Programming & Docent Manager

Do you love good design? Do you believe the world needs more inspiration? Bring your passion for teaching and storytelling to a nonprofit organization that is growing rapidly because we inspire people every day. 

Letterform Archive is seeking a Programming & Docent Manager to develop and lead programs that bring our world-class collection to life for diverse audiences. In this role, you will foster deeper connections between our communities and collections while honing sustainable practices that support our team and preserve our materials for future generations.

Reporting to the Education Director, the Programming & Docent Manager is a vital member of the Education team and a key liaison to the Collections team. You’ll oversee tours of our permanent collection and exhibitions—both public and private, onsite and virtual—serving groups of 4–20 people, including educational institutions, nonprofits, and creative teams. You’ll also lead our Salon Series, curating and hosting 10 public lectures annually that showcase the fascinating stories behind our collection.

About Letterform Archive

Letterform Archive is a nonprofit center for inspiration, education, and community. We offer hands-on access to a curated collection of over 100,000 items related to lettering, typography, calligraphy, and graphic design. Every year, we serve thousands around the world, including students, practitioners, and design enthusiasts. In addition to hosting visits and public events, the Archive serves our global community through social media and an online archive featuring state-of-the-art photography. We also curate exhibitions and publish books about our holdings. For more about us, explore our website: letterformarchive.org.

Responsibilities

Tours

• Ensure an inclusive tour environment where all guests, docents, and collections materials are treated with dignity, equity, and belonging.
• Oversee all tour logistics, including correspondence with private groups (e.g., instructors) to customize visits, scheduling/assigning virtual and onsite hosting duties equitably, and filling in as needed.
• Maintain and update databases for Collections Programs and services, including automation systems, ensuring precise and accurate representation of collections areas.
• Facilitate the development and growth of multilingual virtual tours, ensuring accessibility for diverse global audiences.
• Oversee the ongoing maintenance, refinement, and expansion of Tour Modules—educational materials on commonly requested topics—while coordinating with the collections team for accuracy and updates.
• Regularly collect and analyze visitor feedback to improve the tour experience.
• Maintain and manage the [email protected] inbox, ensuring timely and professional responses.

Docent Program

• Train and support up to 16 docents in collection scope, tour protocols, research methods, and module creation, fostering growth and expertise.
• Expand docent-led tours in non-English languages and underrepresented scripts, contributing to program inclusivity.
• Oversee and refine the docent program, including recruitment, grant development/reporting, and fostering a strong docent community.
• Collaborate with the Development team to coordinate docents for exclusive Members Only tours up to 8 times annually.
• Collect and assess docent feedback to enhance training and program effectiveness.

Events / Public Programming

• Manage the Salon Fellowship Program including developing Salons showcasing their research in the collection.
• Coordinate, host, and analyze data for up to 8 Salons annually, including lectures and panel discussions tied to exhibitions and publications.
• Assist with large-scale events, such as exhibition openings, ensuring smooth coordination and execution.
• Explore partnerships with external organizations to expand public programming opportunities and reach.

Collections Team Liaison

• Serve as the primary liaison between public programs and the collections team, ensuring proper handling and sustainable access to materials.
• Proactively align tour and program policies with collections goals, including material rotation and digitization priorities.
• Support docents and Salon Fellows in researching materials, ensuring adherence to best practices and policies.
• Collaborate with collections team members to maintain accurate and accessible representations of collections areas in tour systems and public programs.
• Lead sustainability initiatives for collections handling in tours and events.

Other Cross-Domain Responsibilities

• Act as the central coordinator for the Visitors calendar, preventing booking conflicts across the Classroom, Reading Room, Conference Room, and Gallery.
• Foster collections-related education among staff by providing access to documentation and training resources on tour modules.
• Stay current with technology to enhance virtual tours, events, and overall program delivery.
• Develop emergency response protocols for tours and events, ensuring docent and visitor safety.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Museum Studies, Art History, Education, or related field, OR equivalent professional experience.
• 2+ years of experience in coordinating tours, education programs, or public events in cultural institutions.
• Proficiency in office software, database tools, and virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Workspace).
• Strong communication skills with experience in public speaking and professional correspondence.
• Proven organizational skills, managing multiple projects and equitable team scheduling.
• Basic understanding of collections care, interpretation, and commitment to equity in programming.

Ideal Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Education, Design, Art, or related field, with 4+ years in program or docent coordination.
• Advanced database and automation skills (Airtable), and experience with CRM tools (HubSpot).
• Multilingual abilities and experience creating inclusive, multilingual educational programs.
• Proven leadership in training, mentoring, and community building within cultural organizations.
• Strong knowledge of sustainable collections care, access policies, and equity-focused programming.
• Experience developing partnerships, securing grants, and scaling new initiatives to expand reach.

Physical Demands

The Programming & Docent Manager will regularly be required to perform desk-based computer tasks, including using a computer screen for long periods of time, typing, and making phone calls. They will often be required to move items weighing up to 10 pounds or push and maneuver a fully-loaded book truck weighing up to 60 pounds. If needed, the Archive will provide reasonable accommodations to an employee with a disability to enable them to perform the essential functions of their job.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

To ensure the health and safety of the Archive’s community, all newly hired employees of Letterform Archive are required to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions for medical, religious, or other reasons in accordance with all applicable laws.

Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination

Letterform Archive is an equal opportunity workplace, community, and place of learning. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. The Archive does not discriminate in employment or in offering educational services and programs. Learn more. 

Position Type, Schedule, and Location

This is a full-time, exempt position working 40 hours per week during the Archive's normal office hours in addition to nights and weekends as required. It is onsite at Letterform Archive’s offices in San Francisco 4-5 days per week; work-from-home days are as agreed with your supervisor.

Compensation and Benefits

The pay rate for this role is $60,000-80,000 per year depending on candidate experience and qualifications. 

Letterform Archive offers the following benefits to all full-time employees:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with subsidized dependent coverage
• Three weeks of Paid Time Off each year with incentive accrual up to four weeks per year
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Sick leave
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Pre-tax commuter benefit
• Annual professional development budget
• Complimentary Archive membership, and waived tuition to Archive workshops

You’ll be surrounded by — and able to interact with — beautiful, meaningful materials from the Archive’s collection, as well as a diverse and dynamic community of those who love letters and design. Your colleagues will be people who are passionate about the organization and eager to share their enthusiasm through their work.

How to Apply

Please apply by submitting a résumé and a cover letter explaining your interest in this position at letterformarchive.org/careers by January 2nd, 2025. You may address your cover letter to the “hiring team” and it should be no more than one page. The most effective cover letters explain your interest in the Archive and this position, and make clear how your qualifications match this role’s responsibilities.

Letterform Archive is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance applying or have questions about accommodation during the hiring process, please email [email protected]. All applications must be submitted through the applicant portal in order to be considered. You will not receive an automated confirmation email once you apply but if you followed the portal instructions, the Archive will have received your application and materials.