Seasonal Makerspace Facilitator

Position Title:Seasonal Makerspace Facilitator (Summer)

Department:  Maker & Innovation Lab

Reports to: Maker & Innovation Lab Manager

Pay Class: Full-time Temporary

FLSA Status: Hourly, Non-Exempt         

Position Summary

The Seasonal Makerspace Facilitator contributes to Pacific Science Center's mission to spark curiosity and fuel a passion for discovery, experimentation and critical thinking through direct guest engagement with hands-on making and tinkering. Tinker Tank Makerspace is PacSci's makerspace and tinker activity floor experience. This growing program currently focuses primarily on the general admission guest experience, supporting un-facilitated tinkering, facilitated activities, and drop-in maker experiences, all on the busy exhibit floor. This role focuses heavily on guest engagement, with the majority of work time spent in a busy, guest-facing environment. This role embodies the creative spirit of a maker, role modeling design, tinkering, failure, and iteration as equally valuable stages of making, and strives to inspire joy in the process as much as the final result.

The Seasonal Makerspace position is a full-time, temporary role. One facilitator position will begin May 15th and end in late August. The other will begin July 1st and end early September. Working full weekends is required for this role.  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities       

• Helps to execute the day-to-day programming and operations of Tinker Tank Makerspace 
• Maintains activities on the public floor throughout the day; consistently keeping the area clean and tidy; and ensuring walkways are free of debris at all times
• Facilitates undirected and directed making with guests, modeling and using effective, equitable and culturally competent facilitation methods 
• Rotates through the makerspace, pro-actively engaging with curious guests while performing repairs and other maintenance duties  
• Competently and safely utilizes Tinker Tank technology
• Assists in maintaining a well-organized and secure inventory of tools and materials 
• Other duties as assigned 

Position Requirements

• Personal bias awareness
• Knowledge of systemic race and gender imbalance in STEM/STEAM education
• Familiarity with making and tinkering practices in makerspaces based in museums and/or community organizations and/or schools
• Working understanding of safety and risk management best practices in a makerspace
• Situational awareness and creative problem solving
• Excellent customer service skills including composure under pressure, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to represent Pacific Science Center's mission and guiding principles
• Excellent speaking, time management, and organizational skills. 
• Enthusiastic self-learner; comfortable teaching and learning from peers
• Ability to assess age-appropriate risk and activities and apply good judgement and critical thinking skills
• Ability to thrive and be flexible in a fast-paced, rapidly changing, guest facing environment

Qualifications

Required

• Considerable personal or professional experience with making or tinkering, including any single or combination of:
  • Sewing, quilting, weaving, crochet, knitting, or other textile work
  • Papercraft, jewelry making, pottery, leatherwork, needlework, or other types of crafting
  • Woodworking
  • CAD programs, programming, video game design, video and audio production, engineering or architecture skills
  • Hardware experience with hand tools, 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, electronics, robotics, or similar 21st century technology tools
• Experience working with youth in a formal or informal K-12 education environment, i.e. formal classroom, community centers, libraries, museums, etc, or extensive personal experience working with youth.
• Experience working or volunteering in a busy, loud, public-facing environment, i.e. museums, food service, retail, etc.
• Work must be performed onsite. Work schedules may include occasional evenings in addition to full weekends.

Preferred         

• Prior career or volunteer experience in an education-oriented makerspace or similar program
• Proficiency in a second language such as but not limited to Spanish, Somali, Mandarin, ASL, and/or Vietnamese is a highly preferred skill to support with on-floor communication

This position description generally describes the principal functions of the position and the level of knowledge and skills typically required. It does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and the employee, and it is subject to change as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.