Position Overview:

The Assistant Visitor Services Manager (AVSM), Education is a key member of the Visitor Services team, which is responsible for providing a welcoming, engaging, friendly and safe experience for visitors. Under the supervision of the Director of Visitor Services and Public Programs and Visitor Services Operations Manager, the AVSM, Education supports interpretive and manages educational efforts at the organization.

Essential Job Functions:

Education

• Develop, coordinate, schedule, oversee, and assess existing Hand-on History, educational programs (both for school and general school-aged visitors), and scavenger hunts. This includes but is not limited to ordering and managing the inventory of materials, training interpretive staff on program execution, managing the educational program calendar, making changes to programs based on feedback and industry best practices.
• Propose new educational programming and other educational activities. Develop, coordinate, schedule, oversee, and assess approved programming. This includes but is not limited to ordering and managing the inventory of materials, training interpretive staff on program execution, managing the educational program calendar, making changes to programs based on feedback and industry best practices.
• Serve as point of contact for those seeking to book an Educational Program for a school or school-age group; schedule, collect payment, and identify and arrange for communicate staffing.
• Compile and correspond with contacts from local and regional schools, day programs, and homeschool associations in order to market programs and gain insight into school needs as part of program development.
• Cooperate with Marketing Department on promotion of all educational programming and website updates.
• Attend and contribute to the Interpretive Planning Committee meetings, focusing on children’s programming.

Visitor Services and Management

• Generate Visitor Services work schedule and release on promised dates for Historic Interpreters, Museum Store Associates, and Admissions Associates. This includes communicating and changes made to released schedules, coordinating with the availability of a high of about 50 staff members, coordinating with Group Sales for additional tours in the given time period, and understanding the variation in staffing needs across the seasons.
• Serve as Manager on Duty several shifts a week (varies by season).
• Support site interpretive efforts and special programming at The House of the Seven Gables in accordance with organization standards and guidelines. This includes but is not limited to delivering guided tours of the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion and the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace; leading students in educational programs; engaging visitors in hands-on activities; supporting admissions and the museum store; and performing ambassador duties.
• Cross train in other departments, such as admissions and the store. Provide coverage as needed for call outs, vacation, and other extraneous circumstances.
• Support the quality-control monitoring of admissions, store and interpretive staff to ensure consistency in the visitor experience. Diplomatically and professionally assist staff experiencing difficulties. Respectfully provide constructive suggestions and feedback as needed. Inform management of personnel issues that need to be addressed.
• Attend required meetings and training classes.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including assisting other departments with projects or tasks.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Will require several weekly shifts as Manager on Duty, where responsible for managing issues that might arise with admissions, the store, or interpreters.
• May require limited, short-term supervisory responsibility regarding operations and/or ongoing projects or in the absence of Visitor Operation Manager.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Constant use of speech, hearing and sight abilities.
• Must be able to climb stairs (including the secret stairway) and stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to have continuous dialog for long periods of time.
• Must be comfortable in small, crowded spaces.
• Must be able to work indoors and outdoors in most weather conditions.
  May need to kneel, bend, crouch, reach or stretch to perform daily tasks.
• Must be able to lift up to 30lbs.
• Must comply with department dress code and meet established grooming and hygiene standards.

The House of the Seven Gables is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized because of such a request.

Preparation, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• 2-5 years’ experience in education and/or educational program development.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred; studies relating to education or public history preferred.
• Successful completion of on-the-job training.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to speak comfortably and project clearly in public.
• Ability to take direction easily and adjust to changing circumstances quickly.
• Ability to deal effectively and courteously with the public and other staff members.
• Must be visitor focused.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Proficiency with Blackbaud Altru or another point-of-sale system required (training provided).
• Proficiency with Woo Commerce or other ecommerce platforms (training provided).

The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1910 by activist Caroline Osgood Emmerton. Our founder envisioned an organization that would preserve and interpret Salem’s history while also providing needed support and services to local immigrant communities. We honor her vision today by preserving the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion—famous worldwide as the House of the Seven Gables—as the centerpiece of a National Historic Landmark Site that attracts nearly 120,000 visitors each year. We also offer Citizenship and English as a Second Language classes, as well as a broad range of programming encouraging engagement with contemporary social justice issues. Our mission is to be a welcoming, thriving historic site and community resource that engages people of all backgrounds in our inclusive American story. Our vision is to preserve, share, and continue the American story. 

The House of the Seven Gables is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity. We seek to build and retain a diverse and inclusive staff, and we encourage applications from candidates with a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds.