Museum Floor Associate II - Full-Time

Pretend City Children's Museum; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Pretend City Children’s Museum seeks a mission-driven Museum Floor Associate II to oversee the care and maintenance of Pretend City’s Art Studio, curating open-ended materials for child-led exploration and creativity.

You'll train staff, manage supplies, run field trips, support families, and ensure guest safety while staying current with best practices in early learning. This role emphasizes hands-on collaboration with Education leadership to inspire curious minds through play.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or 2+ years in education or museum studies.
• Ability to speak in front of groups clearly.
• Experience with young children and public interactions.
• Organized and able to manage multiple tasks with little supervision.
• Experience with inventory or materials management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Curate and refresh open-ended materials in the Art Studio.
• Train team on child-led exploration.
• Set up, clean, and maintain Art Studio per best practices.
• Communicate observations to team.
• Track materials inventory and budget adherence.
• Engage in public programming.
• Run and facilitate field trips.
• Observe engagement of children and guests with the space.
• Stay updated on current field trends and adjust accordingly.
• Support families with parent education.
• Provide quality guest service and ensure safety.
• Additional tasks as assigned.

Skills

Public speaking

Customer service

Organization

Multitasking

Open-ended learning

Education

Associate degree

2+ years education experience

Job description

Pretend City Children’s Museum is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire children and families to learn, grow and become future-ready through the power of play. We see a world where every child and parent discovers the joy of learning through play, building the confidence, curiosity, and life skills for a future full of possibility.

In alignment with our objectives and mission, we are seeking a mission-driven Museum Floor Associate II to oversee the care and maintenance of Pretend City’s Art Studio. This role ensures the space remains organized, adequately supplied, and inviting to visitors. The Museum Floor Associate II curates and rotates open-ended materials and loose parts to facilitate child-led exploration and creativity, while observing visitor interactions to uphold the quality of the environment.

Essential Functions:

• Curate, arrange, and regularly refresh open-ended materials and loose parts in the studio, creating inviting spaces where children can explore and create freely .
• Work with the Education Manager and Leads to train and coach Team Members on supporting child-led exploration in the Art Studio.
• Set up, clean, and maintain the Art Studio space and materials, following established best practices for how the space should be maintained by floor staff.
• Ensure clear communication to appropriate team members of all observations and findings.
• Assist in tracking and maintaining materials inventory and adhere to an annual budget.
• Engage in regular public programming.
• Run and facilitate field trips.
• Assist in observation and documentation of how children and guests engage with the space, along with guest feedback.
• Stay up to date on current trends in the field and adjust materials and the studio environment accordingly.
• Support families in parent education on best/most current practices in the field.
• Provide quality support and customer service to all guests.
• Ensure the safety and well-being of museum guests.
• Additional tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum associate degree and/or 2+ years’ experience in education, early childhood development, or museum studies.
• Ability to speak with ease in front of large & small groups of people.
• Ability to interact with young children and the public with enthusiasm and patience.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with museum staff and volunteers.
• Must be well organized and able to handle multiple tasks at a time with little supervision.
• Familiarity with open-ended, process-based, or child-led learning approaches preferred.
• Experience organizing and maintaining materials, supplies, or inventory preferred.
• Experience interacting with young children, preferably in a formal or informal learning environment.
• Understanding of classroom management strategies preferred.
• Demonstration of excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to be on your feet most of the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some weeknights.
• Ability to use standard office equipment.
• Ability to identify and solve standard problems and refer more complex problems to supervisory staff.