Museum Interpretive Guide Job Description

Penobscot Marine Museum is seeking Museum Guides for the end of the 2015 season, mid-August to late October. Guides greet visitors, answer questions, monitor museum galleries to ensure the safety of the collection, give tours, and provide a friendly knowledgeable presence in the galleries and on the museum campus; research and prepare interpretive materials; assist with daily museum operations including admissions, museum shop and membership sales, light housekeeping, and opening and closing the museum. Some Guides will work primarily in the Main St Gallery; others will conduct tours of the historic buildings and interact with visitors in the outdoor exhibit areas.

Position Description and Responsibilities include:
• Assist in researching and developing interpretive tours
• Conduct tours through the historic structures
• Prepare supplementary information for distribution to museum visitors
• Assist in creating content for the Museum's website based on tours, artifacts, and hands-on programming
• Participate in formal curriculum-based education programs, informal education programs and presentations tailored to school-age and adult audiences
• Assist with special events and family programs throughout the season. 
• Monitor the visitor experience to meet visitor needs and requests, provide direction, and help visitors have an enjoyable and thoughtful experience
• Resolve visitor issues quickly and effectively, ensuring visitor security and safety
• Take particular care of visitors with special needs (handicap access, etc.). 
• Help maintain clean and organized public spaces and report equipment malfunctions and maintenance needs.

Qualifications
Ideal candidates possess: 
• excellent public speaking skills and a flair for the dramatic 
• mature and outgoing personality; must love talking with people! 
• interest in education, history, or museums 
• outstanding customer service skills 
• ability to work in a fast-paced team environment and manage several tasks simultaneously 
• reliability and professional appearance 

The position requires climbing steep stairs, navigating narrow passageways, opening and closing heavy barn doors, setting up and operating nautical equipment replicas, and working in both indoor and outdoor conditions during the New England spring, summer, and fall. Previous experience in education/interpretation, customer service, or theatre preferred but not required. The position is part time seasonal. The work schedule will vary in accordance with the program schedule and will include weekends and holidays.

PMM is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and celebrating the maritime culture of the Penobscot Bay Region and beyond through collections, education and community engagement. The Museum houses superb collections of marine art, historic boats, scrimshaw, ship models and 19th export items as well as over 100,000 historic photographs. Our seaport village campus comprises a National Register of Historic Places district along with modern purpose-built exhibit and storage facilities. Museum programs take place year round, with the busiest time being mid-May to Mid-October when the campus is open to the public. 


To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three
professional references to, Museum Guide Search, Penobscot Marine Museum, PO Box 498, Searsport, ME 04974 or via email to skettell@pmm-maine.org.