Seasonal Play & Learning Facilitator

Position: Seasonal, Play & Learning Facilitator

Department: Guest Experience Operations

Reports to: Vice President of Experience Operations

About Chicago Children’s Museum: Chicago Children’s Museum is committed to improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. We embrace creativity and collaboration, we never stop learning, and we remember to stop and play along the way. Chicago Children’s Museum staff is a dedicated group of curious individuals who embrace the playful spirit of childhood. Every employee is empowered to reach their potential and be recognized for the impact they have on our organization, visitors, and the community we serve.

Position Overview:

The Seasonal Play and Learning Facilitator provides daily staffing of museum exhibits, programs and events. This position is central to ensuring a highly interactive and educational learning experience for our museum visitors from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, experiences, and perspectives, with the primary audience being young children and their families.

Responsibilities:

• Excellent customer service: play a key role in the visitor experience by providing inclusive physical and verbal cues that let the visitor know staff are approachable and knowledgeable about the museum, its philosophy, exhibits and programs and engages supervisors when/as necessary
• Exemplary play and learning facilitation: model positive, educational, creative and respectful ways to interact with children and their caregivers through play.
• Create and maintain a physical environment that is comfortable, safe, and engaging for both adults and children. Facilitate in the opening and closing of exhibits/stations including continually resetting the environment throughout the day. Conduct all established health and safety protocols to ensure that museum spaces remain safe, clean, and healthy for visitors.
• Manage visitor traffic flow and exhibit capacity, including managing visitor cuing and check-in to exhibits where appropriate and/or including emergency situations.
• Support, train, and mentor new play and learning facilitators and volunteers.
• Supports the museum’s work in diversity, equity, access and inclusion (DEAI) and actively ensures that DEAI principles are upheld in all work with fellow staff and with visitors.
• Attend all staff meetings including daily opening/closing meetings, monthly guest connections staff meetings, museum-wide all-staff meetings and other meetings deemed relevant by the Director of Guest Connections.
• Staff special events and offerings as assigned.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Experience working with a child/family audience in a customer service environment or similar role (this includes relevant paid and unpaid work/volunteer/community work).
• Interest and ability in working with children and families from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, experiences, perspectives.
• Engaging facilitator. Ideal candidate must be enthusiastic, outgoing and energetic--willing to play.
• Excellent communication skills--can effectively communicate to visitors the educational content and value of museum exhibits and programs. Comfortable addressing large groups as well as in one-on-one interactions with visitors. Museum communication via a walkie-talkie.
• Good interpersonal and organizational skills--ability to accept feedback graciously and integrate it, work without constant supervision; ability to work well within a team. Uses sensitivity and good judgment in engaging with colleagues and brings issues or concerns to appropriate supervisors.
• Enthusiasm for learning and mastering new skills on an ongoing basis; willingness to be informed/certified/trained through institution-offered courses and to work within Diversity, Equity, Access, Inclusion (DEAI) frameworks and actively engage in learning about these frameworks.
• Course-work in Early Learning through Elementary (0-10 yo) a plus
• Possess an equity mindset and cultural humility
• Bilingual skills a plus

Physical Requirements of the Position:

• Stamina and physical endurance to stand on the museum floor all-day long, maintaining quality interaction with museum staff and visitors. Crawling and climbing of exhibit structures. Bending, lifting, and reaching is required to access supplies. Push, pull and lift up to 40 pounds.
• Repetitive friendly and courteous communication while engaging with visitors and staff and speaking loudly over crowds.
• Adequate use of PA system and communication radios.
• Ability to work-in and withstand loud/crowded spaces.
• Dress Code required. Uniform polo shirt(s) provided.

Hours & Salary: This is a seasonal position, with an estimated end date of 1/3/2027 with potential to renew. It is a part-time/non-exempt position, working an average of 15-27 hours per week with a varied schedule including weekends. Required availability during our peak operating season (12/21 - 12/25; 12/26-1/3/2027) when the museum operates 7 days a week. Position pays $18.03 hourly and must attend any mandatory meetings.

Benefits: CCM employees are eligible to accrue paid sick leave and paid leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 35 hours worked.

Location: This position will work on-site at Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier.