Education Assistant

Join Our Team as an Education Assistant!

Do you love museums, enjoy working with people of all ages, and get a strange amount of satisfaction from well\-organized systems? Are you energized by juggling multiple priorities and helping educational programs run like a well\-oiled machine? If so, we’d love to meet you.

We’re looking for a full\-time, on\-site Education Assistant to support dynamic museum education programs serving learners from pre\-kindergarten through adulthood. This role is at the heart of our education department—helping turn great ideas into meaningful, welcoming, and memorable learning experiences.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Education Assistant provides essential operational and programmatic support for museum education initiatives serving students from pre\-kindergarten through adult learners. This position plays a critical role in facilitating high\-quality educational experiences through direct student engagement, volunteer coordination, materials management, and administrative support. The Education Assistant works collaboratively with educators, docents, storytellers, teachers, and museum staff to create welcoming, inclusive, and meaningful art learning experiences. This position is well\-suited to someone with strong organizational skills who enjoys working with diverse groups, can manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and takes satisfaction in maintaining systems that work.

This position regularly engages with staff, vendors, visitors, program participants, and colleagues in a personable and respectful manner.

The Education Assistant is a full\-time, on\-site position with a primarily Monday\-through\-Friday schedule.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Development and Implementation Support

• Scheduling school tours, including coordinating with teachers, managing space allocations, and ensuring appropriate volunteer staffing
• Assists the Manager in researching, developing, preparing, and implementing developmentally appropriate art activities for onsite museum programs, virtual online experiences, and offsite school and community partnerships
• Supports major Education Department events such as open houses, teacher professional development workshops, family programs, and community events

Program Facilitation and Student Engagement

• Facilitates the flow of students, chaperones, and volunteers throughout the museum during school programs, ensuring safe, organized, and engaging experiences
• Greets and orients school groups, providing warm hospitality and clear directions to facilitate smooth program execution
• Conducts or co\-facilitates gallery discussions and hands\-on art activities tailored to diverse age groups and learning needs
• Implements appropriate behavior management and safety protocols during school programs
• Adapts program delivery to accommodate students with diverse learning needs and abilities
• Monitors and implements daily setup of education spaces, including classrooms, galleries, and virtual learning environments
• Prepares, sets up, replenishes, and cleans up materials for tours, workshops, and educational programs

Volunteer Support and Training

• Assists in training volunteer docents and storytellers in facilitation techniques, student engagement strategies, and technology use for both in\-person and virtual programs
• Provides real\-time support to docents and storytellers during virtual programs, troubleshooting technology and assisting with participant engagement
• Collaborates with museum staff, docents, and storytellers to adapt activities to meet the diverse needs of student audiences
• Communicates regularly with volunteers to ensure they have the information and resources needed for successful program delivery

Materials Management and Logistics

• Collects, compiles, organizes, and maintains educational materials and supplies for school programs
• Orders materials and supplies as needed, tracking inventory and ensuring adequate stock for upcoming programs
• Compiles artwork submissions from student programs and teacher workshop materials

Administrative and Data Processing

• Performs administrative duties to support efficient operations of school programs, teacher services, and volunteer coordination
• Updates and maintains Education Department website content to ensure accurate, current information for teachers and community partners
• Processes and compiles teacher evaluations, workshop feedback, artwork submissions, and docent/storyteller surveys
• Maintains organized digital and physical filing systems for program documentation

Collaboration and Communication

• Engages with staff, vendors, visitors, program participants, teachers, and colleagues in a personable, professional, and culturally responsive manner
• Participates in School Programs Team meetings, Education Department meetings, and all\-staff meetings as required
• Contributes to the museum's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through all aspects of work
• Performs other related duties as assigned to support the Education Department

This position description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. The museum operates in a dynamic environment, and employees are expected to be flexible and contribute to the organization's success. Additional responsibilities may be assigned to meet organizational needs, support departmental goals, or respond to changing program requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent and experience working with children and youth in educational, school\-based, or community settings; OR An equivalent combination of education and experience

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Sites, Calendar)
• Experience with video conferencing platforms, particularly Zoom
• Excellent oral and written communication skills appropriate for diverse audiences including children, educators, and families
• Outstanding organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail
• Demonstrated resourcefulness, creativity, and flexibility in problem\-solving and adapting to changing circumstances
• Strong problem\-solving abilities and sound judgment when assessing situations and implementing solutions
• Flexibility and adaptability when working in ambiguous situations, particularly in dynamic educational Sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural differences with ability to communicate effectively with culturally diverse audiences
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to work collegially across departments and with volunteers of all backgrounds
• Customer service orientation with diplomacy and tact
• Ability and willingness to work onsite at the museum.
• Ability to travel occasionally to school and community sites throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area (mileage reimbursement provided)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in education, art education, museum studies, or closely related field from an accredited college or university
• One or more years of experience in museum education, gallery teaching, or arts education programming
• Experience with FileMaker or similar database management systems
• Knowledge of or interest in Asian art, history, and culture
• Multilingual abilities, particularly in languages spoken by Bay Area communities
• Training or experience in universal design for learning (UDL) and accessible education practices

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work Schedule and Location

• Work is primarily scheduled Monday through Friday during regular business hours, onsite, with the understanding that schedules may be adjusted to meet operational requirements. Remote work arrangements are in accordance with the museum's Telecommuting Policy.
• Occasional local travel to schools and community sites throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area (mileage reimbursement provided)
• Work performed across multiple museum environments: galleries, education classrooms, offices, and occasionally off\-site locations

Sitting/Standing/Walking

• Sitting/Standing: Prolonged standing (up to 3 consecutive hours) when facilitating school programs, gallery discussions, and hands\-on art activities with student groups. Extended periods of sitting (up to 2\-3 hours) at a computer workstation performing administrative tasks, data entry, and program planning
• Walking: Frequent walking throughout museum facilities and between buildings, on hard surfaces (tile, marble, concrete flooring) and stairs
• Moving: Ability to move between sitting, standing, and walking throughout the workday
• Bending/Kneeling: Ability to bend, kneel, and crouch when working with young children and setting up/cleaning up activity materials at floor level

Manual Tasks

• Manual Dexterity: Continuous use of hands and fingers for keyboarding, mouse operation, administrative work, website updates, and data entry; and handling documents; fine motor skills required for accurate data entry, preparing art materials, handling education supplies, and organizing program materials.
• Lifting/Carrying: \- Frequent lifting and carrying of materials up to 20 pounds (art supplies, educational materials, equipment); Occasional lifting and carrying of materials up to 35 pounds (larger supply boxes, bundled program materials)
• Reaching: Reaching above shoulder height and below waist level to access supplies on shelving and in storage areas; Ladder use to reach storage areas
• Pushing/pulling wheeled carts with program materials up to 75 pounds between classrooms and galleries

Sensory and Communication Requirements

• Vision: Requires close visual acuity for extended computer work (4\+ hours daily), reading printed materials, reviewing lesson plans, and monitoring student activities; Ability to read standard print (10\-12 point font) and computer screens
• Hearing: Requires hearing ability sufficient for telephone conversations, facilitating discussions with student groups ranging from quiet to noisy environments, in\-person communication with teachers and volunteers in various acoustic settings (quiet offices to busy galleries with groups of 30\+ students), and participation in meetings
• Communication: Requires frequent facilitation with diverse audiences including children (pre\-K through high school), teachers, volunteers, and museum visitors; Ability to project voice clearly in gallery settings with groups of up to 30 students and adults

Environmental Conditions

• Climate\-controlled office and classroom environments with ergonomic computer workstation
• Museum gallery spaces with controlled lighting and temperature
• Education spaces with variable noise levels, especially during school programs with multiple groups present
• Exposure to art materials, including paints, markers, clay, and adhesives, with appropriate safety protocols
• Regular interaction with large groups of children and adults in dynamic, sometimes unpredictable educational settings
• Occasional outdoor exposure when greeting school buses or facilitating outdoor activities
• Occasional travel to off\-site school and community locations with varying environmental conditions

Cognitive and Concentration

• Sustained attention to detail for program facilitation, materials preparation, and administrative accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous priorities and frequent interruptions, particularly during high\-volume school program days
• Real\-time problem\-solving and adaptability when working with diverse student groups with varying needs
• Processing and responding to a high volume of communications from teachers, volunteers, staff, and program participants
• Ability to maintain focus and composure while supervising groups of children in dynamic museum environments
• Quick decision\-making regarding student safety, group management, and program adjustments

POSITION NOTES

• This description is representative of typical duties but is not exhaustive
• This document does not constitute an employment contract
• Duties and responsibilities may evolve based on organizational needs and may be adjusted by your supervisor
• For represented positions: Terms and conditions of employment are governed by the CBA between the Asian Art Museum and SEIU 1021 \\

COMPENSATION

The Asian Art Museum is committed to practicing salary transparency. The hourly range for this position is $26\.7996 \- 32\.1871/hr. This FLSA non\-exempt opportunity includes a generous benefits package, including but not limited to:

• Fully covered medical, dental and vision insurance for employee
• 12 paid holidays (2026\)
• 15 days of vacation
• 12 days of sick leave
• Group retirement plan starting after one year of employment

This position is represented by Local 1021, Service Employees International Union.

New hires typically start at the beginning of the wage range.

OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITMENTS

At the Asian Art Museum, we are dedicated to ideating, building, and holding ourselves accountable for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility \& Inclusion in everything we do. We strive to foster a culture of respect, belonging and inclusivity for all employees.

Our mission is to celebrate, preserve, and promote Asian and Asian American art and cultures for local and global audiences. We provide a dynamic forum for exchanging ideas, inviting collaboration, and fueling imagination to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds.

Diversity of thought and experience is essential to our mission, and we are committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Apply online at https://about.asianart.org/careers/. Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. Application materials will be screened in relation to the criteria described. Candidates deemed to be the most highly qualified will be invited to participate in the interview process. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete but may fluctuate depending on the role. Appointment is subject to completion of a thorough background check process.

The Asian Art Museum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories (arrest and criminal histories) consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.