What are the responsibilities and job description for the Play Ambassador position at ICAN Inc?
The Play Ambassador position supports both the Utica Children’s Museum and the Mobile Museum programming. A Play Ambassador serves as a facilitator by providing exceptional customer service, implementation of key early childhood education and developmental frameworks, and by ensuring safety practices are maintained in order to foster a fun, playful, stimulating, and inclusive environment for all children and families. The Play Ambassador will promote the philosophy and mission of the agency by performing the following duties.
Shift: Wednesday-Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm, Sundays 9:30am-4pm
Duties and Responsibilities
Guest Engagement & Customer Service: Greet visitors, provide museum orientation, answer questions, resolve concerns diplomatically, and ensure a positive guest experience. Actively engage visitors, initiate conversations, and provide meaningful interactions.
Facilitate Play & Learning: Engage in interactive play, guide children through exhibits and activities, and inspire learning through hands-on programs.
Program & Event Implementation: Lead arts, crafts, storytelling, music, drama, movement, and cooperative games and activities both in the museum and at community events.
Event & Party Assistance: Assist with facilitating school visits, summer camps, private events, birthday parties, field trips and outreach programs to create memorable experiences at the Children's Museum and with the Mobile Museum.
Safety & Supervision: Monitor play areas, enforce rules, ensure visitor safety, and handle emergencies calmly and effectively.
Exhibit & Facility Maintenance: Participate in routine checks, monitor exhibits, reset props, remove unsafe objects, uphold cleanliness standards by performing daily sanitizing and cleaning tasks, and report maintenance needs to Management.
Communication & Teamwork: Collaborate with staff to ensure smooth operations and an engaging environment. Communicate with management when supplies are needed or something needs attention.
Visitor Feedback & Continuous Improvement: Collect guest insights and report to management for experience enhancements.
Mentoring & Training: Assist in training and mentoring fellow staff members as requested.
Support Mobile Museum Operations: Assist with transportation, perform unloading and loading of vehicle, set up and break down of exhibits, and ensure necessary supplies are secured for Mobile Museum events and associated activities.
Flexible Scheduling: Must be willing to work a flexible, variable schedule, including some holidays, evenings, and weekend days.
Other duties may be assigned.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Interest and ability in working with children and families from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, experiences, perspectives.
Ideal candidates must be engaging, 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.
Good interpersonal and organizational skills. Uses sensitivity and good judgment when engaging with children and families. Brings issues or concerns to appropriate supervisor.
Must have a passion for play and guest service along with genuine joy interacting with children and families.
Must have a positive attitude and strong work ethnic.
Ability to respond to challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
Strong organizational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Respectful, approachable, and engaging personality.
Commitment to maintaining a safe, clean, and organized environment.
Education/Experience:
Minimum High School Diploma or equivalent preferred.
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).
Course-work in Early Learning or Childhood Development (0-10 years old) a plus.
Experience working or volunteering with children in an educational or recreation setting.
