Museum Cafe Manager

Job Overview

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is an outgrowth of the Dubuque County Historical Society, which also operates the Mathias Ham Historic Site, is home to the National Rivers Hall of Fame, and supports a national outreach program called RiverWorks Discovery. Its mission is to inspire stewardship by creating educational experiences where history and rivers come alive.

The Museum Café Manager is responsible for the daily management of all café staff and coordination of resources for the café. Duties include but are not limited to: café operations, staff management, daily cash handling/counting, creating and updating menus, taking inventory, and general organization of the restaurant. This position will have weekend and occasional evening responsibilities and commitments with a flexible schedule ensuring work/life balance. Ideal candidates should demonstrate the ability to interact with the public and co-workers in a friendly, enthusiastic, and outgoing manner and provide leadership to a team of associates to enhance the guest experience.

This is a full time, permanent position. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits include vacation time, sick time, paid holidays, medical, dental, flex plan, and 403b retirement plan.

The Dubuque County Historical Society and its properties, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and Mathias Ham Historic Site, are committed to embracing diversity, practicing equity, and ensuring accessibility and inclusion. We continually strive to achieve a welcoming environment in all our spaces, where our staff and community feel reflected and valued for their unique perspectives and backgrounds. DEAI values guide and impact all the decisions the museum makes, both internal and external.

Primary duties

• Daily management of the grill staff, including hiring, onboarding, and employee relations as necessary.
• Daily management of the restaurant, including cooking, cleaning, and serving food to the guests.
• Meet financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing an annual budget, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions.
• Determines food service menu, orders needed food and supplies, and keeps accurate inventory.
• Updates point of sale (POS) systems for orders, receipts, and pricing.
• Maintains safe, secure, and healthy environment by establishing, following, and enforcing sanitation standards and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned including, but not limited to, intra-office catering and small-scale banquet needs.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience managing a café, restaurant, or similar operation preferred but not required.
• Excellent computer skills, including database management and Excel.
• Exceptional written & verbal communication skills.
• Outstanding external and internal customer service skills.
• Effective personnel management and problem-solving skills.
• Current ServSafe Food Handler Certification preferred but not required (will certify qualified applicant).
• Must be able to read, write, and speak the English language.
• Must be able to perform any physical demands of job duties, either with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Final candidates will be subject to a reference and background check.

How to apply

To learn more, visit www.rivermuseum.org/join-our-team.  Apply by emailing your resume, cover letter, salary requirements and references to apply@rivermuseum.org or by delivering them in person to 350 E. 3rd St., Dubuque, IA 52001 by Sunday December 14, 2025.

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that any applicant is able to meet all of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if you are drawn to this position and feel your strengths would be an asset to the organization, we highly encourage you to apply.