Employment

Education assistants help present educational programs in the topics of art, architecture, and design for a variety of constituents at the Cranbrook Art Museum. Education Assistants demonstrate excellent presentation, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. Looking for candidates familiar with a range of artmaking, art education, design, and art historical topics; or with previous classroom experience and familiarity with art education pedagogy.

Looking to hire education assistants to help with school groups visiting the museum from December 2022 through May 2023, with the possibility to extend. Working up to 20 hours per week Monday–Friday, approximately 9am–1:30pm, with other education responsibilities as assigned. Schedules will vary and may occasionally include weekend or evening programs.

Rate: $17.43/hour

Working closely with the larger education and visitor experience team, articulate program details based on established program vision; assisting with the development of materials for programs and presentations for groups and museum visitor programs.

Effectively presenting information, working with diverse audiences in an articulate, thoughtful, and enthusiastic manner; adapting programs in response to age, ability, and feedback of participants as well as equipment malfunction, performance reviews, and/or program evaluation.

Explain class material and perform demonstrations as needed for groups of visitors or school groups. Assist visitors or school groups of all ages with learning techniques, including, hands-on interactive projects, or other activities.

Knowledge and Experience: Some college-level studio art, art history, art education, or elementary education courses (a Bachelor’s degree preferred). Great position for students looking for more classroom experience! A minimum of one year of experience teaching a variety of ages is preferred. Positive experience working with children and adults in a public setting, enthusiasm for the subject, and an eagerness to share that enthusiasm with learners of all ages. Looking for candidates with high energy and ease working with school groups and young visitors. Organized and efficient, strong decision-making skills. 

To provide enthusiastic customer service to all museum visitors and constituents (in the galleries and on the grounds), create a welcoming educational environment, ensure protection of works on display in the galleries, and support Visitor Service Supervisor roles and museum operations as necessary.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Welcome and engage Museum visitors and constituents, orientate them to the Museum facility and introduce current exhibitions and programs. This includes visitors to the museum, campus, public programs, and private groups. Look for opportunities for further engagement, exceeding expectations of routine customer service.
• Perform the role of gallery educator circulating through the galleries, engaging visitors in dialogue when appropriate, providing information on exhibitions, artists and campus history, while monitoring of security issues pertaining to the artwork and visitor surroundings. Stay current with changing gallery and exhibition information. Know key talking points about artworks and artists featured in the galleries.
• Go out of your way to be helpful and informative to visitors about facilities at the museum and on campus. This includes institutional history, wayfinding, and information about current and upcoming exhibitions and programming. 
• Must be comfortable standing and walking in the galleries whenever visitors are present during extended shifts.
• Help manage visitor engagement and experience for campus events including openings, receptions, programs, seasonal events, fundraisers, field trips and tours – these duties will vary, with the amount increasing and decreasing seasonally.
• Must be able to perform basic operations through the point of sale at the front desk and perform duties related to shop sales, including the accurate entry of all visitor information and fees collected into the Museum’s admission system.
• Sell museum memberships, process applications, and be knowledgeable about the levels and benefits of membership at the Art Museum and on campus.
• Must be physically able to navigate multiple levels and safely move visitors with handicapped restrictions or strollers into and out of the museum through the elevator.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:  High School Diploma required (BFA or MFA preferred). Customer service experience required. Ability to work with the public, school personnel, students, and volunteers with ease and enthusiasm! Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends. Computer experience required; additional training on specialized software is provided. Ability to manage several projects simultaneously.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Ability to understand, speak, and write in English. Requires excellent interpersonal and telephone skills. Ability to communicate verbally with a diverse population of staff, students, visitors, and external constituencies. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from visiting groups and the general public.

INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT / PROBLEM-SOLVING: Ability to answer inquiries from external customers and disseminate information. Attentive and responsive to a range of visitor needs, adapting to tailored customer service needs. Must have problem-solving skills to deal with emergencies or crises that occur as part of normal museum operations. Must be able to make quick, intelligent decisions that may involve the safety of visitors, staff and art objects.

WORK COMPLEXITY: Day-to-day work varies, depending on exhibition closures and staffing needs; employees should be able to work well when attendance is booming and when it is very slow. Additional duties when assigned can involve office work, cleaning and organization of storage spaces, assisting with educational programming, seasonal events, retail management, and additional reading when applicable to job responsibilities.

CREATIVITY/INNOVATION: Ability to suggest ideas for change that would improve visitor services operations, policies and procedures, including ideas that would improve the integration of visitor services activities into overall museum operations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This position requires patience, versatility, and stamina on the museum floor. Requires extended periods of standing at the admissions desk and entire museum and surrounding grounds. Must be able to have audio and visual command of the museum lobby and surrounding area, including the ability to hear, with or without a hearing aid, sounds and voices within a fifty-foot radius of the reception desk or within the gallery in which the person is stationed. Must be able to operate freight elevators and assist visitors with physical disabilities. Must be able to walk up and down flights of stairs without assistance and help move signage and seasonal set-ups in and out of storage.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is generally performed in a climate-controlled museum environment, with seasonal opportunities outdoors on the museum grounds. Staff needs to be able to assist multiple groups of visitors and activities, which may occur simultaneously.