As a non-profit organization, our budget is always tight and we cannot compete with the wages offered by a city-run museum and it’s unionized staff. Instead, we have to focus on the fact that we’re a dynamic place to work and can provide a great opportunity for someone to build a career for themselves. This is a place where you get to try new things and be creative, seeing the direct results of your efforts.

Hopefully, the job posting below will inspire someone who’s the right fit to come join our team and make great things happen. If you know someone who might be interested and suitable, please let them know!

Job Posting – Museum Programmer

In the last five years, the Vancouver Police Museum has seen incredible growth, thanks in part to a roster of engaging school and public programs on the forensic sciences, and on Vancouver’s criminal and law enforcement history.   Our programs are a core part of who we are as an organization; they showcase our knowledge, enthusiasm, creativity, and quirky personality. Fueled by our talented and enthusiastic staff, we are united in our passion to continue being one of the fastest growing attractions in Vancouver as we work to be an innovative leader in the museum community.

We are currently seeking an organized, motivated and creative individual to join our team as Museum Programmer. Working under the supervision of the Executive Director, the successful candidate will be responsible for delivering our educational and public programming as well as helping create new programming and will also have a hand in marketing the museum and its programs.  As we are a fast-paced museum with a small staff, expect to be involved with almost every area of museum operations.

Your contributions to the museum will have a direct and visible effect; as you contribute to the museum’s growth, expect your work hours, responsibilities and wage to increase.

Responsibilities

• Delivering educational programs to elementary, secondary and ESL students
• Conducting walking tours and guided tours of the museum
• Assisting with the research and development of new educational programs
• Creating supporting materials including, pre- and post- visit activities, vocabulary and program evaluations
• Greeting visitors to the museum, collecting admissions and handling gift shop sales
• Assisting with marketing and the design of new marketing materials

Requirements

• Excellent communications and interpersonal skills; experience in heritage interpretation or informal education
• Ability to work both independently and in a team
• A significant technological literacy
• 1-3 Years Education or experience in an area related to our subject matter (education, criminology, history, museum studies, or other related field
• Available to work Tuesday- Saturday, approximately 30 hours a week (to start).

Please submit questions and resumes to:

Chris Mathieson, Executive Director
Vancouver Police Museum
240 E. Cordova St.
Vancouver, BC, V6A 1L3
chris@vancouverpolicemuseum.ca

Closing Date: August 30, 2009

The Vancouver Police Museum is operated by the Vancouver Police Historical Society, an independent non-profit society and registered charity.  The mandate of the museum is to foster interest in the history of the Vancouver Police Department and to deliver educational programs that focus on the history of law enforcement and the science of contemporary police work. For more information about the museum and its programs, visit our website at www.vancouverpolicemuseum.ca.

Part-Time Employment Opportunity

Sins of the City Walking Tour Guide

Are you an outspoken heritage interpreter who can tell a story (and a joke), handle a heckler or two and engage a group of 30 tourists on the sidewalks of Vancouver?

Our ideal candidate will be able to work independently, have experience giving tours, a quick wit, and an interest in learning and sharing the history of Vancouver’s naughtier side.

Tours run May 9 to September 31, 2009, are two hours long and run several times a week. Workload and hours are flexible—most tours are in the afternoon and on weekends.

Closing Date: April 9, 2009

If you follow this blog, you already know about our Sins of the City walking tours; they’ve been one of the more popular things we’ve launched in the last few years. They’ve now grown enough that we need additional help to deliver them. Please help spread the word about this fun, and unusual, job. The detailed posting can be found here.

Come join our team!