current and lapsed groups on an annual basis
• Support Dia’s growing tour program through outreach to targeted groups, as directed by Dia’s Marketing and L&E departments
• Support Dia’s cross-departmental and community-engagement efforts, participating in off-site events as needed

Other responsibilities

• Support execution of survey reports, including responding to ad hoc requests for visitor data from other departments as needed
• Continuously review visit-related web pages, signage, and other institutional materials for accuracy; work with the Marketing department to make updates as needed
• Support special events and program check-ins at the front desk as needed
• Participate in training and team development related to visitor safety and new exhibitions
• Maintain fluency in Dia’s pedagogical values and employ a proactive approach to accessibility practices that support an inclusive, welcoming experience for all

Education, certification, and experience

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate relevant professional experience
• Two years of experience working in program coordination, arts or museum education, and/or visitor engagement required
• Experience working in public-facing roles, customer/visitor services positions, and collaborating across departments in cultural organizations preferred
• Administrative experience and basic bookkeeping skills required
• Experience creating and implementing feedback/evaluation mechanisms and synthesizing data into reports

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Spanish-speaking preferred; conversational fluency in multiple languages a plus
• Superb written and oral communication and interpersonal skills; comfort speaking with diverse publics; ability to adapt communication style as needed, navigate challenging situations, and respond promptly to visitors required
• Must be extremely organized, detail oriented, self-directed, have excellent time-management skills, and able to handle complex communications and decision making in a fast-paced environment
• Flexible, adaptable, and collaborative
• Must have working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, Square, and Blackbaud Altru, or demonstrate ability to learn new systems quickly
• Thorough knowledge of Dia’s collection, VS operations, and pedagogical approach required; will be provided through in-depth training

Working conditions and physical demands

• This is a full-time, 40 hour per week position (Thursday–Monday) based at Dia Beacon; on-site presence required
• Work is performed in an office environment; prolonged periods of sitting and use of computers and standard office equipment required to accomplish work objectives
• Occasional lifting, bending, pulling, carrying, or moving of tables/chairs (up to 20 lbs) may be needed
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time during tours and programs

Dia provides a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package with significant employer contributions towards the cost of healthcare premiums. The 401(k) plan provides 100% employer match up to 4% of the employee’s deferral and immediate vesting. Paid time‐off benefits include three weeks of vacation, ten days of sick leave, thirteen holidays, and a generous parental leave program. Work-related travel expenses are fully covered. Additionally, staff ID badges gain reduced or free admission to most American museums and arts organizations. 

This position is represented by the Technical, Office & Professional Union, Local 2110, UAW, AFL-CIO. 

Qualified candidates are invited to apply by completing the online job application, linked here and attaching a resume and letter of interest.  

Dia Art Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, Dia will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and supports a neurodiverse workplace. Candidates with nontraditional learning or career paths and/or applicants whose qualifications differ from those listed above are encouraged to apply.