Educator, Tour and Docent Programs

Newfields; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Educator, Tour and Docent Programs at Newfields provides strategic leadership for docent engagement across the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Lilly House. Under the direction of the Associate Director of Education, this role ensures guided tour content is inclusive, relevant, and connected to the collection and exhibitions.

The Educator advances docent learning, mentors a diverse docent corps, and positions the program as a vital part of Newfields’ educational mission, engaging audiences

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Museum Education, Art History, Education, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years managing docent programs or museum education in an art museum.
• Experience developing and evaluating docent training integrating scholarship and pedagogy.
• Experience with program evaluation and data-driven refinement of tours.
• Proficiency with Volgistics or comparable volunteer systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight for the docent program in partnership with the Associate Director of Education.
• Recruit, train, and mentor docents to grow capacity and diversify perspectives.
• Develop docent continuing education integrating scholarship with pedagogy in collaboration with curators.
• Serve as liaison between the docent corps and Newfields teams.
• Implement policies established with the Director of Education.
• Monitor trends in docent programming to keep Newfields at the forefront.
• Develop trainings and new tour formats for exhibitions and special occasions.
• Maintain docent teaching resources aligned with standards and best practices.
• Lead evaluation and assessment of the docent program using visitor feedback and data.
• Track and steward program budgets with the Associate Director of Education.
• Maintain accurate records including docent engagement statistics and attendance.

Skills

Communication

Facilitation

Mentorship

Art Historical Knowledge

Collaboration

Diplomacy

Judgment

Accessibility & Inclusion

Organization

Education

Master’s degree in Museum Education

5 years docent program management

Experience evaluating docent training

Volgistics experience

Tools

Volgistics

Job description

Opportunity Title:Educator,Tourand Docent Programs

Reports To:Associate Director of Education

Salary Range:$55,000 - $60,000

OVERVIEW

The Educator, Tour and Docent Programs provides strategic leadership for docent engagement at Newfields.Under the direction of the Director of Education, this role ensures guided tour content is inclusive, relevant, and connected to the collection and exhibitions across theIndianapolis Museum of Art and Lilly House. The Educator advances docent learning, fosters a cohesive and well-supported docent corps, and positions the program as a vital part of Newfields’ educational mission, engaging audiences from PreK–12 through adult learners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic oversight for the docent program in partnership with the Associate Director of Education.
• Recruit, train, and mentor docents to grow program capacity, diversify perspectives, and meet increasing demand.
• Develop and lead docent continuing education that integrates art historical scholarship with pedagogical best practices, in collaboration with curators, educators, and external experts.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the docent corps and Newfields team members.
• Implement and uphold policies established in collaboration with the Director of Education.
• Monitor national trends in docent programming and museum education to position Newfields at the forefront of practice.
• Develop docent trainings and new tour formats for exhibitions, gallery rotations, cultural celebrations, holidays, and commemorative milestones.
• Develop and maintain docent teaching resources aligned with institutional standards and informed by industry best practices.
• Lead evaluation and assessment of the docent program, using visitor feedback and data to refine training, tour design, and visitor engagement.
• Track and steward program budgets with fiscal responsibility, in coordination with the Associate Director of Education.
• Maintain accurate records, including docent engagement statistics, program attendance, and evaluation data.

KEYQUALIFICATIONS

• Communication: Clear, effective communication with docents, colleagues, and museum audiences.
• Facilitation: Skilled in leading docent training sessions, workshops, and continuing education programs.
• Mentorship: Ability to provide individualized guidance and support to docents, fostering growth and confidence.
• Art Historical Knowledge: Strong grounding in art history with skill in connecting scholarship to public engagement.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated success working with curators, educators, and external experts to enrich docent learning.
• Diplomacy: Ability to navigate strong personalities, build consensus, and cultivate trust across teams and volunteers.
• Judgment: Proven capacity to exercise sound judgment in balancing docent needs, institutional priorities, and visitor experience.
• Accessibility & Inclusion: Commitment to equitable, accessible, and inclusive museum practice that welcomes varied perspectives.
• Organization:Strong organizational and record‑keeping skills, with attention to detail and accountability.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Museum Education, Art History, Education, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5 years of experience in docent program management, volunteer leadership, or museum education within an art museum or cultural institution.
• Prior experience developing and evaluating docent training programs that integrate art historical scholarship and pedagogical best practices.
• Experience with program evaluation and data‑driven refinement of museum tours and educational offerings.
• ProficiencywithVolgisticsor comparable volunteer management systems used in museum contexts.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/ ormove up to50pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color, vision peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the position. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.