The Role
Leads art-based, inquiry-driven educational programs for youth, families, school groups, and community partners across Frick Pittsburgh museums and outreach sites. Prepares tours, lesson plans, art projects, and materials; mentors educators; coordinates partner programs; welcomes visitors; and supports events. Requires extensive museum training, flexible teaching, strong communication, adaptability, physical stamina, and background clearances.
Summary Generated by Built In
Lead Museum Educator
As members of the Learning and Visitor Experience department, the lead museum educator position is responsible for facilitating high-quality, engaging, typically art-based educational experiences for students, young learners and families in the Frick Pittsburgh’s three museums, greenhouse, and grounds, as well as offsite through outreach programming. In addition to the standard responsibilities of all museum educators, the lead museum educator takes on additional responsibilities in preparing hands-on activities and art projects for programs, making on-the-ground adjustments as needed, and working with the Assistant Manager and Manager of Youth & Family Programs on program development.
This is a United Steelworkers represented position.
Must have a commitment to fostering a workplace culture of equity and inclusion.
Reports to: Manager of Youth & Family Programs
Hours: Mainly Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., occasional additional weekend and evening work required. Guaranteed 15-20 hours a week on average; must be available to work a minimum of 15 hours including two programs per week
Status: This is a non-exempt, part-time position.
Hourly Rate: $19.05/hour
Process: Candidates are initially hired as educator trainees. Pending completion of the training course and performance evaluation, trainees will then become Frick employees as part of the education corps.
Responsibilities:
(40%) Serve as the day-of lead educator facilitating hands-on, inquiry-based programs for youth audiences in the three museums, greenhouse and grounds at The Frick Pittsburgh.
- As trainings are scheduled, attend and complete museum educator trainings for all three museums: The Frick Art Museum (FAM), Clayton and the Car & Carriage Museum (CCM). Educator trainees will undertake one museum training at a time.
- Upon completion of training, lead accurate, inquiry-based, age-appropriate tours of each museum for youth and family groups alongside other museum educators.
- Individualize each program, as instructed by the Manager of Youth and Family Programs and as dictated by school curriculum, teacher request, and/or student needs and abilities
- Learn the format and content of new tours and workshops as they are developed. Attend all on-going training sessions and meetings.
- Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to each teaching session to prepare for the program. Lead the pre-program touch-base meeting and review that day’s format and content with scheduled L&VE staff and other Frick educators
- Serve as the point of contact for visiting groups upon bus arrival; greet and welcome groups as they arrive according to established guidelines
- Stay at least 30 minutes after the conclusion of the program to discuss any significant events in that particular program, clean up as needed, and touch base with the Assistant Manager/Manager of Youth and Family Programs to review the program’s successes and challenges.
- Offer support and mentorship to new and developing museum educators.
(20%) Serve as the program lead for selected community partner programs
- Under the direction of the Manager of Youth and Family Programs and in consultation with the Assistant Manager of Youth and Family Programs, execute the learning goals of the assigned community partnership
- Coordinate and facilitate community partner projects with internal and external collaborators, as directed, including coordinating schedules and program logistics.
- Work all programs and outreaches related to the assigned partnership to serve as a consistent, reliable fixture for the partnership’s participating students.
- Provide details and feedback to the Manager of Youth and Family Programs, as needed, to incorporate into grant applications and reports related to funding support for specific community partnerships.
(15%) Represent the Frick Pittsburgh and its education programming, both onsite and in the community
- Represent the Frick Pittsburgh at community outreach events and programs at partner organization sites within the Pittsburgh area and serve as a reliable day-of resource for other Frick museum educators working the event.
- Work assigned duties for special events, such as admission check-in, visitor greeting, and activity tables
- In the absence of the Manager of Youth and Family Programs and/or the Assistant Manager of Youth and Family Programs, take on the responsibility of ensuring that education department offerings, both onsite and at outreaches, operate smoothly.
- As needed, present accurate, high-quality outreach talks on various topics related to the Frick Pittsburgh and its history while out in the community.
(15%) Create and lead interactive art and hands-on activities for school groups, scouts, and intergenerational families.
- Under the direction of the Manager of Youth and Family Programs and/or the Assistant Manager of Youth and Family programs, develop art projects and hands-on activities for assigned programs.
- Understand the learning goals of individual programs and determine age-appropriate activities and projects that support museum gallery experiences.
- Instruct other museum educators and arts facilitators in how to facilitate art making and hands-on activities.
- Work closely with museum educators and art facilitators to ensure a high-quality, engaging experience for visitors of all ages participating in art making and hands-on activities.
- Create and maintain detailed, accurate lesson plans for art projects and hands-on activities facilitated by museum educators.
(10%) Maintain and prepare materials for scheduled programs.
- Keep track of and organize art supplies, reporting the need for more to the Manager of Youth & Family Programs in a timely manner.
- Ensure all materials for workshops, field trips, and onsite activities are prepared and organized prior to groups’ arrival or the start of the event.
- Other duties as assigned by management.
Qualifications:
- Committed to fostering a workplace of inclusion and belonging
- Prior experience working in the education field, either in formal education spaces or informally in museums, and/or a background in art or arts facilitation is a plus
- Possess a flexible teaching style and a demonstrated ability to teach children of varying ages, abilities, learning styles, and backgrounds.
- Strong problem-solving abilities and the ability to adapt to changing situations in real time
- Engaging speaker with enthusiasm, energy, flexibility and adaptability who enjoys working collaboratively
- Professional, reliable, punctual and willing to work a flexible schedule. Although scheduling is flexible, ideal candidates should be looking for consistent, year-round work and must provide a minimum amount of availability per month.
- Strong interest in art and history with a desire to share that interest with young visitors
- Ability to address sensitive subject matter and potentially challenging interactions with empathy.
- Ability to operate with little direct supervision to create exceptional, youth-centered educational experiences
- Must have the stamina to lead tours for 2-4 hours at a time; candidates must feel confident ascending/descending stairs daily and feel comfortable standing for long periods of time. Candidates must be prepared to work in all weather conditions and be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
- Act 33/34 clearance
- Clearance of a criminal background check and FBI fingerprinting
Training Requirements:
Successful candidates must commit to learning a large amount of information in a relatively short time and possess the initiative to complete large portions of training on their own.
- Educator trainees will train for one museum at a time and must successfully complete the current museum training before starting the next.
- Training consists of readings, self-directed learning, and weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with other trainees and interpretive staff.
- Trainees will be paid for all in-person training meetings and for 5-10 hours per week of self-directed training time for a maximum of 6 weeks, per museum training.
- Candidates that meet all training requirements will be required to lead a sample tour (referred to as a clearing tour) for management and will be evaluated on their skills. Successful candidates will be cleared to begin giving tours to the public. Museum educators must complete a clearing tour for all three museums.
- Trainees who are unable to complete any of the three clearing tours to the satisfaction of management after two (2) attempts will be dismissed from the educator position and will no longer be employees of The Frick Pittsburgh.
The Frick Pittsburgh is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a workplace culture of accessibility, inclusion, diversity, and racial equity and urges qualified diverse applicants to apply.
For more information and to view all of our employment opportunities, please visit our website at: https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/employment
Skills Required
- Commitment to fostering inclusion, belonging, accessibility, diversity, and racial equity
- Prior education, museum, arts facilitation, or formal/informal teaching experience
- Flexible teaching style for children of varying ages, abilities, learning styles, and backgrounds
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to adapt in real time
- Engaging communication and collaborative working style
- Professionalism, reliability, punctuality, and willingness to work a flexible schedule
- Strong interest in art and history
- Ability to address sensitive subject matter empathetically
- Ability to work independently with limited supervision
- Ability to lead tours for 2-4 hours, stand for extended periods, use stairs daily, work in all weather, and lift up to 50 pounds
- Act 33/34 clearance
- Criminal background check and FBI fingerprinting clearance
- Completion of training and successful clearing tours for all three museums
- Minimum availability of 15 hours per week, including two programs per week
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The Company
What We Do
The Frick Pittsburgh is a complex of museums and historical buildings located on an estate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formed around the collections of Helen Clay Frick. It features museums, historical buildings, gardens, and offers tours and exhibitions related to art and history.
