Job Description

Position Overview

The Visitor Experience Assistant is responsible for helping to create a positive, memorable, and engaging experience for visitors at the KU Natural History Museum in Dyche Hall. They are required to greet and talk to visitors, answer questions regarding the museum and surrounding areas (in person and on the phone), and assist visitors with any needs they may have related to their visit. Visitor Experience staff members also are responsible for opening and closing the museum; restocking the museum gift shop and processing retail sales; tracking attendance and contributions; communicating and assisting with the museum’s Public Education department; and completing miscellaneous museum projects. Special events occur occasionally in the evenings and on weekends, and the Visitor Experience staff may be asked to assist with these programs.

Job Description

• 45% - Greet and engage museum visitors, process admission and membership contributions, answer questions about visiting the museum, schedule group visits, and open and close the museum.
• 45% - Restock the gift shop and process retail sales transactions, balance a cash drawer and prepare deposits, perform confidential data entry and financial tasks, and periodically monitor the museum galleries.
• 10% - Communicate and aid the KUNHM Public Education department and other museum staff, assist in set up and breakdown for special museum events, assist in miscellaneous museum projects.

Required Qualifications

• Excellent verbal communications skills, as demonstrated by experience and application materials.
• Attention to details, as demonstrated in application materials.
• Experience in handling money/cash register experience.
• Must be dependable, able to work independently, and able to work and talk with all populations, as demonstrated by application materials.
• Must have availability to work shifts during the weekend, breaks, and in the summer.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with the public.
• Major in biology, geology, archaeology, museum studies, communications, marketing, business, or other field related to the operation of a natural history museum.

Position Requirements

During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).

Employment Conditions

(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.


(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.

Additional Candidate Instructions

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

• A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.
• Resume addressing required qualifications. Please specifically provide experience information regarding cash and register handling.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Incomplete applications may not be considered.


Application deadline is Sunday, 2/8/2026, by 11:59PM Central Standard Time.

Contact Information to Applicants

Lynn Ward, lynn_ward@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

$13/hr

Anticipated Start Date

Tuesday February 24, 2026

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Posting Information

• Posting ID: 31964BR
• Department: Biodiversity Institute
• Primary Campus: University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
• Reg/Temp: Temporary
• Employee Class: S-Student

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Temporary work, Summer work, Shift work, Afternoon shift,

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