Jobs at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum

I will be hiring two full-time staff members to work with me at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. We have posted the first job description, for an Operations Manager, and you can see the posting here (scroll down – at the time I am writing this blog, the position is the third one down). The full description is also at the end of this post.

The mission of the PlayHouse is two-fold:

We provide young individuals with the tools and inspiration they need to be explorers and creators of the world.
We work to understand, support, and promote play in the fullest sense of the word, one that includes imagination and creativity.

Because the PlayHouse does not open until June 2015, this is an excellent opportunity to be a voice in the creation of a museum. The Operations Manager will run the daily operations of the museum, including hiring, training, and supervising staff, determining and refining policies, and supervising the admissions and retail operations of the museum. It’s a big job, with flexibility to adapt to meet the strengths and interests of the right candidate.

As a team, here are some of the Museum Questions we will be thinking about:

What is play? How do scientists play? Artists? Engineers? Other professions? How is play learning?
What kind of learning happens in children’s museums? What interventions help layer on the reflection needed to transform fun into learning for older children?
What is a parent’s role in a children’s museum? How can parents also be challenged to play, learn, and grow through their encounters in the museum?
How can a museum provide experiences that catalyze learning beyond the museum? How can we know this is happening?

Wondering where Peoria is? It’s here, in Central Illinois:

Feel like you’ve heard the name “Peoria” before?

Historically, Peoria provided the testing ground for vaudeville shows before they opened in New York. Thus the phrase, “Will it play in Peoria?”

And just for fun, see the clip on David Letterman here (see minute 4:15):

And – for those of you old enough to remember the Smothers Brothers – another song here:

You too could be in Peoria!

Job Opening – Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum

Operations Manager

POSITION: Full-Time

REQUIREMENTS:

Four-year college degree preferred. Extensive experience may substitute for all or part of the educational preference.
A minimum of three years working in a customer-service environment. Management experience preferred. Experience in hospitality, attractions, or cultural organizations preferred.
Knowledge of facility operations, including scheduling, programming and basic supervisory practices.
Ability to train, supervise and evaluate employees and volunteers. Ability to lead and collaborate with a diverse team. Ability to foster a positive work environment for this team.
Excellent communication and organizational skills.
Excellent customer service skills, including the ability to identify and resolve problems. Ability to work with both adults and children.
Familiarity with computers as needed for office work; proficient in Microsoft Office.
Interest in children and families and in museums. Ongoing commitment to learning and innovating.

DUTIES:

With the Museum Director, develop operations procedures and customer service strategies for the PlayHouse, including opening and closing procedures, ticket-selling and retail store procedures, scheduling policies and procedures, and attendance-tracking.
Test and refine systems as needed.
Hiring, training, scheduling and supervision of admissions, retail, and floor staff and volunteers.
Day-to-day management of the daily operations of the PlayHouse, ensuring professional operation and appearance of the site during all public hours and events.
Maintain exceptional standards of customer service. Handle visitor concerns, comments, and complaints as needed, and communicate visitor concerns and comments to Museum Director.
Prepare schedules and conduct briefings with floor staff to keep them informed.
Follow all safety procedures that pertain to the duties performed.
Constantly evaluate, reflect on, and improve on operations procedures.
Manage special events and birthday parties.
Coordinate with custodial and maintenance services and personnel to ensure that museum is clean and safe and any issues are addressed promptly.
Coordinate with Education Manager and other staff to ensure a seamless visitor experience.
Perform all other duties as assigned.

OTHER:

Under the supervision of the Director of Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum.
Salary range: $35,000 – $42,000 per year.

How to Apply: Applications are available at the Park District Administration Office or can be downloaded/printed from www.peoriaparks.org under “Join Our Team”. Applicants may submit a resume’, but to be fully considered for this position an application must be completed. Applications will be reviewed until position is filled.

To ensure full consideration, applications/resume should be forwarded in a timely manner to: PEORIA PARK DISTRICT – Human Resources Manager, 1125 West Lake Ave, Peoria, IL 61614 or fax to: (309) 686-3352.

PEORIA PARK DISTRICT

Human Resources Manager

1125 West Lake Ave

Peoria, Illinois 61614

The Peoria Park District hires without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or disability to perform the tasks of the job. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.