Interpretation Manager

Position: Interpretation Manager

Supervisor: EVP, Museum Experience

Type: 24 hours per week; non-exempt

Salary Range:  $23/hr to $25/hr

Organization Overview

Formed in January 2020, Revolutionary Spaces is a new organization on Boston’s civic and cultural landscape.  Our mission is to bring people together to explore the ongoing American struggle to create and sustain a free society as singularly evoked by the two national treasures we care for -- Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House.

Through community partnerships, contemporary forms of storytelling, and important civic conversations, Revolutionary Spaces strives to bring people together to explore the history and continue the work of democracy that took shape in these buildings, located two blocks from each other in the heart of downtown Boston. We are dedicated to creating experiences for our audiences that not only deepen understanding of the past, but also provide a fresh perspective on the world we live in today and help us create new ideas and tools to build a more just and equitable tomorrow.

About the Position

The Interpretation Manager is a new and multifaceted role in the Museum Experience team.   The position offers the unique opportunity to work with a dynamic new organization to reinvent the interpretation of two of the nation’s most significant 18th-century buildings to make them more relevant to 21st-century audiences.  Working with the EVP, Museum Experience, this position is charged with helping to coordinate several interpretive projects underway for 2021 and beyond:

• A new Revolutionary Spaces Fellows Program, which will bring a set of national scholars and Massachusetts-based artists together to help us re-imagine the cross-site interpretation in ways that are aligned to our new mission    
• Development of initial strategy for new temporary and permanent galleries at both the Old State House and Old South Meeting House, as well as our theater program strategy 
• Planning and outreach related to our commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, which will take place in 2023.

This project is currently part-time, but may become a full-time position once social distancing constraints are loosened and the museum resumes operations at normal capacity.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage projects described above, including tracking project timelines; coordinating meetings with internal and external stakeholders; ensuring deadlines are met.
• Develop written summaries of discussions at interpretative strategy meetings, synthesizing key ideas and identifying engaging storylines.
• Coordinate Revolutionary Spaces Artist Fellows program by ensuring scholarly support, helping align artist projects with institutional goals, and tracking timelines.
• Help recommend and prioritize interpretive strategies for future permanent and temporary exhibits in the galleries that connect to diverse audiences.
• Design and/or support public programs related to the Revolutionary Spaces Fellows program and interpretive planning taking place in 2021.  
• Assist with outreach to organizations that work in similar fields, such as democracy, civic engagement, and American history.
• Collaborate with internal social media and marketing teams to identify content from interpretive planning work that can be translated into social media content.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience in relevant field
• Past experience with museum exhibitions or interpretation preferred but not required
• Excellent writing/editing skills, and demonstrated ability to make complex information accessible to various audiences including the general public, families, and educators
• Program management experience and strong attention to detail
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and creative environment
• Experience in building and managing highly collaborative stakeholder relationships
• Attention to detail, ability to multitask and self-manage multiple projects
• Desire to make Revolutionary Era history relevant to contemporary audiences
• Learning mindset and capacity to learn from mistakes
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Excel, Powerpoint, and Word

Physical Requirements

This position will begin remotely due to COVID-19.  Once social distancing requirements lift, candidates will be expected to work out of offices and historic sites in downtown Boston.  Some staff offices are located on the third floor of a 300 year old historic building without an elevator. Candidates should be able to carry equipment and supplies up and down stairs.

Benefits

Generous PTO policy; 403b with 5% match after one year; and free admission to many local museums (Additional benefits are available should the position turn into a full-time role.)

To apply, please email HR@RevolutionarySpaces.org with your resume, cover letter, and relevant writing sample.