Entry Level Museum Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

POSITION SUMMARY

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is seeking a Playful Program Assistant to join our Learning & Museum Experience team! This position plays an essential role in providing a memorable, engaging, welcoming, and safe experience for all visitors of the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

The Playful Program Assistant primarily facilitates educational programs during special events such as Birthday Parties and Festivals, as well as supports open-ended playful learning experiences for young children in our exhibits.

Playful Program Assistants bring an interest in and commitment to learning, and a love for shaping the growth and development of young children (0-8yrs) and their caregivers. The Assistant role is a wonderful way to explore the fields of museum education and early childhood education.

This entry-level position pays a rate of $21.74/hour**. This is a part-time role averaging 16 hours a week, and requires weekend availability (Saturday and Sunday), onsite at our gorgeous 7.5-acre campus in Sausalito, CA. This position also includes an hour of paid time to check emails during the week (preferably Fridays) to remain up to date of upcoming weekend programming. This position is predominantly a public facing role.

**Bilingual candidates (fluent in English and Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese) will earn $22.74/hour.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Learning and Program Support

1. Facilitates educational programming during special events such as Birthday Parties and Festivals.
2. Supports playful learning for young children and their caregivers through activating museum exhibits spaces.

Administrative Support

1. Supports museum opening and closing routines and protocols.
2. Ensures all indoor and outdoor learning environments are clean, tidy, and well-stocked with materials, props, and tools during the day.
3. Executes setup and cleanup for programs and festivals.
4. Organizes, prepares, and completes inventory for program materials and supplies as needed.
5. Documents and communicates repair, maintenance, and material supply issues to appropriate staff members.
6. Supports visitors in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese, including translation of materials and communication (bilingual staff only). 

Customer Service

1. Ensures every visitor has an enjoyable and safe experience, feels welcome and taken care of, by providing exceptional customer service and communication centered in empathy, inclusion, and flexibility.
2. Orients families and groups to the campus, programs, and activities; answers questions.
3. Adheres to, communicates, and enforces museum policies and protocols around visitor safety

Additional duties as assigned.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Interest in working with young children 0-8 years and their families.
• Ability to speak Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese is a plus.     
• Professional commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion; thoughtful and open about the role of a workplace and a cultural institution in creating a sense of welcome and belonging for staff and visitors.  
• Must be positive, friendly, playful and curious with an ability to work with a variety of people from various backgrounds and cultures.    
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.    
• Capable of speaking in front of small groups of visitors.     
• Must have excellent problem-solving skills, be dependable, helpful, and adaptable.   
• Flexibility to adjust schedule and work alternate days or hours is a plus depending on programming and other staffing needs.  
• A reliable source of transportation is required.   

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Ability to perform physical activities such as bending, kneeling, walking, and picking up items for 2-3 hours at a time.  
• Ability to stand for up to 8 hours and carry up to 50 lbs. for short distances/periods.  
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying types of weather. 

The physical demands 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. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role is primarily based in our indoor exhibit spaces, with occasional outdoor programming onsite at the museum. This role may be exposed to varying types of weather while working on the museum floor.

ABOUT US

At the Bay Area Discovery Museum, we believe that providing children with the high-quality early learning experiences they need to be successful is the best investment we can make as a society.

Whether at the Museum, online, or in the community, we provide experiences that spark children’s natural curiosity for the world around them, while building their creative problem-solving skills and STEM content knowledge. Both on-site and off-site, we facilitate research-backed learning experiences that are fun and engaging for children and families. At our one-of-a-kind location at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, this includes hands-on exhibits, rich STEM and art programming, an on-site preschool, and camps and classes. Off-site, our museum educators bring hands-on STEM programming to students and families at schools and libraries in all nine Bay Area counties.

We believe that these research-backed on-site and off-site experiences should be made available to all children and families and offer a variety of access initiatives toward this goal. We are currently working our way back up to our pre-pandemic numbers:

• 350,000 visitors each year, including nearly 100,000 with free or reduced admission
• 10,000 member families
• 26,000 children through our school and community programs
• 587 schools and 215 libraries through all nine Bay Area counties

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is committed to being welcoming and inclusive. We are continuously working toward the goal of reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area both within our organization and with those we serve.

NOTE TO CANDIDATE

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. We encourage those from all backgrounds to apply to allow us to build the most inclusive and creative team possible.

Please do not remove yourself from contention before you even apply. Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. If much of this job description describes you, then you are highly encouraged to apply.

Due to the sensitivity and requirements of our positions, you should expect to undergo and be cleared of an employment background/criminal check if extended an offer for employment. You may also be asked to provide proof of educational degree(s), licenses, credentials, or vaccinations pertinent to the position.