Museum Tour Guide (Part-Time)

 

The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future. Founded in 1923, the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) showcases the city’s unique stories and cultural treasures. The country’s first and largest city museum, MCNY presents immersive exhibitions and programs at the intersection of history, popular culture, and art to 200,000 people annually, including 30,000 students and educators, fostering shared identity, civic pride and engagement, and social cohesion for New Yorkers. MCNY has been recognized as one of the leading museums in New York City by publications such as Condé Nast Traveler and the New York Times, with Time Out New York awarding MCNY “Best Museum” in New York in 2021.

 

The Museum Tour Guide is an essential member of the Visitor Services team that will be responsible for making the Museum accessible to all different visitors by making the exhibitions come alive including, but not limited to, running group, private, and virtual experiences. Tours may be scheduled any day of the week between 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, including occasional after-hours and weekend shifts (weekends typically 10:00 AM–6:00 PM). This is a part-time, per diem position that reports directly to the Manager, Group Tours.

 

Roles and Responsibilities:

 

  • Lead 1-hour in-person tours for groups of up to 25 visitors and/or 1-hour virtual experiences.
  • Make exhibitions accessible and engaging by adapting content to suit diverse audiences and learning styles.
  • Stay current on the subject matter related to the exhibitions you present.
  • Other duties as assigned.

 

Required training includes:

 

  • Paid training sessions on tour content at $25/hour
  • A paid, observed test tour at $100

 

A successful candidate will have:

 

  • Specialized knowledge of and/or a personal connection to exhibition content. Our current offerings include:
    • New York at Its Core – the city’s rise from a Dutch village to a global capital
    • Activist New York – the history and present of social activism in NYC (immigration, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and more)
  • A rotating roster of special exhibitions
  • Excellent storytelling and presentation skills
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to make content accessible to any audience
  • Experience working with both adult and children’s groups preferred
  • Confident group management skills, with the ability to adapt in real time to ensure an engaging visitor experience
  • Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Korean, or Portuguese is a plus
  • Experience leading museum or other types of tours preferred
  • Background in museum education or other teaching experience is a plus
  • NYC Tour Guide License or professional tour leader/director experience is a plu
  • Passion for New York City and appreciation for MCNY’s multi-faceted approach to exploring the city through history, popular culture, art, and civic engagement
  • A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and a passion for advancing equity and addressing structural racism within nonprofit organizations
  • Flexibility and ability to adapt strategies in a fast-paced and dynamic environment

 

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

 

This position involves leading 1-hour traversing tours, which require continuous movement without scheduled sitting breaks. The role may also involve occasional use of a computer and other office or audio equipment to conduct virtual tours. Educators may be scheduled to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed. The position requires the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods (approximately 50% of the time) and to move throughout office and Museum spaces. Tasks such as data analysis and computer work require the ability to operate standard office equipment and to visually discern details, including close, distance, color, and peripheral elements.

 

BENEFITS

 

This position is paid at $100 per tour. We provide Sick Leave on an accrual basis to all employees. Your employment relationship with the Museum qualifies you for free or discounted admission to other participating cultural institutions. 

 

The Museum of the City of New York is committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as New York City and the audiences who are curious about learning more about its history and engaging in contemporary urban issues. Our staff members are dedicated to working towards a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring city museum in the world.

 

The Museum of the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the museum provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without unlawful discrimination with respect to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identification or expression, marital status, military status or veteran, national origin, political association, political/personal convictions, predisposing genetic characteristics, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and style), religion (including attire, clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with religious requirements), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and transgender status), sexual orientation, socio-economic status, geographic location, philosophies, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws, in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off, and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. The Museum complies with applicable state and local law governing nondiscrimination in employment which prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employees, applicants for employment or interns, as well as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, other individuals providing services in the workplace or their employees in every location in which the Museum has facilities.