Job Listing: Senior Museum Educator

Town of Wytheville Museums - Wytheville, VA

Closes -  Position is open until filled. Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled or the posting is cancelled. 

Title - Senior Museum Educator 

Compensation - $33,000 to $37,000 DOE DOQ 

Job Type - non-exempt

Apply - Applicants must complete an Employment Application to be considered for a Town job opening. Employment applications are available online at https://www.wytheville.org/docs/general/employment-application.pdf, or by visiting the Lobby of the Town Municipal Building at 150 E. Monroe St., Wytheville, VA. Please submit completed applications via email to: human.resources@wytheville.org, in person, or by USPS mail to: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wytheville, P.O. Box 533, Wytheville, VA 24382. 

Summary - The Senior Museum Educator performs professional, administrative, and technical work in the Department of Museums. Responsible for the management and implementation of the Department’s educational activities for school-aged audiences. 

Responsibilities - 

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. The list that follows is not intended as a comprehensive list; it is intended to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed, and may be required to perform additional, position-specific tasks. • Plans and presents age-appropriate educational activities for school age audiences and families based on the history and material culture of Wythe County and the Appalachian region, and the missions, interpretive themes, and collections of the Town of Wytheville’s Museum facilities.

• Plans and implements heritage-based learning activities that supplement the academic requirements and Virginia Standards of Learning for all grade levels, with emphasis on pre-school through 5th grade, for presentation in the classroom and on-site at the Museums
• Works with Director of Museums to hire, train, and supervise educational staff and volunteers.
• Assists with preparation and dissemination of information on school programs and special events.
• Coordinates and develops programs and prep work during the summer to prepare for the upcoming school year.
• Works with Museum Educator and museum staff on programing, planning and preparation of field trips to the Town of Wytheville’s various museum sites.
• Works as member of museum team to plan and implement special and seasonal events and field trips including May Day activities, annual Christmas activities, summer camps and other similar activities. 
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with Wythe County school administrators and teachers, members of the Wythe County School Board and Board of Supervisors and local civic organizations to promote the Museums’ school programs, and exhibitions and foster financial and volunteer support.
• Maintains data on the numbers of students served and programs presented and provides regular reports to the Director.
• Participates in the preparation of the annual operating budget for the educational operations of the Department of Museums.
• Assists with the presentation of group tours and special events as needed. 

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 
Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, public history, or related subject.
• Experience working in a classroom setting.
• Must possess a valid Driver’s License and maintain driver’s license in good standing at all times.

Preferred:

• State of Virginia Teachers License knowledge of State of Virginia Standards of Learning requirements. Experience supervising professional and volunteer staff.
• Experience conducting research and developing museum exhibitions. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally, in writing, and through digital media with audiences of all ages and learning styles.
• Knowledge of the cultural heritage of Wythe County and the collections of the Town of Wytheville Museums and the Wythe County Historical Society.
• Familiarity with the Virginia Standards of Learning and the ability to correlate them with the collections of the Museums and the educational needs of school-age audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills and the ability to represent the Museums in a professional manner.
• Ability to perform successfully both as a member of a team and on an individual basis.
• Ability to maintain priorities and meet department deadlines on a consistent basis.
• Ability to assist with cleaning, transporting, setting up, and taking down displays and equipment required for educational programs and living history presentations.
• Knowledge of the Wythe County school system and individual schools and the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with Wythe County school personnel.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED: General office supplies such as a personal computer, phone, fax machines, and copy machines as well as a variety of classroom focused arts and craft supplies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: 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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk, use hands to grip, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls and to reach with hands and arms. The employee must be able to walk up and down steps, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment: The work environment can vary depending on the location of the educational program such as a variety of schools throughout Wythe and surrounding counties. The work environment is typically indoors and can range from moderately quiet to loud.