Working at The Discovery Museums

Laughter, Silliness and Science…Want To Work Here?

The Discovery Museums offers a creative, fun, and flexible work environment and would value you as part of our organization. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Employment at The Discovery Museums

Employment Application

Traveling Science Instructor

Description: The Discovery Museums’ Traveling Science Workshops program is growing! We are looking to add exceptional educators to our talented team of instructors who bring unique, hands-on learning experiences to elementary and middle school classrooms throughout Eastern MA, Southern NH, and Northern RI. Schedules are flexible and family friendly offering 1 to 3 days/week during school hours. Applicants must be experienced professionals, highly organized, flexible, energetic, enthusiastic about learning and working with children, and own a reliable car.

How to apply: Send resume and cover letter to Traveling Science Workshops, Discovery Museums, 177 Main St. Acton, MA 01720 or as an MS Word attachment to jfoster@discoverymuseums.org, stating the title of the job in the subject line. No phone calls please. The Discovery Museums are an Equal Opportunity Employer by choice. The Discovery Museums require all employees and volunteers who work with children to be CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) checked. Please understand that your offer of employment with The Discovery Museums is contingent upon satisfactory results of the check.

Development Associate (Interim)

Description: We have a great opportunity to work in our busy and fun development department. We are looking for someone to oversee the day to day responsibilities of our annual giving program, gift acknowledgement, and assist with special events while our Development Associate is on leave of absence through August 31, 2012. The position reports to the Director of Development and is 24 hours/week. Bachelor’s degree and 2-4 years working experience in a setting which requires well-developed organization skills and very strong database skills. Must have computer skills to manipulate and update databases. Excellent planning skills, interpersonal, organizational, writing, and computer skills required. Previous development experience is desirable. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule for periodic special events.

How to apply: If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to Claudia Veitch, Director of Development, The Discovery Museums, 177 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720 or cveitch@discoverymuseums.org

On-Line Auction Coordinator

Description: We seek someone to coordinate the day to day duties and tracking for our November 2012 on-line auction via Bidding for Good. Duties include writing descriptions for items, collecting logos and graphics, uploading onto the auction pages, and interacting with Auction Committee members and auction participants. Answer auction bidder and auction donor questions. Ensure that we have received all items prior to the auction. Coordinate auction item fulfillment. In spring/summer it will require 1-3 hours of work/week. In September that will increase to 3-6 hours week especially in October-early December.

Explorer (part-time)

Description: Make someone’s visit memorable and fun! Explorers engage visitors with our hands-on exhibits and dynamic programs as well as help maintain a friendly, safe, and clean exhibit floor. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who have excellent communication skills, exceptional customer service skills, the ability to work with young children and adults in a fun, fast-paced environment.
Qualifications: We look for a minimum commitment of three months, weekday and weekend availability, 6.5-15 hours per week. Physical Requirements: Must be able to stand for four hours at a time, and be comfortable stooping, kneeling, and crouching. Primarily seeking explorers for Tuesday - Friday morning/early afternoon shifts, may require weekend and evening availability.

Hourly pay: $8/hour

How to Apply: Kindly submit an employment application (linked above) along with your resume and cover letter as an MS Word attachment to lskorczeski@discoverymuseums.org, stating the title of the job in the subject line. No phone calls please. The Discovery Museums are an Equal Opportunity Employer by choice. The Discovery Museums require all employees and volunteers who work with children to be CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) checked. Please understand that your offer of employment with The Discovery Museums is contingent upon satisfactory results of the check.

Internships at The Discovery Museums

Marketing Internship (Unpaid)

The Discovery Museums seek an intern to assist the Marketing department with day-to-day activities. This unpaid position will provide hands-on, real-world experience in the areas of non-profit public relations, promotions, advertising, collateral, project management, research, sponsorship and website maintenance. Please click here for full job description and information on how to apply.

Early Childhood Education Internship (Unpaid)

Responsible for working in the children's building interacting with families on the exhibit floor, modeling staff-visitor interactions for high school Explorers, developing and facilitating public programs, and facilitating programs at off-site community events. This internship is 8-16 hours/week for 10-12 weeks and the individual must attend a staff training scheduled in June. Applicants must be undergrad or graduate students or career changes with an interest and/or background in education, museum studies, or early childhood. To apply, please e-mail a cover letter, resume, and three references to Amy Spencer, Director of Early Childhood Education & Parent Resources, at aspencer@discoverymuseums.org.

Parent Resources Internship (Unpaid)

Responsible for researching online content and videos, adapting existing educational resources for online dissemination, and creating web pages in support of the development of a Parent Resources section on The Discovery Museums' website and a YouTube Channel for the organization. This internship is 8-16 hours/week for 10-12 weeks. For the right candidate, this position could be accomplished off-site with periodic on-site meetings. Familiarity with Drupal preferred. Applicants must be undergrad or graduate students or career changers with an interest and/or background in education, museum studies, or early childhood. To apply, please e-mail a cover letter, resume, and three references to Amy Spencer, Director of Early Childhood Education & Parent Resources, at aspencer@discoverymuseums.org.

Volunteering at The Discovery Museums

Are you a retired teacher, a parent with kids in school in the morning or a student who loves exploring with children and their caregivers? Consider volunteering at The Discovery Museums. If you enjoy helping others and seeing a child smile, please contact us!

Volunteer Application

Clerical/Bookkeeping Volunteer

We are looking for a volunteer to help out with some clerical/bookkeeping work--a great opportunity to learn some basics of QuickBooks accounting software. About 3 hours a week. If interested, please respond via email only to kkatti@discoverymuseums.org.

Explorer Accepting applicants for Fall, Winter, & Spring 2011-2012!

Make someone’s visit memorable and fun! Explorers engage visitors with our hands-on exhibits and dynamic programs as well as help maintain a friendly, safe, and clean exhibit floor. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who have excellent communication skills, exceptional customer service skills, the ability to work the young children and adults in a fun, fast-paced environment. Scheduling is flexible and we look for a minimum commitment of three months. If interested, contact Lucas Skorczeski at 978.264.4200 ext. 37 or lskorczeski@discoverymuseums.org.

Marketing Volunteer

Work with our marketing staff to get hands-on experience in non-profit marketing. Manage press releases, post events, maintain databases, perform web research, organize media coverage and support the Director of Marketing on various projects. Please email resume and interests to asgarzi@discoverymuseums.org. No phone calls, please.

Development Volunteer

Are you looking to acquire office and fundraising skills? If so, consider volunteering in our development department. We are looking for help with a broad range of tasks that can include maintaining databases, researching contacts, working on events and organizing mailings. If you have strong organizational and interpersonal skills, please contact Claudia Veitch at 978.264.4200 ext. 24.

Gardens and Grounds

Discovery happens outdoors too! The Discovery Museums have 10 garden spaces as well as wooded areas on the museum property. Join Exhibits and Facilities manager Stephen Roake to assist in maintaining gardens and grounds. Work ranges from light gardening and planting to jobs with heavier lifting. Flexible scheduling is available, with a minimum requirement of two months of four two-hour shifts per month.

Office Assistant, Visitor Services

Lend a hand behind the scenes! Our offices are busy places: assist with answering phones, confirming group bookings, and special projects as requested. Office assistants have good communication skills and are detail-oriented. Flexible scheduling is available, with a minimum requirement of two months of four two-hour shifts per month.

Program Assistant, Education

Help out with some of our signature programming. Arrive 20-30 minutes before the public program is scheduled to start to get familiar with the topic and activities, assist visitors during the program, and then help the education staff with clean-up after the program's close. Average volunteer shift is 2-3 hours.

Traveling Science Volunteers

Help the Traveling Science Workshop program prepare materials for children to use this Fall. Hands-on learning is at the heart of each workshop we share this means that a lot of time goes into the preparation of materials. Volunteer and learn about some of these fun projects while you cut, fold, sort and count. We encourage friends to volunteer together. We offer a flexible schedule that includes 2 to 3 hours/week for four or more weeks through out the summer. Contact Jill Foster at 978.264.4200 ext. 18 to learn more.

To inquire about volunteer opportunities, please call 978.264.4200 or email: volunteers@discoverymuseums.org.

Because we work with children, all positions require an interview with a supervisor and a satisfactory CORI check. If you have any concerns about these procedures, please speak with a Museum representative.