Public Programs Assistant

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond.  Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. 

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.

• Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.

• Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.

• Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.

• Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

About the Role

Working under the direction of the Associate Director of Public and Community Engagement, the Public Programs Assistant will join a team of educators committed to sharing The Huntington’s wide range of programming with multi-generational audiences.

This is an on-call position, with no set weekly hours. Throughout the year, the assistant will support various public programs on weekends and evenings as needed.

In the summer, the Public Programs Assistant supports all aspects of The Huntington's annual Explorers Camp, including the logistics of classes, classroom setup and breakdown, and assisting with program registration and check-in. They will also be tasked with various administrative duties related to the club program. Explorers Camp runs for three weeks: July 13-17, July 20-24, and July 26-31. Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. or approximately 30 hours per week, with additional hours for staff training and camp breakdown.

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

Essential Duties – Regular

• Prepare supplies for programs, set up and break down programs, and organize supplies post-program.

• Check-in participants for classes and workshops.

• Facilitate in-person activities at drop-in programs.

• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties – Explorers Camp

• Help with Explorers Camp daily set up and check-in.

• Participate in daily evaluation of campers’ needs, classroom supplies, and teachers’ needs.

• Help with daily restocking of classroom materials. 

• Assist with daily clean-up.

• Communicate with Security team and other Huntington departments as needed.

• Supports teachers in classroom instruction.

• Accompany students and teachers to various galleries and gardens.

• Assists with administrative duties.

• May assist in the supervision of volunteers.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent oral communication, customer service and organizational skills required.

• Ability to be flexible required.

• Interest in gardens, art, literature and history strongly desired.

• Interest in hands-on learning with a range of children’s ages and abilities strongly desired.

Experience:

• Experience working with children and families strongly preferred.

• Must be highly organized and attentive to detail while remaining flexible.

Working Conditions  

• Many programs occur outdoors in all types of weather.

• Considerable standing and sitting outdoors.

• Pay Rate: $20.00/hr.

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 

• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions 

• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds