Job Summary
Working under the direction of the FT Program Coordinator this position is responsible for assisting in the development of programs and activities that compliment Markham Museum’s exhibitions and special events, both on site and as part of our outreach and community initiatives. This includes supporting the tour guides and frontline visitor services through trainings and ongoing support.
This position will research, plan, implement, and train museum staff and volunteers on all programmed elements of exhibition interventions and programmed areas for special events and public programs. This will also include assisting with research, design, preparation and installation of discovery exhibit elements for all in house and travelling exhibitions.
This position will also represent the Museum at local festivals/events and deliver outreach education programs to local schools and organisations. As well, they will deliver specialised programming at the Museum in the various studio/exhibition spaces including our print shop and blacksmith shop.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Under the direction of the FT Program Coordinator, develop weekend drop-in exhibition discovery programs and train other Museum staff and volunteers to lead these programs.
- Maintain a high level of content knowledge for each exhibition in order to assist with the design of the discovery and interactive portions of the exhibitions.
- Engage directly with the public through tours, hands-on, touch cart activities and crafts themed to the exhibition content.
- Provide ongoing support to tour guides and visitor centre operations through training, documentation and notification of new processes and procedures for all programmed and exhibition areas on site.
- Assist with the training of staff and volunteers in how to present gallery activities, workshops and programs to the public and how they may be adapted to meet the needs of diverse audiences. Encouraging all to engage directly with the public through the variety of hands-on, touch cart activities and crafts themed to the gallery content.
- Responsible for gathering information that pertains to visitor experiences for marketing purposes including Markham website, Social Media and other forms of media in coordination with the Museum lead on Marketing/Communications.
- Under the direction of the Program Coordinator, be the lead representative from the Programming Department on developing visitor experiences in each of the Museum buildings during Winter Holidays, Applefest, Scaryfest, March Break, International Museum Day, etc.
- Deliver outreach programs to schools and local organizations.
- Represent the Museum and deliver public programming at various offsite local festivals and events.
- Assists with the deployment, maintenance and ongoing training materials related to exhibitions, including manuals and staff/volunteer training sessions.
- Assist with the research, development, installation and on-going maintenance of the discovery exhibit elements and exhibit materials.
- Assist the FT Program Coordinator with developing partnered programs, special guest opportunities, and one-off workshops/presentation related to the exhibitions.
- Provide basic security and monitoring of the exhibition spaces. Ensure that exhibitions are being used and treated properly and that all patrons are using them in a safe manner.
- Completes all program related forms as required (i.e. accident report, maintenance work orders, occurrence reports, etc.).
- Provides specialised program delivery as required e.g. blacksmithing, operating the historic printing press, snowshoeing and geocaching, etc.
- Ensures all program stakeholders are aware of upcoming events, program changes or cancellations.
- Advises supervisor of any customer service issues, complaints or inquiries
- Regularly clean, organize, restock and maintain Museum Discovery supplies and studio spaces.
- Attend and participate in team meetings, special events, workshops, etc.
- Other duties as required
Requirements
- Post-secondary degree in Museum Studies, Education, Recreation or related field
- At least 2 years’ experience assisting with the development of programs, teaching and leading children and/or adults in informal educational experiences in a Gallery or Museum context or equivalent.
- Experience working with volunteers in a museum or other similar setting is an asset
- Minimum age of 16 years of old at the start of employment
- Standard First Aid with CPR ‘C’
- G Class Driver’s License is required due to outreach component of the position.
- High Five – PCHD (Principles of Healthy Child Development) and High Five Quest 2 are assets
- Certifications and/or demonstrated expertise in a specialized technical skill area as indicated by the Museum are an asset.
- Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
- Excellent public speaking and communication skills
- Able to multi-task and work efficiently on individual projects.
- Able to work a variety of shifts, including special event days, some holidays and a minimum of 2 to 3 weekend days per month
- Experience leading tours, programs, or day camps an asset
- Proficiency in MS Office, Outlook, database management, etc.
- Knowledge of Museum themes, interpretive principles, planning and programming
- Outstanding verbal/written communication and presentation skills and sensitivity to interact with a diversity of staff, volunteers, and the general public in a courteous and efficient manner
- Superior problem solving and decision making skills.
- Ability to exercise sound judgement.
- A second language is an asset.
