Located on Olympia’s East Bay waterfront, the Hands On Children’s Museum is the leading play-based, early learning institution in Southwest Washington and the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest hosting 300,000 annually (excluding pandemic). Our mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity and critical thinking skills through rich, interactive learning experiences. We believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn regardless of their ability to pay which is why the Museum works hard to serve more than one-third of its visitation through a robust suite of Access programs.

Voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade, the Museum offers a state-of-the-art LEED Gold facility with 150 indoor exhibits, a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center and nature play space, Arts Studio, MakeSpace for tinkering and inventing, café and gift shop. Our award-winning education programs including camps, workshops, preschool, parenting classes, field trips, community outreach and family support programs.

This position is perfect people who are excited about engagement and interaction with the public in a fun, fast paced, learning environment! Play Facilitators are responsible for engaging visitors in play and making their visit magical. This includes monitoring exhibit areas for safe play and maintaining the cleanliness, organization, supplies, functionality, and safety of the museum exhibit galleries. Participation in special museum events, special projects and department and staff meetings is required. Candidates must have weekend availability.

Job Duties

General operations:

• Understand and support museum mission in performance of job duties.
• Ensure the highest level of customer service for our visitors by actively using the Creating a Welcoming Environment training.
• Respond immediately to safety issues such as lost children, ringing door or fire alarms, bodily fluid spills, injuries or other emergencies. 
• Report customer, exhibit and staff concerns to supervisors and senior managers immediately as issues arise.
• Special projects as assigned.

Job Specific:

• Facilitate safe play with visitors by modeling how exhibits function and using inquiry method to engage visitors
• Maintain exhibit galleries:  re-positioning of exhibit props after visitor use, ensure exhibits are tidy and ready for use and replenish consumables in exhibits as needed. 
• Report minor and major repairs of exhibits and facility to the Facilities Team and Gallery Services Supervisor. 

Additional Tasks as needed for support:

• Set up and breakdown exhibits and multi-purpose rooms daily according to museum and program schedules.  
• Support Museum’s birthday party program, by escorting families to their party rooms, and ensuring rooms are properly set: re-setting rooms between parties. 
• Maintain organization of onsite storage areas.
• Maintain facility exterior as needed. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• HS Diploma; Associate’s Degree preferred
• Performing Arts experience a plus
• Must be able to stand on feet for long periods, have good stamina.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.

Knowledge, Skills & Talents

• Must have a high level of energy, enthusiasm, flexibility and patience.
• Ability to communicate with the public including Museum visitors, parents/care-givers and community members in a courteous and professional manner.
• Ability to communicate with museum colleagues in a courteous and professional manner.
• Ability to work in a team setting where a high degree of daily communication is required.
• Must be able to work independently and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Supportive and caring of other staff, visitors and their viewpoints.
• Supportive of the Museum’s mission.

Workplace Values

Achieving our mission requires great people who actively demonstrate our core values.

When applying, please submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references.

Compensation & Benefits: As a leading non-profit, we offer competitive compensation, medical, dental and vision coverage, an Employee Assistance Plan (eff. 3/1/2023), paid time off, paid holidays, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and special perks including museum passes and membership, discounts on preschool, camps, in the Museum Store and Café, and paid parking. Benefits vary by number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status. See benefit details for this position here.

Hands On Children’s Museum exhibits, programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.