Lead Program Facilitator

Job Description

Job Description

Lead Program Facilitator

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is seeking a Lead Program Facilitator to join our Museum Experience team. This dynamic role facilitates and activates play-based learning programs, experiences, and environments, both onsite at the museum and in school and community settings. Lead Program Facilitators play a leadership role in guiding and catalyzing playful learning across museum programs including exhibits and festivals, school and community programs, and seasonal camps. 

**We are particularly seeking bilingual candidates (fluent in English and Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin) in addition to candidates who are fluent in English and one of those additional specified languages. 

Lead Program Facilitators bring a commitment to catalyzing and guiding playful learning that supports young children and their families to grow and thrive. They lead the activation of the museum floor and exhibits to create memorable and meaningful learning experiences for families with young children through planned and spontaneous playful interactions and games; open-ended questions and conversations that gently guide children’s play and model interactions for parent engagement; sharing information and suggestions with parents to enrich their families’ onsite experience and learning; and guiding Playful Learning Facilitators and Seasonal Playful Learning Assistants in their work to create a warm welcome and meaningful engagement for all visitors. 

This position pays a rate of $27.24**/hour. This is a full-time union position, working 5 days per week onsite at our gorgeous 7.5-acre campus in Sausalito, CA. This position works Sunday-Thursday, with the possibility for one remote day a week. This role spends 95%+ of work time in a public-facing capacity on the museum floor. 

**Bilingual candidates (fluent in English and Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese) will earn $28.24/hour. 

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

Museum Experience Floor, Support and Administration

1. Leads the facilitation of daily museum drop-in onsite programs and such as Story Times, Pop Ups, Exhibit Activations, and Festivals.
2. Participates in the development of, and delivers, special seasonal and year-round programs.
3. Rotates through Museum Exhibits and engages in playful learning experiences with children and families.
4. Facilitates programs in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese, including translation of materials and communication (bilingual staff only).
5. Works in partnership with other Playful Learning Facilitators and the Exhibits and Facilities team, to ensure that indoor and outdoor spaces are set up and maintained to be appealing, clean, and safe for all participants.
6. Leads the daily opening and closing of museum exhibits in a complete and timely manner; Supports with daily closing announcements.
7. Supports exhibits and programs with setup, clean-up and breakdown.
8. Identifies and communicates material needs and exhibit/equipment repairs.
9. Supports with trainings, leads and models programs and exhibit activations for Playful Learning Facilitators and Playful Learning Assistants.
10. Participates in program ideation, prototyping, planning and evaluation, as required.
11. Supports program administration and documentation with tasks such as organization of program supplies, creating program copy for Marketing, creating Program Signage as needed, creating Program Write Ups.
12. Anticipates and problem solves day-of scheduling and other challenges, as appropriate.
13. Supports as Floor Lead for the Museum Experience team one to two times per week.

Child and Adult Education 

1. Works in collaboration with the Child and Adult Education Department to lead the facilitation of Try It Truck Program in schools and community locations. This support takes place about twice a month.
2. Trains to learn how to drive the Try It Truck, the museum’s mobile engineering lab.
3. Motivates and guides playful learning; ensuring learning outcomes are met; activating teacher and parent engagement in the Try It Truck program, as appropriate.
4. Facilitates programs in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese, including translation of materials and communication (bilingual staff only)

Summer Camps

1. Lead Program Facilitators support as one of several Camp Coordinators in the summer. This role supports summer camp leadership and staff, and coordinates program logistics. They are responsible for maintaining a positive and educational environment for campers and camp staff for designated seasonal camp sessions. 
2. Performs administrative duties, such as creating schedule rosters, maintaining inventory and restocking of supplies, preparing materials and other camp tasks. 
3. Supports with camp curriculum development.
4. Assists with camp content training.
5. Supports Senior and Junior Camp Facilitators on breaks and setting up activities. Serves as substitute Camp Facilitator as needed. 
6. Assists with addressing camper behavioral issues. 
7. Oversees and maintains museum supplies, equipment, and facilities. Manages camp lost and found.  
8. Participates in camp drop-off, pick-up, and written and verbal parent/caregiver communication.  
9. Works cooperatively to maintain open lines of communication with parents/caregivers, supervisors, and co-workers.
10. Maintains a fun, positive, and friendly demeanor. Serves as an appropriate and positive role model for all campers, caregivers, and the general public.  

Customer Service 

1. Ensures every visitor and program participant has an enjoyable experience, and feels welcome and taken care of, by providing exceptional customer service and communications centered in empathy, inclusion, and flexibility.
2. Adheres to, communicates, and enforces museum policies and protocols around visitor safety and behavior. 

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS  

• 2+ years of experience working with children ages 0-8 years in formal or informal educational settings. Experience in education, arts education, early childhood education, museum studies, or relevant field preferred.
• Understanding of early childhood development, pedagogy, and developmentally appropriate practice is preferred.
• Ability to speak Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese is a plus. 
• Professional commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion; thoughtful and open about the role of a workplace and a cultural institution in creating a sense of welcome and belonging for staff and visitors. 
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, and troubleshoot in a fast-paced work environment.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, dependability, flexibility, and an outgoing and friendly personality.
• Ability to work with a variety of people from various backgrounds and cultures.
• Comfort speaking in front of large and small groups.
• Ability to perform physical activities such as bending, kneeling, walking, and picking up items for 2-3 hours at a time. Ability to stand for up to 8 hours and carry up to 50 lbs. for short distances/periods. Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying types of weather.
• Must possess current driver’s license, have a clear Motor Vehicle Record, personal car insurance, and reliable access to a car as local travel is required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to perform physical activities such as bending, kneeling, walking, and picking up items for 2-3 hours at a time.  

• Ability to stand for up to 8 hours and carry up to 50 lbs. for short distances/periods.  
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying types of weather. 

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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role is primarily based in our indoor exhibit spaces and indoor office environment with standard office equipment and technology as well as. May work in remote locations, both indoors and outdoors, including travel in a vehicle to and from remote sites. May be exposed to varying types of weather when traveling to and from remote sites. 

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. We encourage those from all backgrounds to apply to allow us to build the most inclusive and creative team possible.  

Please do not remove yourself from contention before you even apply. Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. If much of this job description describes you, then you are highly encouraged to apply.

WHAT WE OFFER

BENEFITS 

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision for employee only premiums 
• Life and long-term disability insurance 
• Paid time off starting at 3 weeks, on an accrual basis.  
• 10 days of sick leave (Five frontloaded, and the other five accrued throughout the year) 
• Nine (9) paid holidays and three (3) floating holidays. 
• Paid parental leave  
• Discounts at museum café and store, and on museum programs 
• All staff celebrations 
• Reciprocal admission benefits at other museums 
• Professional development training 

ABOUT US  

At the Bay Area Discovery Museum, we believe that providing children with the high-quality early learning experiences they need to be successful is the best investment we can make as a society.  

Whether at the Museum, online, or in the community, we provide experiences that spark children’s natural curiosity for the world around them, while building their creative problem-solving skills and STEM content knowledge. Both on-site and off-site, we facilitate research-backed learning experiences that are fun and engaging for children and families. At our one-of-a-kind location at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, this includes hands-on exhibits, rich STEM and art programming, an on-site preschool, and camps and classes. Off-site, our museum educators bring hands-on STEM programming to students and families at schools and libraries in all nine Bay Area counties.  

We believe that these research-backed on-site and off-site experiences should be made available to all children and families and offer a variety of access initiatives toward this goal. We are currently working our way back up to our pre-pandemic numbers: 

• 350,000 visitors each year, including nearly 100,000 with free or reduced admission  
• 10,000 member families   
• 26,000 children through our school and community programs   
• 587 schools and 215 libraries through all nine Bay Area counties   

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is committed to being welcoming and inclusive. We are continuously working toward the goal of reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area both within our organization and with those we serve. 

WHAT WE OFFER  

The Bay Area Discovery Museum offers a high-energy, results-oriented, creative and fun environment. Employees enjoy reciprocal admission benefits at other museums, regular all-staff celebrations, professional development training, and more. All staff members are valued for their contributions toward creating a high-quality experience for visitors, and their work that allows us to achieve our mission.

The museum offers 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance to all full-time employees, as well as generous paid time off starting at three weeks per year. Staff working an average of 20+ hours per week are eligible for many of the same benefit plans on a prorated basis.

In addition, we offer the opportunity for each employee to make a unique impact on more than 350,000 museum visitors each year on-site, and many more in the community through the museum’s research-backed school and community programs.

NOTE TO CANDIDATE 
Due to the sensitivity and requirements of our positions, you should expect to undergo and be cleared of an employment background/criminal check if extended an offer for employment. You may also be asked to provide proof of educational degree(s), licenses, credentials, or vaccinations pertinent to the position.