Engagement Guide

Overview

Founded in 1965,
UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs.

It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art is a newly unified museum that brings together the academic depth of UC Irvine with the public presence of a major regional art institution. Led by Museum Director Kathryn Kanjo, the museum, brings together two renowned institutions under a shared vision of public access, scholarship, and meaningful cultural engagement across Orange County and beyond.

The museum cares for a collection of more than 9,000 works tracing California art from the nineteenth century to today. As the museum moves toward a single, consolidated home, its work will be centered in the 53,000-square-foot public-facing building in Costa Mesa designed for exhibitions, programs, and community gathering - bringing together education, research, and public engagement under one roof.

As part of the University of California, the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art connects artists, students, scholars, and the public through exhibitions, programs, and collaborations that spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire connection. The museum is entering an exciting new chapter, guided by a vision of curatorial excellence, accessibility, and service to the region's vibrant cultural landscape.

This is a part-time position.

Engagement Guides play a vital role in ensuring artwork safety and creating an exceptional experience for every museum visitor. Under the guidance of the Director of Learning and Engagement, Manager of Visitor Experience and Lead Engagement Guide team, this position serves as a welcoming ambassador for the museum, greeting and orienting visitors at the front desk and in galleries, facilitating meaningful conversations around current and upcoming artists and exhibitions, and highlighting museum programs, tours, and special events.

Engagement Guides take part in a variety of trainings that outline best practices and key approaches to visitor engagement and artwork safety. While our educational programs bring audiences together, the Engagement Guides offer visitors opportunities to have more personalized interactions with works on view in the galleries.

Required:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, active listening, critical thinking, and good time management skills.
• Knowledge and experience of hospitality and customer services best practices and strong interpersonal skills to ensure every visitor has a positive, welcoming, and memorable experience.
• Interest and knowledge of art, art history and/or museum collections and exhibitions
• High school diploma or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years experience.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with museum policies, ticketing/POS systems, and daily operational workflows to keep the visitor experience running smoothly and efficiently.
• Experience in calmly resolving visitor complaints, staff conflicts, and unexpected operational challenges with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Knowledge of emergency procedures, ADA accessibility standards, and cultural competency to create a safe and inclusive environment for all visitors and staff.

Special Conditions:

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may…