CAREER

Position Summary:

Museum Learning Educators execute multi-faceted educational programs, experiences, and events in the Museum, and offsite with activities for young children, their families, and groups, including nontraditional museum audiences and/or underserved populations. Educators implement programs in the visual and performing arts, STEM, history, social-emotional learning, and early childhood education in a variety of exhibits and studio spaces. Educators will lead daily programming, facilitate exhibit experiences, and provide excellent customer service.

Must be able to work weekends.

This position is part of the AFSCME Local 397 bargaining unit.

Essential Functions:

• Engage in play with museum visitors.
• Facilitates programs for general museum visitors in the Creative Arts Studio, Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace, Playhouse Theater, and museum exhibits.
• Teaches field trip programs for school groups across a range of academic disciplines.
• Leads special event activities during museum holidays and festivals.
• Provides a regular presence on gallery floor. Up to 80% of work hours will be spent on the museum floor with visitors, with the other 20% of the time spent in an office environment on professional development and administrative tasks.
• Creates a welcoming, hospitable, playful environment for all visitors.
• Attends all Museum Learning and Museum All Staff meetings, training, and professional development sessions. Actively maintains an interest in and contributes to professional learning conversations on current practices, topics, and discussions in Early Childhood and Museum Education in addition to content that is relevant to Please Touch Museum’s exhibits.
• Performs administrative duties including maintaining and responding to email, calendar, shift schedule, and other departmental modes of communication, preparing for facilitation and engagement, routine cleaning of department materials and spaces, and other duties as assigned by management.
• Supports efforts to create spaces conducive to play. Observes the play environment and thoughtfully considers what modifications, if any, are necessary to allow the child and family to play.
• Ensures spaces are cleaned and reset utilizing department standard operating procedures.
• Actively maintains the Food and Family exhibit, including restocking the exhibit during the day.
• Utilizes Museum resources to provide playful learning opportunities when assigned or when appropriate.
• Supports Admissions, Membership, and Visitor Experience teams as needed, including Carousel operations, informing visitors of ticketing and membership opportunities, and assisting in the admissions process.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associates degree and 3 years work experience or bachelor’s degree and 1-3 years work experience required.
• Experience working in a classroom or informal educational setting required; experience in early childhood education strongly preferred.
• Must be able to work weekends.
• Ability to engage children and adults in a welcome, energetic, friendly, outgoing, and professional manner.
• Must be able to interact with all Museum visitors and colleagues effectively and politely.
• Proactively attends to visitors’ needs and concerns with a patient, kind, gentle, and caring manner.
• Must exhibit a mature, flexible, and professional demeanor in both presentation and actions.
• Models best practices in safety when utilizing tools and materials in studio spaces.
• Openness to learning new content and skills outside area of experience and comfort zone.
• Motivated, reflective, self-starter who proactively and frequently debriefs and communicates with colleagues and supervisors about exhibit engagement and facilitation experiences.
• Actively participates as a facilitator and assists in making experiences, events, and programs effective and magical.
• Attention, sensitivity, and care regarding issues of inclusion, equity, and diversity as they pertain to caretakers and children.
• Awareness and implementation of varied instructional strategies to accommodate accessibility needs.
• Ability to comprehend an educational framework and facilitate an event, program, and event accordingly.
• Proficient in Outlook, Word, and Excel. Able to write and respond to professional communications.
• CPR and First Aid training preferred.
• Must have PA Act 153 clearances (PA criminal history, FBI fingerprints, and PA Child Abuse) completed prior to hire.
• All employees are required to have COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 booster, and flu vaccination, as a term and condition of employment.

Physical Requirements and Environment:

The physical demands and environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Must be able to reach with hands and arms.
• Must be able to use hands and fingers continuously.
• Is frequently required to stand and walk; will frequently be required to move from one position to another.
• Ability to walk up and down flights of stairs; and stand for periods of time every day.
• Ability to perform physical requirements of the position, i.e., pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, squatting, kneeling, climbing.
• This job is primarily performed in a visitor-facing environment. The employee must be able to focus on assigned tasks where activity and interruptions are constant and demanding.
• The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate but ongoing, noise level may be overstimulating at times.
• The individual performing this job must be comfortable in an environment where people are coming and going regularly.

The statements in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being executed by the employee assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the position or individual. Other duties may be assigned in addition to those described in this document.

Please Touch Museum offers an excellent work environment, benefit, generous time off package and competitive salary. To apply for this opportunity, please fill out our online application. Should you have questions on the application process or require assistance in completing our application, please email employment@pleasetouchmuseum.org.

It is the policy of Please Touch Museum to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on account of a person’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, family status, veteran status, genetic information, disability or any other protected group or status.

Equal opportunity shall be applied in all aspects of the employment relationship and personnel actions, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, orientation, assignment, employee development, discipline, promotion, demotion, transfer, assignment, separation, pay and compensation, benefits, layoff and recall, granting of and return from leave of absence, training and education, employee facilities, and social programs. Furthermore, all employment decisions, policies, and practices are in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws.