Historical Facilitator - PT/Flex

Conner Prairie Museum; Fishers (IN); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Conner Prairie Museum in Fishers, IN seeks a Historical Facilitator to lead engaging, guest-focused activities on the historic grounds. You will use storytelling, demonstrations, and hands-on projects to bring Indiana’s past to life for diverse visitors.

This seasonal, day-shift role requires flexibility for weekends and holidays, a commitment to accuracy and customer service, and the ability to work as part of the Guest Engagement Team to inspire curiosity about history, art, science and

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; or three months related experience and/or training.
• Previous experience interpreting history is desired, as is experience in the museum or theatre industry.

Responsibilities

• Engage guests through interpretive tools such as storytelling, demonstrations, artifact-driven discovery, and performances.
• Serve guests, including those with differing needs, through multisensory activities.
• Maintain historical accuracy and artistic integrity in interpretation, whether as first-person or third-person narration.
• Assist in daily operations of the historic grounds, including housekeeping, inventory, or routine maintenance tasks.
• Commit to an annual 8–10 month seasonal schedule that often includes weekends and holidays.

Skills

Guest engagement

Interpretive storytelling

Multisensory activities

Customer service

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Job Details:
Job Location: Conner Prairie Museum - Fishers, IN 46038
Position Type: Seasonal
Education Level: None
Travel Percentage: Negligible
Job Shift: Day
Job Category: Nonprofit - Social Services

Principal Function

The Historical Facilitator at Conner Prairie provides engaging, guest-focused, mission‑driven daily activities on the historic grounds. The Facilitator is a vital part of the Guest Engagement Team, acting to fulfill guest expectations and to meet Conner Prairie goals of inspiring curiosity and connecting visitors with Indiana’s past lifeways through history, art, science, and nature.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Engage guests through interpretive tools such as immersive storytelling, process demonstration, artifact‑driven discovery, performance, and experimental learning on topics of nature, science, and American history, with a special emphasis on Indiana history.
• Serve guests, including those with differing needs, through multisensory activities within modern or historic contexts.
• Perform assigned roles that consistently maintain historical accuracy and artistic integrity, whether portraying first‑person composite characters or through docent (third‑person) interpretation.
• Assist in the daily operations of the historic grounds, which may include inventorying or cleaning historic buildings, performing domestic trades (gardening, hearth cooking, spinning/textiles), monitoring or reporting maintenance issues, and completing other duties such as training as assigned.
• Commit to an annual 8‑to‑10‑month seasonal work schedule that often includes weekends and holidays.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Education and/or Experience

High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or three months related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous experience interpreting history is desired, as is experience in the museum or theatre industry.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty according to the organization's requirements. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.

Competencies

• Customer Service: Respond to service requests and assist; manage difficult or emotional customer situations by listening, keeping emotions under control, soliciting feedback, maintaining confidentiality, and remaining open to new ideas.
• Teamwork: Balance team and individual responsibilities; exhibit objectivity and openness; give and welcome feedback; build positive team spirit; prioritize team success; build morale and commitment; support all efforts.
• Diversity: Demonstrate knowledge of EEO policy, respect cultural differences, educate others on diversity value, promote a harassment‑free environment, and build a diverse workforce.
• Ethics: Treat people with respect, keep commitments, inspire trust, act with integrity, and uphold organizational values.
• Organizational Support: Follow policies, complete administrative tasks correctly and on time, support organizational goals, contribute to outside activities, and support affirmative action.
• Professionalism: Approach others tactfully, react well under pressure, treat others with respect regardless of status, accept responsibility, and follow through on commitments.
• Quality/Quantity: Demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness, seek quality improvement, apply feedback, monitor work, meet productivity standards, and work quickly.
• Safety/Security: Observe procedures, determine appropriate action beyond guidelines, report unsafe conditions, and use equipment properly.
• Attendance/Punctuality/Dependability: Be consistently on time, cover responsibilities when absent, attend meetings, follow instructions, and commit to long hours when necessary.

Job‑Related Competencies

• Adaptability: Adapt to work‑environment changes, manage competing demands, adjust approach, and handle frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Technical Skills: Assess strengths and weaknesses, pursue training, continuously build knowledge, and share expertise.
• Oral Communication: Speak clearly and persuasively, listen, clarify, respond well to questions, present in groups, and participate in meetings.
• Initiative: Volunteer, undertake self‑development, seek increased responsibilities, take independent action, take advantage of opportunities, and offer help.

Physical Demands

The employee regularly sits, uses hands to finger, handle, or feel, reaches with hands and arms, and talks or hears. The employee frequently stands, walks, and lifts or moves up to 25 pounds. The employee occasionally climbs or balances, stoops, kneels, crouches, or crawls, and tastes or smells. Vision requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment.

Work Environment

Work is performed in wet or humid, non‑weather conditions and outdoor weather. Exposure to moving mechanical parts, high or precarious places, fumes, airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold or heat, electrical shock, and explosives may occur. Noise levels are usually quiet to moderate.

Conner Prairie is generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. This position will be required to work beyond these hours and when open for special events.