Education Associate

The Zekelman Holocaust Center; Farmington Hills (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, MI seeks an Education Associate to plan and lead guided tours and specialized educational workshops. You will engage visitors, educate on Holocaust history, and empower action through remembrance.

The role emphasizes collaboration with educators and community partners, delivering in-person and virtual programs and contributing to education initiatives with a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in History, Education, or related field.
• Experience with, and desire to work with people from all backgrounds.
• Excellent public speaking, presentation, and listening skills.
• Adapts quickly to change, and works well in a fast-paced work environment.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, guest services demeanor, and the desire and ability to work with a close-knit team.
• Intellectual curiosity about Holocaust history and how it relates to contemporary social issues.
• Ability to stand and walk for up to five hours in a day, with breaks.
• Reliable transportation; languages other than English beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead guided tours of The HC’s core exhibit and tailor for various groups.
• Plan and facilitate specialized educational programming and workshops.
• Provide administrative support and contribute to education projects.
• Collaborate with teachers and coordinators to identify needs.
• Deliver virtual programming for adult groups and schools.

Skills

Public speaking

Interpersonal skills

Active listening

Adaptability

Working with diverse audiences

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in History, Education, or related field

Job description

Summary of Responsibilities

The role of the Education Associate is to use content expertise to plan and lead The Zekelman Holocaust Center’s guided tours as well as specialized educational workshops and programs.

In so doing, an Education Associate helps the organization to achieve our mission to engage, educate, and empower our visitors by remembering the Holocaust, and to further our goal to be the nexus of Holocaust education in Michigan.

Who We Are

The Zekelman Holocaust Center (The HC) was founded by Michigan survivors in 1984 as a lasting memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Our mission is to engage, educate, and empower through remembrance so that individuals and society will recognize, combat, and prevent antisemitism, discrimination, and hate‑based violence.

The Center teaches history’s darkest period to 100,000 visitors each year, including students and adults of all backgrounds. Our new permanent exhibit places Holocaust victim and survivor stories at the center, making extensive use of archival footage, images and video testimony. Artifacts include an authentic WWII‑era boxcar and a sapling from the tree located outside Anne Frank’s hiding place window. The Center also invites the public to make use of its 20,000 volume Library Archive. Museum Educators and Docents provide customized tours, workshops and programs, empowering visitors to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to create a more compassionate world where people take responsible action.

We value candidates who are community‑oriented and civic‑minded, and who demonstrate a commitment to serving others.

Why Join Us

You will play a role in meaningful, mission‑driven work. We offer strong work/life balance, a generous holiday schedule, 401(k) with employer match, and more.

Portfolio Responsibilities

• Lead guided tours of The HC’s core exhibit - 50%
• Plan and facilitate specialized programming - 30%
• Provide support to initiatives and projects in the Education Department - 20%

Lead Guided Tours of The HC’s Core Exhibit (50%)

• After initial training and through ongoing professional development and research, achieve excellence in teaching all areas of the HC’s exhibit. The goal of tours is to educate visitors about the Holocaust and empower them to take action in our world today.
• Communicate with group coordinators and teachers to elicit group‑specific needs and interests that can be met by Holocaust educational programming.
• Use content expertise to lead customized tours for adult groups that require a specialized focus on different aspects of Holocaust history and application to their fields. For instance, Security Sector tours (police, military, and fire), college and university programming, law firms, medical professionals, etc.
• Lead pedagogically sound tours for school‑aged students that are customized to the needs and objectives of each group.
• Lead tours for general adult audiences that are tailored to meet the needs of adult groups.
• Lead virtual programming for adult groups and schools.
• Conduct intake calls with teachers and other stakeholders.
• Assist with the implementation of arrival & welcome, tour launch, and group dismissal procedures.
• Participate in reflective practice, individually and as part of a team to improve teaching skills.

Plan and facilitate specialized programming (30%)

• Facilitate workshops, seminars, conference presentations, and other educational programming to provide professional development for adult groups through the lens of lessons learned from the Holocaust.
• Facilitate workshops, conference presentations, and other educational programming to education professionals and pre‑service teachers.
• Communicate with group coordinators and teachers to elicit group‑specific needs and interests that can be met by Holocaust educational programming.
• Some sessions may be off‑site and will require travel within the region.

Provide support to initiatives and projects in the Education Department (20%)

• Provide administrative and operational support, as well as research and content development to projects and programs as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in History, Education, or a related field
• Experience with, and desire to, work with people from all backgrounds
• Excellent public speaking, presentation, and listening skills
• Adapts quickly to change, and works well in a fast‑paced work environment
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, guest services demeanor, and the desire and ability to work with a close‑knit team
• Intellectual curiosity about Holocaust history and how it relates to contemporary social issues
• Ability to stand and walk for up to five hours in a day, with breaks
• Reliable transportation
• Knowledge of languages other than English beneficial, but not required

The HC has a fully onsite work environment, with flexibility for personal matters as needed.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.

The HC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.