Interpreter - Pottery Production Lead

This position will serve as the frontline manager and mentor of staff, volunteers, interns, and fellows in the Pottery Shop, and will represent the trades program both on-site and at external partner institutions.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree (A.A.) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated competence in core pottery skills: throwing, finishing, glazing, and firing, including wood-fired kiln operation.

• One year of experience working with the public in a museum, educational institution, or historical society.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences.

• Experience managing detailed production orders and prioritizing work.

• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

• Museum and education experience preferred.

Essential Duties

Pottery Production & Shop Operations

• Manage all internal pottery needs at the museum and communicate effectively with all departments.
• Supply the Gift Shop with pottery requests and manage the ongoing collaborative relationship with Gift Shop staff.

• Supply all exhibits with period-appropriate pottery for use in daily programming.

• Plan and execute firings of the wood-fired bottle kiln.

• Responsible for providing support to the Trades Coordinator for the day-to-day operation of the trades and pottery program.

• Work closely with the Trades Coordinator and the Lead of Pottery to ensure program continuity and quality.

• Maintain the safety, cleanliness, and good order of the Pottery Shop and all workspaces; share responsibility with all staff for the clean and neat appearance of the entire museum.

• Preserve the artifacts, reproductions, and buildings in the Village by caring for them properly.

Interpretation & Public Engagement

• Work face-to-face with the public in both on-site exhibits and at external institutions, delivering high-quality daily interpretation.

• Greet and orient audiences to the Village, preparing them for their experience.

• Master the information and skills necessary to teach specific aspects of the museum to visitors.

• Travel to external partner sites to demonstrate pottery and other hand skills (Coggeshall Farm Museum, Old Sturbridge Academy, Westfield Community College, and other historical sites as assigned).

• Work in the Pottery Shop and other historic exhibits as required; flexible placement across craft shops, households, mills, horticulture, and agriculture.

Education & Programming

• Develop and instruct pottery classes for both external institutions and internal school programs.

• Collaborate with Museum Education staff to develop programming for school field trips.

• Work with instructors from Old Sturbridge Academy to develop programming for Learning Through Primary sources (LTPs) and Learning Through Experience (LTEs).

• Understand, identify, and appropriately respond to the multiple learning styles of a diverse audience including students, families, and lifelong learners.

• Actively engage audiences using a range of interpretation techniques including hands-on activities, participation, tours, immersion, demonstration, recreation, lecture, and others.

• Work with colleagues (paid, volunteer, and intern) in the development, training, implementation, and review of programs and experiences that meet the diverse needs of OSV audiences.

• Participate in and aid in developing special event programs and other special activities; work with the Events Office and Communications to promote all museum activities.

• Be available to work weekends, holidays, and/or evening programs such as Phantoms by Firelight and Christmas by Candlelight.

Mentorship & Leadership

• Mentor staff, volunteers, interns, and fellows in hand-skill development and content training.

• Take a frontline management role and facilitate the OSV experience for all learners in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner.

• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of the role.

• Participate in various projects or tasks assigned by the Coordinator of Trades, Director of Interpretation, and other museum managers.

• Safeguard visitors and staff by being alert to foreseeable health and safety hazards.

• Understand and observe all Village policies.

• Other duties as required.

Physical and Scheduling Requirements (Essential Functions)

• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and varied shifts, including early mornings and evenings.

• Ability to travel across the museum campus, including moving between indoor and outdoor locations over varied terrain (paved, unpaved, or uneven surfaces), in order to perform job duties.

• Must be able to regularly lift loads of up to 50 pounds and occasionally move 100 pounds or more with team assistance.

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods to carry out assigned responsibilities.

• Ability to work in both indoor and outdoor environments, which may involve exposure to weather conditions and working in front of a fire for short or occasional periods while performing job tasks.

• Individuals in this position are subject to a Criminal Conviction Record check upon hire and every other year thereafter.

Old Sturbridge Village is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Old Sturbridge Village to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or membership in the uniformed services.