Description

The Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum on the Bowdoin College campus seeks a welcoming and organized professional to lead front-line visitor services and educational outreach. The person in this multifaceted role is responsible for managing the museum’s reception desk and retail shop accounts, coordinating K–12 school tours and community visits, and supporting docent training. The Coordinator also supervises casual staff and student employees, ensuring a high-quality visitor experience. In collaboration with the Curator and Director, the role develops and delivers creative, family-oriented programs that connect diverse audiences to the Arctic’s rich cultural and scientific heritage.

Essential Functions:

• Reception desk duties – Opens and closes the receptionist desk and museum shop promptly on a pre-determined schedule. Greets visitors and briefly orients them to the Museum exhibits and programs. Maintains daily a record of museum attendance and program attendance. Supervises work-study students and casual workers working as receptionists and tour guides. Coordinates opening and closing activities with Security Officers. Compiles monthly and end of the year fiscal reports. Answers reception desk telephone.
• Education outreach duties – Manages the museum’s K-12 school tour program by encouraging, facilitating, and scheduling school groups’ tours of the Arctic Museum’s exhibitions. In consultation with the Curator and Director, develops educational outreach materials available in the museum and on the museum’s website, and develops and oversees special programs for families .
• Museum shop duties – Identifies products appropriate for sale in the museum shop. Orders merchandise for the shop, tracks invoices, maintains shop expense and income records. Keeps the museum shop stocked and in good order. Handles cash, checks, and credit card receipts related to the sale of items in the shop, donations in the donation box, and photo orders. Makes deposits having reconciled shop accounts, prepares monthly and annual budget reports.
• Supervisory duties – Train, hire, onboard, and oversee work study students and casual employees (receptionists and docents).

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Excellent verbal, and written communication skills
• Multi-tasking and problem-solving skills in a busy front desk setting
• Ability to interact with a diverse audience.
• Ability to create engaging educational outreach materials and programming for a wide range of age groups
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• A minimum of two years of experience as a museum outreach worker; shop manager, receptionist/secretary, or teacher/educator.
• Knowledge of K-12 education theory and interpretive techniques applicable in a museum setting.
• Knowledge of anthropology, history, art history, education, environmental studies, or Arctic Studies. Knowledge of best practices in retail management.