IT/AV Support Specialist

Position Overview: The IT Support Specialist at Edelman Fossil Park & Museum plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the museum’s IT infrastructure. Reporting to the IT/AV Manager, this position provides technical support to museum staff, volunteers, and visitors while managing critical IT systems, security protocols, and digital exhibits. The IT Support Specialist will also serve as the primary liaison between the museum and its Managed Service Provider (MSP). In this role, the IT Support Specialist will oversee the MSP work to coordinate requests and ensure timely resolution of issues.

Key Responsibilities, in order of priority:
Support & Maintain Guest Admission Kiosks & Kiosk Software

• Maintain, update, and troubleshoot guest admission kiosks, which are used for guest check-in & registration, sales, memberships, and Radio-Frequency ID (RFID) card activation.
• Ensure integration between Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and accounting software.

Digital Media & Interactive Exhibit Support

• Assist with the maintenance, integration, and troubleshooting of interactive digital exhibit hardware and software, Virtual Reality experience equipment and programming, touchscreen exhibit displays, and RFID technology
• Perform regular system checks and coordinate with multiple vendors for software updates and hardware repairs.

Event & Educational Program IT Support

• Provide IT/AV support for educational programs and private museum events.
• Set up and troubleshoot AV equipment, microphones, projectors, and streaming technology.
• Support IT/AV needs for museum rentals, corporate events, and fundraisers.
• Coordinate with external vendors and event planners to ensure technology integration.

Software, Equipment, & Database Management

• Support and maintain museum software, including collections management systems, CRM, and ticketing software.
• Maintain an inventory of IT assets, including computers, mobile devices, and software licenses.
• Plan and oversee hardware/software upgrades and coordinate IT-related purchases to ensure functionality of critical software.

The following technical support & user assistance will be performed by the EFM’s managed services provider, Telecorp, under the supervision of the IT Specialist:

Technical support for museum staff and offices

• Provide technical support for museum staff, volunteers, and visitors regarding hardware, software, and network-related issues.
• Install, configure, and maintain computer systems, printers, and peripherals.
• Troubleshoot and resolve IT problems to minimize downtime.
• Assist employees with email access, cloud-based (Google) file management, and software.

VOIP & Communication Systems Administration

• Manage and maintain the museum’s Voice over Internat Protocol (VOIP) phone system, including extensions, voicemail, and call routing.
• Troubleshoot connectivity issues and coordinate with the VOIP service provider for system updates.
• Administer and secure Gmail accounts, enforce email security measures, and provide user training on best practices.

Network & System Administration

• Maintain and monitor the museum’s local area network (LAN) and Wi-Fi, ensuring reliable internet connectivity.
• Troubleshoot network performance issues and manage wireless access points
• Maintain backup and disaster recovery systems to safeguard museum data.

Technical Skills Preferred:

• Proficiency in programming languages
• Experience in designing, developing, and integrating Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
• Familiarity with API documentation tools
• Knowledge of API authentication and security methods
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and API gateway services, including Amazon Web Services
• Experience with API testing frameworks and tools
• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills for resolving API issues and optimizing performance.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in a related IT field preferred; relevant IT certifications acceptable
• Strong understanding of API integrations with various web-based systems
• Proficiency in Windows and Mac desktop support.
• Strong understanding of networking concepts, including LAN, Wi-Fi, TCP/IP, and DHCP.
• Experience with system and user administration, including Google Workspace and Google Administration
• Virtual Reality systems and troubleshooting
• Familiarity with VOIP phone systems and audio-visual technology.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate within a team
• Positive attitude

Work Setting:

• Museum headquarters is in the stunning new Edelman Fossil Park Museum. The headquarters suite features a reception area, private offices, a large open office area, three conference rooms, a kitchenette, team lounge, and outdoor patio, overlooking a 4-acre lake.
• This is a full-time position with G&A Museum Operation, LLC, based at the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, in Mantua Township, NJ
• The role requires evening or weekend work for special events
• The role may require occasional work outdoors.
• The role may require lifting or moving light to moderately heavy objects.

“Discover the Past. Protect the Future.” This is an opportunity to grow with a young, vibrant, and purpose-driven world-class organization.

Start Date: ASAP

About Leadership
Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, Founding Executive Director, has unearthed some of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth, including the massive 65-ton Dreadnoughtus, which appeared in the recent film Jurassic World: Dominion. He is a recipient of The Explorers Club Medal, the highest honor in exploration. He is a TED speaker, recipient of a Nautilus Book Award, co-recipient of a Telly Award, and author of the bestseller, Why Dinosaurs Matter (Simon & Schuster.) His research has been featured three times in Discover magazine’s 100 Top Science Stories of the Year, and he has appeared in over 20 television documentaries. He is the former founding dean of the School of Earth & Environment of Rowan University. He founded the Green Jobs Academy, which helps workers retool for careers in green energy and other sustainable fields. And he serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Colossal Biotechnology, a CRISPR-based company endeavoring to resurrect the wooly mammoth and other recently extinct species.

About the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum
The Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University will transform lives by providing a unique opportunity to explore a remarkable site of scientific wonder. Visitors will embark on a hands-on voyage of discovery in a setting that bears witness to one of the most momentous events in our planet's history. Visitors will develop a new appreciation for the precarious nature of the biosphere that sustains our world today.
The museum is a one-of-a-kind destination that both educates and entertains, and will attract visitors from across the country and around the globe. The fossil park and museum will energize economic development in the region, elevate the prominence of Rowan University, and foster pride of place for Southern New Jersey.

Globally Important Research
At the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, visitors travel back in time to when dinosaurs ruled New Jersey. Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid struck the Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs and 75% of all species. The fossil park’s four-acre fossil quarry, set into a 65-acre property, is providing scientists with the best view ever into this
pivotal, calamitous event that ended an Earth era, paving the way for the modern world as we know it. Over the past 13 years, fossil park founder, Dr. Kenneth Lacovara and his team have unearthed over 100,000 fossils from a 66-million years old bonebed in the quarry bottom, and have cataloged over 100 fossil species.

A Rich Heritage
Surprising to many, New Jersey boasts a rich heritage of fossil discovery. In 1858, Hadrosaurus, the world’s first discovered nearly complete dinosaur, was found in Haddonfield, New Jersey. In 1866, the world’s first discovered tyrannosaur, Dryptosaurus, was unearthed just a mile from the fossil park. (T. rex, found in Montana, would come later in 1905.) Many other new species of ancient creatures have been discovered in New Jersey, from Cretaceous beds running from Freehold southwest through Swedesboro. Although dinosaurs were first recognized from fragmentary remains in England, southern New Jersey can rightfully claim its place as the cradle of dinosaur paleontology.

The Thrill of Discovery
Hand-on, authentic discovery is at the core of the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park public experience. Above the research layer, there are areas designated for public digging. Nearly every child or grownup who visits the quarry to dig for fossils, finds a 65-million-year-old fossil, with their own hands, that they get to take home. Over and over, this has been a transformational experience for people. When they make a personal connection between themselves and deep time, and the place where they live and the Earth’s ancient past, they never again see the world, or their place in it, in quite the same way. Children seem to understand the authenticity of the experience. The shark tooth or ancient clam that they may dig up, is a real discovery. At that moment, they become explorers, voyagers, authentic discoverers—an experience that can set them on a new path.

Sustainability
The core concept behind the Edelman Fossil Park Museum is that learning from Earth’s deep past can guide our way into the future. The extinction of the dinosaurs serves as a cautionary tale for the biodiversity and climate crises we face today. In the Hall of Extinction & Hope, visitors learn why there is hope in the battle to save Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere if we act now to create a better future. Finally, through a personalized RFID system, visitors will connect with sustainability programs and organizations, giving them a sense of agency and avenues through which they can make a positive difference.

Carbon Net-Zero and Sustainable Construction: The Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum is an all-electric building, deriving its energy from zero-carbon electricity and ground-source heating and cooling. The building was constructed using strategies to reduce carbon emissions and promote biodiversity: the heavy timber structure in public areas and the wood siding are from sustainably-raised trees; the structural concrete was formulated to reduce carbon emissions; and large areas of glazing employ bird-safe glass.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
At the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum we treasure the diversity of our planet's history and are committed to reflecting that diversity in our team. Edelman Fossil Park & Museum is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, creed, skin color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital, domestic partnership, or civil union status, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, liability for military service, veteran status, sexual or affectional orientation or expression, atypical cellular or blood trait, or any other category, as determined by EFM’s hiring goals or protected by law.

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