BOUTIQUE & VISITOR EXPERIENCE
OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
JOB POSTING
Culture. Style. Storytelling. Community.
Do you believe style can tell a story, fabric can carry history, and a boutique can be both a marketplace and a cultural experience?
Organization
Ashé Cultural Arts Center
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana - On-site
Schedule
Tuesday-Saturday; occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events
Employment Status
Full Time
Compensation
$35,000 - $37,000
Reports To
Chief Operating Officer
Application Deadline
August 11, 2026
BRING CULTURE, STYLE & COMMUNITY TO LIFE AT ASHÉ
Ashé Cultural Arts Center is seeking an energetic, organized, creative, and culturally grounded Boutique & Visitor Experience Operations Assistant to help shape the experience of everyone who walks through our doors.
This is more than a traditional retail or administrative role. You will help operate the Ashé African Diaspora Boutique, welcome visitors, support artists and makers, connect customers with meaningful products, and share the history and cultural stories behind clothing, fabrics, art, books, jewelry, and style.
You will also help grow the boutique’s in-person and online community through customer relationship-building, product promotion, styling content, artist spotlights, and educational storytelling.
ABOUT ASHÉ
Ashé unapologetically celebrates Blackness in New Orleans—using art and culture to support human, community, and economic development. We create experiences that honor, preserve, and celebrate the people, places, traditions, and philosophies of the African Diaspora.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
· Create a warm, engaging, and professional front-of-house experience for visitors, artists, customers, partners, and community members.
· Support daily boutique operations, including opening and closing, point-of-sale transactions, cash handling, inventory, displays, product organization, and sales reporting.
· Help customers understand the cultural meaning, history, craftsmanship, and stories connected to featured clothing, fabrics, jewelry, artwork, books, and other products.
· Build relationships with customers, artists, makers, vendors, cultural organizations, and community partners to encourage repeat visits, referrals, product launches, and boutique events.
· Partner with Ashé’s Marketing team to create product highlights, style features, artist and maker spotlights, educational posts, short-form videos, and approved promotions.
· Help photograph, record, style, and present products in ways that promote sales while educating audiences about African and African Diasporic history, textiles, traditions, craftsmanship, and design.
· Maintain a boutique environment that is beautiful, organized, welcoming, culturally thoughtful, and sales-ready.
· Assist with retail pop-ups, exhibitions, tours, festivals, cultural activations, and other front-of-house experiences.
· Maintain accurate customer, vendor, artist, inventory, delivery, cash-handling, and sales records.
· Provide tours and share information about Ashé’s history, mission, programs, spaces, and cultural impact with individuals and groups.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for someone who is operationally dependable and creatively inspired—someone who can keep the details organized while helping customers see, feel, and understand the cultural story behind what Ashé offers.
· Demonstrated knowledge of—or meaningful experience, study, or engagement with—African and African Diasporic history, art, fashion, textiles, fabrics, cultural traditions, or style.
· A natural ability to connect with people, tell stories, make thoughtful recommendations, and create memorable customer experiences.
· Experience or strong interest in retail, hospitality, visitor services, museums, galleries, arts and culture, fashion, merchandising, community engagement, or creative entrepreneurship.
· Comfort using social media to promote products, educate audiences, highlight style, and build community engagement.
· Strong organization, communication, follow-through, attention to detail, and cultural respect.
· Ability to work collaboratively in a creative, community-centered, and fast-moving environment.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
· Retail sales, boutique operations, customer service, hospitality, front desk, docent, or visitor-experience work.
· Point-of-sale systems, cash handling, inventory tracking, CRM platforms, Google Workspace, or similar tools.
· Social media content, product photography, styling, visual merchandising, retail promotion, or community-based marketing.
· Work with artists, designers, makers, vendors, cultural institutions, nonprofits, or community organizations.
A college degree is not required. Relevant experience, cultural knowledge, creativity, community engagement, and demonstrated ability will be considered.
SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE LOOKS LIKE
· Visitors and customers feel welcomed, informed, and connected to Ashé.
· The boutique is organized, culturally thoughtful, visually engaging, and ready for sales.
· Customers understand the stories and meaning behind the products they encounter.
· Records and reports are accurate, complete, and submitted on time.
· The boutique’s customer community and online engagement continue to grow.
WHY JOIN ASHÉ?
At Ashé, you will help create a space where commerce, culture, education, and community meet. You will uplift artists and makers, introduce customers to meaningful products, help expand the boutique’s reach, and contribute to a visitor experience that unapologetically celebrates Black culture.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit:
· A current résumé.
· A brief statement of no more than 300 words explaining your interest in the role and your connection to African or African Diasporic culture, art, fashion, textiles, fabrics, retail, or cultural storytelling.
· Optional: Links or examples of social media content, styling, merchandising, product photography, artwork, retail promotion, or other creative work.
Ashé Cultural Arts Center is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates whose experiences, talents, and perspectives strengthen our mission and our connection to the community.
Come help us create an experience where culture is celebrated, style tells a story, and every visitor feels the spirit of Ashé.
Pay: $35,000.00 - $37,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have demonstrated knowledge of or meaningful experience with African or African Diasporic history, art, textiles, fabrics, fashion, or cultural traditions?
- Are you available to work onsite in New Orleans Tuesday through Saturday, including occasional evenings, weekends, and special events?
Experience:
- Customer service: 3 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
