Organization: The Museum of Jewish Montreal
Job Title: Front Desk and Program Assistant
Location: Montreal, QC
Start Date: Thursday May 9, 2024
Compensation: $18.00/hr
Commitment: 25 hours/week
Application Due: April 2, 2024 by 5pm EST
The Museum of Jewish Montreal—an innovative place to connect with Montreal’s diverse Jewish life and heritage through new cultural experiences—is seeking qualified students to join our team as Front Desk and Program Assistants. Beginning on May 9, and running through early November, the program is designed to help university students interested in pursuing museum careers acquire the skills they need to work successfully in the cultural and heritage sectors. Participants will gain professional experience in a bilingual environment animating Museum visits, cultural programming and event support, audience engagement and customer service, and facilitating the core operations of the Museum’s public programming and tours.
Responsibilities will include:
- Animating Museum visits at our welcome desk and in our exhibition gallery;
- Providing customer service to diverse Museum audiences, including booking tour tickets, introducing visitors to Montreal’s Jewish history, and answering questions about the Museum’s mission and various programs;
- Assisting with the set-up, content, and take-down of the Museum’s public programs;
- Coordinating with colleagues and local vendors to ensure provisions are secured for the Museum’s walking and food tours;
- Liaising between Museum guests, tour guides, and other operational staff before and during walking tours;
- Working as part of a team within the Museum’s Fellowship program to engage in discussion, learning, and exploration of contemporary museological practices, while managing daily job-related tasks;
- Having the opportunity to engage in seminars throughout the summer designed to further participants’ knowledge of Canadian and Jewish cultural heritage and museum practices.
The ideal candidate will be excited about engaging with the public and acting as an ambassador for a vibrant, innovative community museum. As a representative of the Museum, the candidate should be reliable, professional, and adept at providing excellent customer service. Applicants should also have strong time management skills, the propensity to take initiative, and an eye for detail. Familiarity with Google Suite and point of sales systems is an asset, but not a requirement. All candidates should feel comfortable learning and navigating new technologies. Strong candidates will be those who are excited to engage in learning opportunities, eager to learn about the following:
- Jewish culture, history, or heritage,
- Urbanism and architecture,
- Contemporary art,
- Heritage exhibitions,
- Diverse and interdisciplinary arts and cultural programming,
- Immigrant histories, under-represented histories,
- Contemporary museum practices, and
- Engaging with the public and local communities
Candidates should be enrolled in either CEGEP, an Undergraduate or Graduate degree, or equivalent program. While there is no required field of study, applicants interested in Museology, History, Art History, Curatorial Studies, Public History, and Jewish Studies will find this position particularly rewarding. Due to the program’s location and responsibilities, applicants must be fluent in either French or English, and must possess at least intermediate capabilities in the other language. Applicants must be available to work evenings and weekends as needed.
Please note this position requires low-level physical activity such as carrying supplies up stairs and moving equipment up to 10 lbs.
In accordance with the Young Canada Works Student Eligibility Criteria, you are only eligible for the Fellowship program if you:
- Are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (note: Non-Canadian students holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible);
- Are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
- Are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment;
- Are a high school, college, CEGEP or university student.
- Meet the eligibility criteria of the program for which you are applying;
- Are registered in the YCW online candidate inventory;
- Are willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;
Further details and registration materials are available at https://www.youngcanadaworks.ca. Interested individuals who meet the above criteria may apply directly to the Museum of Jewish Montreal by emailing a CV, cover letter, unofficial transcript, and writing sample to emplois-jobs@imjm.ca with the subject of “FDP Assistant Application.” Applications are due Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 5 PM.
The Museum of Jewish Montreal is committed to ensuring that we are an inclusive space and encourage applications from everyone, including but not limited to women, Indigenous people peoples, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and persons of all sexual and gender identities.