Museum Educator

Position: Museum Educator
Reports To: Museum Director
Interpretive Oversight: Site Historian
Format: Fully onsite

The Museum Educator leads tours and facilitates educational programs and activities that connect visitors with the historic house, its collections, and exhibitions. Through thoughtful interpretation and audience engagement, the educator helps visitors explore the many histories represented at the site.

Responsibilities:

1. Tours: Giving regular tours of the historic house museum and its grounds
2. Delivering Educational Programs: Coordinating and delivering various educational programs tailored to different age groups and audience types, including K-12 school groups, college classes, families, adults, and community organizations.  
3. Visitor Engagement: Engaging with visitors to facilitate learning and communicate the museum’s educational mission. This includes processing admissions, museum shop sales, and answering questions about the museum’s programs, collections, and exhibitions in person and on the phone.
4. Public programs and events support: participating in the implementation, setup, and breakdown of public programs and events. 
5. Research and Interpretation support: supporting the Museum Director and Site Historian with research and interpretation projects and initiatives. 
6. Opening and closing the museum as needed. 
7. Other duties as assigned. 

Physical Requirements

This role requires the ability to move throughout a historic building, including climbing stairs, and to lift and carry materials weighing up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

Qualifications:

Required

• At least one year of experience teaching or delivering educational programs in a museum, classroom, or other learning environment.
• Basic familiarity with American history and/or an understanding of how history is interpreted and presented in museums or other public settings.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Adaptability to a wide range of audiences, age ranges and learning styles
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently
• Commitment to inclusive, accessible, and community-centered engagement practices
• Availability to work consistent weekends and occasional evenings 

Preferred

• Fluency in Spanish or other languages commonly spoken in New York City is preferred
• Familiarity with the historical period interpreted by the museum, particularly 1748–1823, and the wider historical context spanning the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries.
• A degree or current study in education, museum studies, African American studies, public history, history, art history, or a related field

Hours and Compensation

This is a part-time, hourly, non-exempt position at $20–$22/ per hour depending on experience. 

Schedule: Part-time position with a consistent weekly schedule that includes one weekday morning (9:00 AM–1:00 PM) and Saturdays (10:30 AM–4:00 PM), plus every other Sunday (10:30 AM–4:00 PM). Additional availability is required for occasional evening or weekend programs.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter in a single combined PDF to: [email protected]. 

Van Cortlandt House Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. If you require accommodations as part of the interview process, please contact [email protected].

Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications. This position is at-will and does not constitute a contract of employment.