Living History Interpreter

Title: Living History Interpreter
Division: Education & Engagement
Classification: Hourly, Part-Time, Non-Exempt
Directly supported by: Associate Curator of Living History
Directly supports: Living History Volunteers
Salary Range: $20.60 per hour DOE

About us

The High Desert Museum opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. As an interdisciplinary museum, it shares the stories of the High Desert region through cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of the High Desert region, which spans across 11 states of the Intermountain West. The Museum features 100,000 square feet of indoor space, which includes two permanent exhibitions and three changing galleries, and outdoor exhibits beyond the main building that include the Autzen Otter Exhibit, the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center and the 1904 High Desert Ranch. The Museum also offers a range of programs, from summer Kids Camps to wildlife photography workshops. In FY2023-24, which ended on June 30, 2024, the Museum welcomed nearly 225,000 visitors, more than double the size of Bend.

The Museum is a private, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It has become the largest cultural institution in Oregon east of the Cascades over the last four decades and today is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

About this job and what you’ll do

The Living History program aims to illuminate the ongoing relationship between the people and the land of the High Desert. In this position you will interpret antique materials of everyday life, practical skills, and the various reproduction spaces throughout the High Desert Museum in order to represent connections between nature and the different people who have inhabited and continue to reside in our interpretive region. Using history as a jumping off point, you will help our guests connect the past with the present by acting as a costumed interpreter, an activity facilitator, and a docent for interpretive spaces. In addition to interacting directly with visitors, you will assist with the daily upkeep (cleaning, organization, and repair) of Living History spaces and support the Associate Curator of Living History with research and development for the program. You will also lend your skills to special public programs and contribute to museum-wide objectives including institutional DEAI initiatives and the Museum’s efforts towards Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation.

The museum also provides employees with access to two robust Employee Assistance programs which include free counseling, legal consultation, financial coaching, and other resources. All employees receive discounts in the Silver Sage Trading Post and the Rimrock Café.

About who you are

You are socially confident and enjoy engaging with the public. You are good at working with your hands, take pleasure in instruction, and aren’t afraid to stand out in a crowd. You respect the natural world and are committed to conservation. An expert show-and-teller, your enthusiasm is contagious and based on historic evidence. You like doing research on a variety of subjects or are interested in learning how to conduct historical research. Regardless of previous experience or knowledge, you are excited to learn and share skills and stories from High Desert history. You are curious, a self-starter with varied interests who can work independently as well as part of a diverse team.

Want to learn more?

Importantly, we recognize and honor that the qualifications required to excel in this position can come from a range of both professional and lived experiences. In the job description we describe what we believe to be important qualifications for a candidate to have while remaining open to the diversity of experiences that can lead to these skill sets. Position descriptions are at times presented in a way that leaves qualified candidates feeling unwelcome, intimidated, uncomfortable and/or unqualified to apply. Recognizing that, we strongly encourage anyone who feels passionate about this work and believes they have what it takes to thrive in this role to apply.

Want to apply?

Please email PDFs of your resume & cover letter to: jobs@highdesertmuseum.org

The Museum provides an equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Mission

The High Desert Museum wildly excites and responsibly teaches through innovative, interdisciplinary experiences, creating connection to and dialogue about the High Desert.

jobs@highdesertmuseum.org

highdesertmuseum.org/job-opportunities