MUSEUM ASSISTANT (CO-OP)

Join us and help make a difference! At Grey County we work together to deliver essential public services that meet the needs of our communities. Grey County isn't just a great place to live; its also a great place to work!

We are proud to offer competitive wages and an attractive total compensation package. We support learning and continuous employee development, and champion career progression for our employees. We value work-life balance, so you can make the most of your career at Grey County, while making the most of your life in Grey County!

Apply now to join our team!

Location is not accessible by transit or bike. Successful candidates will require reliable transportation. 

Purpose

Grey Roots Museum and Archives is a 40,000 square foot facility with six exhibit galleries, four of which house travelling exhibits from other museums and temporary exhibits from our own collection. We feature Moreston Heritage Village, with twelve period buildings filled with period and time-appropriate artefacts, and these buildings are publicly accessible to visitors from May through September each year. Grey Roots offers numerous special events and community programs, especially during the summer months.

The Museum and Archives Summer student will be trained in a variety of positions and departments around Grey Roots to support summer operations and gain a wide breadth of experience in public facing roles and museum operations.

Responsibilities

Historic Site Interpretation

• Interact with visitors via lively and engaging museum programs.
• Deliver activities and demonstrations inside the historic buildings of Moreston Heritage Village wearing a historic costume.
• Assist in routine, daily Heritage Interpretation functions including caring for livestock (cows), watering gardens, daily garbage checks, opening and closing the village.
• Assist in the delivery of programming for schools, childrens programming and adult and general groups.
• Liaise with Village volunteers, assisting them in the interpretation of Moreston Heritage Village.
• Assist with exhibit research, preparing exhibit objects for display
• Contribute to the delivery of special events and related programming
• Assist in the marketing of the site and its programming by contributing social media content.
• Meet and greet visitors (in person, on phone, by email/online), providing timely information and answering general questions about Grey Roots Museum & Archives and Grey County tourism.

Visitor Services

• Perform daily open and close procedures of the facility.
• Complete transactions on the POS; handle credit/debit/cash.
• Proactively assist all visitors with Museum merchandise sales.
• Liaise with appropriate Grey Roots staff to achieve resolutions to visitor issues.
• Other duties as required.
• Maintains skills at a high level. Participates in training and development as suggested and arranged by staff at Grey Roots and Grey County.

Other Duties

• Responsible as an employee for Occupational Health and Safety.
• Participates in other related Grey Roots activity as assigned.

Working Conditions

This position will appeal to outgoing and enthusiastic youth who enjoy public speaking, interacting with the public and have an interest in history, education, theatre, performing, and/or the humanities in general.

In this position, you can expect to deliver interpretive programmes, tours, demonstrations and activities of Grey Roots Museum and Moreston Heritage Village to schools, adult groups and general visitors.

This position researches life in the 19th and early 20th centuries in Grey County in order to become knowledgeable of the history and geography of the communities within Grey, in order to interpret its stories within the context of Canadas history and subsequently, world history.

Assists in Grey Roots special events and programming as needed.

Most work will be in the full view of the public in Moreston Village and the Grey Roots main building. This position will work with visitors of all ages and will involve public speaking and presenting.

This position will be trained in all of the above areas and rotate between work assignments throughout the summer. Hours of work vary according to operating hours of the museum including weekends, and is subject to evening hours.

Grey Roots Museum is located on Grey Rd 18 surrounded by farmland. The remote location is approximately 8km from downtown Owen Sound and not accessible by public transportation. Successful applicants will need to have their own vehicle or arrange transportation to the museum. We do not recommend biking to work.

Contacts

Internal Working Relationships

Works cooperatively with the Manager of Museum & Archives, Grey Roots staff and volunteers, relevant Grey County administrative staff.

External Working Relationships

Grey Roots visitors and members, general public, suppliers.

Knowledge and Skill

• A student, returning school in the upcoming academic year working towards a post-secondary diploma/degree in museum studies, education, theatre, acting or music performance, tourism, communications, or related field. Recently graduated students will also be considered.

• Good organizational, time management, verbal and written communication skills, ability to prioritize, problem solve, and handle multiple duties and interruptions effectively.
• Excellent public speaking skills, creativity and research skills; ability to engage with visitors of all ages.
• Friendly, outgoing, courteous personality
• Previous customer service experience and training is an asset.
• Knowledge of Ontario education curriculum is an asset.

• Experience working directly with the public.
• Experience in sales and cash handling with knowledge of Point of Sale preferred.
• Familiarity with the history and geography of the communities in Grey County would be an asset.

Impact of Error

If a visitor makes requests that are not dealt with in a prompt, friendly and accurate manner, the Countys image as a museum and archives, tourism attraction and / or destination will be tarnished, and loss of revenue from admissions and will result.

Failure to communicate effectively with the public and community groups could result in negative public relations, hence loss of revenue and goodwill.

Errors in cash receipts from admissions, room rentals and Museum Store could result in financial losses.

Grey County is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and promotes a culture of respect where all team members are valued for their unique talents, knowledge and lived experiences.

Accommodations are available for all parts of the recruitment process. Applicants are encouraged to outline accommodation needs when submitting their application. If alternate methods of application are required, candidates can email .

While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Any personal information submitted will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and will be used only to determine eligibility for employment.

Based on the nature of the position, pre-employment screening may be required including but not limited to; Criminal Record Searches, Financial Credit Inquiries; Educational and Credential Verification; Drivers Abstracts; Drug/Alcohol Testing; Pre-Medical Testing and Investigative Employment References.