We’re hiring!
The Westmorland Historical Society is now accepting applications for the 2024 summer season.
Museum Docents
Keillor House Museum and St. James Textile Museum — Dorchester, NB
2-3 positions, subject to funding availability. Specific weeks and dates to be confirmed.
Working under the supervision of the Manager/Curator, the Museum Docents will help to deliver the public programming of Keillor House Museum. They will present public talks using illustrative media, engage in casual discussions with visitors, and lead guided tours. They are responsible for daily admissions, tracking visitor statistics, processing gift shop sales, and work with the museum staff to maintain the security and cleanliness of the site. The Museum Docents will also familiarize themselves with records and objects in the museum collection to enhance their understanding of the site’s history and effectively convey information to visitors. They contribute to special events held at the museum and have the opportunity to learn specific skills related to museum operations in collaboration with their colleagues.
The ideal candidate will have completed grade 12 or equivalent and have an interest in local history. They must be fluently bilingual in both official languages (French and English). They are enthusiastic, motivated, and a good communicator with strong interpersonal skills. Experience with public speaking in a museum interpretation role or through other contexts such as acting would be considered an asset, though not required. The Westmorland Historical Society is an equal opportunity employer.
Curatorial Assistant
Keillor House Museum and St. James Textile Museum — Dorchester, NB
1 position, subject to funding availability. Specific weeks and dates to be confirmed.
The Curatorial Assistant will work directly with the museum collection under the guidance of the Manager/Curator. They will identify collection objects, confirm artefact information on the computerized collection database, research artefact details, digitally photograph objects and ensure that the digital records conform to the required standards as defined in the Westmorland Historical Society Collection Handbook. They will help respond to information requests and assist genealogy researchers as needed. The successful candidate will use their knowledge about the collection to support the work of the interpretive staff. They will also perform other functions in support of curatorial and conservation activities.
The successful candidate will also assist museum visitors and lead guided tours as needed. They are responsible for daily admissions, tracking visitor statistics, processing gift shop sales, and work with other museum staff to maintain the security and cleanliness of the site. They contribute to special events held at the museum and have the opportunity to learn specific skills related to museum operations in collaboration with their colleagues.
The ideal candidate will have completed grade 12 and have an interest in local history. They will be a self starter who can work with and without direct supervision. Previous computer database and museum experience would be an asset. The Westmorland Historical Society is an equal opportunity employer.
Textile Museum Assistant
St. James Textile Museum — Dorchester, NB
1 position, subject to funding availability. Specific weeks and dates to be confirmed.
The Textile Museum Assistant will work directly with museum visitors under the guidance of the Manager/Curator and Textile Museum Specialist at St. James Textile Museum. The role involves learning various skills and techniques related to textile production and fibre arts throughout history. As part of the interpretive team, the Textile Museum Assistant will communicate historical information to groups and individuals, emphasizing hands-on demonstrations of textile techniques.
Throughout the work term, the Textile Museum Assistant will gain expertise in various textile-related skills, including carding wool, spinning wool (manually and on different wheels), thread warping, loom threading, weaving on modern and two-century old looms, rug hooking, needlepoint, dyeing techniques, and more. They will apply this knowledge to interpret the museum collection and displays for visitors. Working with the Textile Museum Specialist, the Textile Museum Assistant will plan, troubleshoot, and produce weaving projects from start to finish. They will collaborate with the Westmorland Historical Society’s Events Committee for the planning of special events and workshops centered around textile skills. In addition to interpretation and their contribution to events, they are responsible for daily admissions, recording visitation statistics, processing gift shop sales, and working with other museum staff to maintain the security and cleanliness of the site. When not occupied with other duties, the Textile Museum Assistant will apply their skills to help create spun wool, handwoven goods, and rug hooked products for sale in the museum gift shop.
The ideal candidate will have completed grade 12 and have a strong interest in local history, textiles, and fibre arts. Fluency in French, prior experience working in a museum setting, or with techniques such as weaving, spinning, rug hooking, needlepoint, etc. will be considered assets, but are not required. The successful candidate will be motivated, enthusiastic, detail oriented, and able to work efficiently alone or in collaboration with others. Public speaking experience and good communication skills contribute to their success. The Westmorland Historical Society is an equal opportunity employer.
Apply:
To apply, please submit a cover letter and résumé to Museum Manager/Curator Keegan Hiltz at keillorhousemuseum@gmail.com by April 15, 2024. In your cover letter, please specify which position(s) you are interested in and indicate your proficiency in French.
Candidates should be prepared to work flexible hours, including weekends and statutory holidays. The duration of positions will be approximately 10 to 14 weeks. These positions are contingent upon funding availability and adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Young Canada Works, Community Museums Summer Employment Program, and Canada Summer Jobs.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.