Director of Education and Public Programs at Raynham Hall Museum

Title: Director of Education and Public Programs

Job Type: Full-time, non-exempt

Reports to: Executive Director

Application deadline: January 14, 2021

Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, NY, seeks a museum/education professional to implement, develop, refine, and lead all education and public programming initiatives on behalf of the organization, joining a full-time team of four, and leading a team of several part-time educators.

The museum boasts 22 interpreted rooms, and a collection of over 5,000 artifacts, and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. We are best known as the home of George Washington’s spy Robert Townsend, who worked with other members of the Culper Spy Ring to collect information of use to the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. We welcome (in normal times) around 9,000 visitors per year, of whom about half are students on school field trips, primarily in the 4th grade. In 2020, the vast majority of those tours were delivered virtually, but the museum is now re-opened to the general public in the afternoons. The year 2020 saw the launch of our new visitors’ center and new cutting-edge Augmented Reality tour, as well as the interpretation and opening to the public of several new rooms in the 19th century part of our museum building.

Our tours for students focus on three areas presently:

  • The lives of colonists such as the Townsends and the members of their household on Long Island;
  • The experience of occupation by British officers and troops during the Revolutionary War, and the role of Robert Townsend, central member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring;
  • The lives of the roughly 20 people who were held enslaved by the Townsend family.

We are also working to develop a storyline focusing on the 19th century Townsends and their Irish servants, in 1870.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Managing all aspects of the visitor experience including general visitation, group, school and private tour logistics and educator scheduling;
  • Evaluating current tour materials, and creating and implementing new materials as needed, to ensure their compliance with current best practices in education, alignment with school curriculums, and maximum ability to engage creatively with diverse audiences;
  • Researching, initiating, executing, and promoting other public programs, such as lectures, open visit days, and participation in town-wide events such as the museum’s Halloween parade and July 4th open house;
  • Working in concert with other members of the museum’s staff and with the museum’s education committee to coordinate and promote these educational and public programs;
  • Tracking participant attendance at live and virtual events;
  • Researching, writing, and administering grants related to educational public programs, and working with other members of the museum’s staff to identify grant and funding opportunities;
  • Being an ambassador for the museum to local schools, colleague organizations, and various social networks both on-line and in person to build collaborative relationships and new audiences.

Qualifications:

This position requires a self-motivated, organized, creative problem-solver with excellent research, written and interpersonal communication skills, who is a team player, and possesses a facility for cross disciplinary thinking that embraces new media technologies. The candidate must have knowledge of museum education and/or classroom teaching, and be able to design and manage intergenerational programs for diverse audiences including students. Strong technical and digital skills are essential and should include proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and various content management systems along with a demonstrated ability and desire to learn new digital platforms as needed. A bachelor’s degree is required and an advanced degree in museum studies, public history, or related field is preferred. Experience in historic house interpretation and developing web-based video content is also preferred, as is a willingness to live in or near Oyster Bay.

Raynham Hall Museum is an equal opportunity employer that considers all candidates for employment regardless of race, color, gender, gender identification, age, national origin, creed, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or political affiliation.

Terms:

This is a non-exempt salaried full-time position requiring a total of 40 hours per week including some evening and weekend hours for special events and programs. Full-time employee benefits include medical insurance, paid sick leave, paid holidays and vacation time, and hybrid in-person/remote scheduling. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required. Salary range is $45,000 – $50,000.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and CV/resumé to Director of Education Search, tskvarla@raynhamhallmuseum.org.

For additional information about the museum, please see www.raynhamhallmuseum.org.