Museum Visitor Services Assistant -Pennsylvania Lumber Museum,Potter County, PAJob Description:The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates (PALMA) are seeking a Museum Visitor Services Assistant (MVSA) to work with other museum staff and volunteers in providing a high-quality, entertaining, and educational experience to our audience. The MVSA will help with tours and events, process admissions, and represent the museum at off-site outreach activities. PALMA is a 1,000+ member 501(C)3 non-profit organization that supports the operation of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).The MVSA will work at the direction of museum Site Administrator. The MVSA is a front-line staff person who works directly with museum visitors to provide tours, help with events, process admissions, and promote the site during remote outreach activities. The MVSA also conducts light housekeeping and opening/closing duties to ensure the cleanliness and enjoyability of the museum for visitors. The MVSA may help to recruit, train, and assign museum volunteers, and assist PALMA in its advertising, public relations, and communications.Well-qualified applicants should have experience in one or more of the following areas: customer service, education, communications, history, and/or public relations. Applicants should also have excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills and a strong background and interest in lumber & forest history. Experience in computing and design software is a plus. Educational and classroom experience and familiarity with State of PA Core Curriculum Content Standards is also highly desirable, as is experience in marketing and advertising.Work location:The MVSA will work on-site at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in both indoor and outdoor settings. Off-site outreach programming will occasionally be required and may be administered independently. Candidates will be expected to lift objects up to 30 lbs. and be able to walk around the museum property for distances of up to 2 miles.Schedule:This is a seasonal, part-time, hourly position for a maximum of 28 hours/week; Saturday/Sunday weekend hours will be required. The term of employment for this seasonal position will last from May until October; Employees that leave the position in good standing at the end of the term in October may be eligible for automatic recall the following May (no need to re-apply). The preferred weekly schedule for this position will be 7 hours daily, Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a half-hour unpaid lunch break each day. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, starting at no less than $17.00/ hour. Opportunities for pay increases will be associated with positive employee performance reviews as conducted by the PALMA personnel committee.Minimum Requirements:
Experience working with the public providing customer service, preferably in a museum or educational setting.
Experience in presenting tours and programming for youth, family, and/or intergenerational groups, preferably in a museum or educational setting.
Experience in the recruitment, training, and coordination of volunteer employees, preferably in a museum or educational setting.
Experience in creating promotional, advertising, public outreach, and member engagement materials, preferably in a museum or educational setting.
As there are no public transportation options available to reach the museum, the applicant must have and maintain a valid driver's license or have another reliable means of transportation to the site.
The selected candidate will be asked to complete a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check; Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance; and an FBI Criminal History Clearance.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Report to the museum (or, outreach loca ion) for work as scheduled. The work schedule for the MVSA will be created and agreed upon by the employee and the Site Administrator.
Follow instructions and complete assignments timely and correctly with minimal supervision.
Work with other staff and volunteers to ensure a positive and meaningful experience for all museum visitors, following the museum's Diversity, Access, Equity and Inclusion Policy. Communicate with visitors and colleagues effectively, tactfully, and courteously.
Assist other museum staff with daily site opening, closing, and inspection routines.
Provide guided tours of the museum to walk-in visitors and scheduled groups. Be adept at tailoring the content of a tour to the composition/ needs of the visitor group.
Participate in museum educational programming and special events, including off-site outreach events. Help to present demonstrations and other hands-on activities.
Assist with the preparations and set-up before, and the clean-up and evaluations after museum educational programming and special events.
Work in conjunction with other museum staff on appointed tasks that will benefit the museum visitor experience, as assigned, using effective written and verbal communication skills.
Learn and use the museum Point-of-Sale systems to process visitor admissions and assist with gift shop sales.
Work with museum staff and volunteers to review and evaluate existing marketing and outreach initiatives, and to create new advertising, promotion, communication, and partnership materials.
Complement the efforts of other staff on museum digital outreach initiatives (i.e. web site, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
Assist other museum staff and volunteers with tasks regarding PALMA membership, development, and volunteer recruitment and coordination activities. Provide assistance to the PALMA gift shop staff as needed.
Conduct periodic light housekeeping activities like dusting, cleaning glass doors & windows, and vacuuming.
Assist other museum staff when help is needed with other duties as assigned.
https://lumbermuseum.org/our-team/