Job Listing: Educator - Guston Hall

Gunston Hall - Mason Neck, VA

Closes - open until filled

Job Title - Educator

Compensation - $15-17, depending on qualifications 

Position Type - full-time; non-exempt

Apply - To apply please send a letter of interest, resume, and application to Lacey Villiva, Education Manager, at lvilliva@gunstonhall.org. The application can be found at this link. 

Summary - As an educator at Gunston Hall, you will create meaningful visitor experiences through personalized tours and family-focused public programs. You will divide your time between the visitor center and the 18th-century historic house.

Educators are part of a highly collaborative, energetic staff dedicated to the power of place, historical objects, and storytelling for visitors of all ages. Once a site of slavery, Gunston Hall is now a museum dedicated to telling the stories of all the people who lived on the 18th-century plantation, including enslaved women, men, and children, indentured workers, and George Mason, one of the leaders of the Revolution and new nation. Educators invite visitors to explore the past to better understand the ideas and contradictions that formed our nation. 

Job Responsibilities - 

Educators:

• foster a welcoming environment
• use their creativity to lead distinctive tours that are accurate and engaging for visitors of all ages
• facilitate informal learning experiences, including during public programs and special events
• assist with the development of and preparation for public programs and special events
• participate in a variety of activities that support educational initiatives, including conducting historical research, writing social media posts, creating pre- and post-visit materials for teachers
• promote and relay accurate information about planned programs and events
• provide support for volunteer-run school programs
• take a positive and problem-solving approach to the daily challenges that arise in a visitor-centered organization
• take the lead on opening museum buildings, and provide access for part-time staff members, on weekends and holidays
• serve as a point of contact between staff on-site and supervisors if no supervisors are present
• monitor the museum exhibitions in the visitor center, period room installations in the mansion, and reproduction outbuildings
• interact with visitors throughout their time on the property
• answer telephones
• schedule tours and special events
• keep accurate records, including admissions records
• reconcile cash and charge receipts
• support other projects related to Gunston Hall’s educational mission.

Qualifications - 

An ideal candidate will be interested in history, solution-oriented, detail-oriented, able to adapt to changing circumstances, and committed to serving as an effective ambassador for Gunston Hall and its content, whether the candidate is working with teachers, students, program attendees, museum visitors, or other members of the general public. The candidate will be dedicated to ongoing learning. Furthermore, an ideal candidate will excel at thinking creatively about how to convey historical material in ways that reach diverse audiences. This position reports to the Education Manager.

It requires: 

• excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with people of different backgrounds and ages
• excellent customer service skills
• commitment to telling stories from multiple perspectives and to talking about difficult subjects
• responsibility and trustworthiness
• knowledge of basic office procedures
• ability to read and write the English language and to understand, follow, and give oral instructions
• knowledge of computers, telephone systems, audio-visual equipment, and cash registers
• ability to reconcile cash and credit card receipts
• ability to maintain an electronic calendar in order to schedule events
• exhibition of professional manner and dress at all times
• ability to multi-task
• ability to work both outside and inside
• ability to lift up to 25 pounds. 

Gunston Hall is an equal opportunity employer.