Group Sales Manager

 

 

The Lucas Museum is sharply focused on creating a superior and inclusive experience for all our visitors. The Group Sales Manager has a key role in achieving this objective. Groups — tour and travel, school and youth, corporate, and community — are among the Museum’s most visible audiences and a significant driver of attendance and earned revenue. The Group Sales Manager is responsible for building this business as the Museum opens, and for making the group visit welcoming, well-run, and worth repeating.

Reporting to Director, Visitor Services, the Group Sales Manager owns the full group sales cycle: prospecting, pitching, negotiating, contracting, booking, and retaining group business across all segments. The Manager also develops and manages the Museum’s guided tour program, working closely with Education and Visitor Experience so that the content, capacity, and quality of tours reflect the excellence of the Museum. This is a relationship-driven, entrepreneurial position for someone who is comfortable carrying a target, working a pipeline, and representing the Museum to external partners.

The Group Sales Manager will set and meet group revenue and attendance goals, monitor demand and market trends, and use data to shape pricing, packaging, and the mix of group business. The Manager will work across the Museum — with Education, Visitor Experience, Security, Retail, Food and Beverage, Marketing, and Finance — to ensure that every group’s visit is seamless from first inquiry to departure. Groups are a major touchpoint for the Museum, and the Manager will model the behaviors and service standards that result in the highest level of visitor engagement and satisfaction, operating at all times within the mission of the Museum.

Own the day-to-day operation of the group sales function, serving as the Museum’s primary point of contact for tour and travel, school and youth, corporate, and community group business

Build and execute an annual group sales plan with defined revenue targets, attendance goals, and booking pace benchmarks by segment, in alignment with the Museum’s broader mission and strategic plan

Develop and manage the Museum’s guided tour program — including public, private, school, and VIP tours — partnering with Education and Visitor Experience on tour content, guide training, capacity, and quality standards

Cultivate and maintain relationships with tour operators, receptive operators, destination management companies, travel agencies, hotel and concierge networks, convention and visitor bureaus, and regional tourism partners

Partner with the Education team to build and steward relationships with school districts, teachers, camps, and youth-serving organizations, ensuring the booking process is simple, welcoming, and responsive to educator needs

Develop corporate, affinity, senior, and community group business, including employee outings, membership organizations, and community-based organizations serving Exposition Park and greater Los Angeles

Prospect actively — build and work a qualified pipeline through outreach, site visits, trade shows, industry conferences, familiarization (FAM) tours, and sales calls

Negotiate and administer group rates, contracts, deposits, commissions, and cancellation terms in coordination with Finance and Museum leadership, ensuring terms are accurate, profitable, and consistently applied

Manage the group booking pipeline in the Museum’s ticketing and CRM systems, maintaining accurate records of inquiries, holds, confirmations, payments, and post-visit follow-up

Use data, experimentation, and visitor feedback continuously to refine pricing, packaging, lead sources, and the group visit experience. This is an essential element of the position and of the ultimate success of the Museum

Forecast group revenue and attendance, report on performance against target, and provide timely analysis that informs Museum-wide capacity planning and operating budgets

Coordinate closely with Visitor Experience, Security, Education, Retail, and Food and Beverage to schedule group arrivals, manage capacity and gallery flow, and deliver a seamless on-site experience from bus drop-off to departure

Design and package group offers that extend the visit and the Museum’s revenue — combining admission with guided tours, theater programming, dining, and retail

Develop group sales collateral, itineraries, rate sheets, and web content in partnership with Marketing and Communications, ensuring the Museum is well represented in trade channels and travel-planning resources

Ensure group sales practices, pricing, and tour offerings are accessible and welcoming to visitors of all abilities, languages, and backgrounds, working with colleagues on accommodations and inclusive access

Resolve group issues and service recovery with judgment and care, treating every interaction as an opportunity to build long-term loyalty

Support the Museum’s opening by establishing group sales systems, policies, pricing structures, and partner relationships in advance of the first booking, and refine them continuously post-opening

Actively champion the Museum’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging in sourcing group partners, in pricing and access decisions, and in connection with visitors

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, up to 8 hours per shift. 
• Ability to move throughout multiple Museum locations, including galleries, theaters, outdoor spaces, and other public areas. 
• Ability to maintain an active and visible presence while providing exceptional guest service. 
• Ability to work in a high-volume, public-facing environment with large groups of guests, including school groups, tours, special events, and peak attendance periods, while maintaining professionalism, situational awareness, and composure. 
• Ability to frequently bend, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb stairs as needed. 
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 25 pounds, including wheelchairs, stanchions, signage, guest service equipment, and other operational materials. 
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with guests and colleagues in person, by telephone, and over two-way radio. 
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors in varying environmental conditions. 
• Ability to maintain awareness of guest activity and surrounding conditions while monitoring galleries, queues, and public spaces. 

3+ years of experience in group sales, travel trade sales, tourism, or a comparable consultative sales role, preferably in a museum, cultural institution, attraction, or hospitality setting

Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding revenue and booking targets

Experience managing the full sales cycle — prospecting, pitching, negotiating, contracting, and account retention

Familiarity with the tour and travel trade, including receptive and inbound operators, and with the school and educational group market

Experience developing or managing guided tour programs, including working with docents, guides, or education staff

Proficiency with ticketing, CRM, and sales-reporting systems; strong comfort with data, forecasting, and spreadsheet analysis

Strong commitment to and demonstrated ability to use data and experimentation to drive revenue and improve visitor experience

Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging in sourcing, partnership, service and access practices

Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the poise to represent the Museum to external partners and to host site visits

Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues across the Museum and to influence peers without direct authority

Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with meticulous attention to detail in contracts, rates, and bookings

Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output

Ability to work under pressure, manage many bookings simultaneously, and meet deadlines

Willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays as group business and Museum operations require, and to travel for trade shows and sales calls

Experience with the Los Angeles tourism market, international inbound travel, or multilingual capability is a plus

 

 

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The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the art of illustrated stories. Our mission is to inspire and connect people through the exploration of visual stories and their influences in society. 

 

Our internal and external practices are shaped by the following beliefs and behaviors.

 

People First: We meet people wherever they are (physically, intellectually, emotionally). Our inclusive practice connects who people are and what they find emotional in works of art.

 

Inspired: We believe that art can move you to feel, think, reflect, and act.

 

Collaborative: We believe that nimble thinking and working together yield exponential results. 

Amplify the social impact of storytelling and illustration. 

 

Connect to a broad and diverse public.

 

Create a healthy and durable institution.