Classification: Part-Time Hourly Non-Exempt

Reports to: House Museum Manager

Date created/reviewed/revised:  May 2025

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JOB DESCRIPTION

The Museum Interpreter’s objective is to fulfill the educational mission of Historic Charleston Foundation by interpreting Charleston’s history to visitors at the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House Museums.  It is the Museum Interpreter’s responsibility to provide excellent customer service, ensure the safety and comfort of visitors, and, at the Russell House, to conduct tours of the sites. This includes enlightening visitors about the architecture, the collection, and the people who lived and worked at each site.

Essential Job Functions

• Ability to communicate clearly.
• Ability to speak and interact comfortably with the public, including covering difficult histories.
• Ability to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time and climb stairs to conduct tours in a multi-storied building.
• Ability to read and comprehend written reports (such as NRH Resource Paper and Historic Structures Report) and to convey this information to visitors.
• Ability to see and hear clearly in large groups, both conveying information and responding to group questions.
• Ability to accept supervision and work cooperatively with others.

Position Duties          

• Ensure quality customer service.
• Report to work 15 minutes prior to the start of each scheduled shift.
• Report any safety or security issues to the House Museum Manager immediately.
• Assist with opening and closing of houses at the beginning or end of each shift.
• Stay abreast of new developments in the House Museum by reading provided material and attending training sessions.
• Communicate with the House Museum Manager to maintain current knowledge of objects on display in the house.
• Perform regular inspections of the house and objects. Report anything out of place or missing to the House Museum Manager immediately.
• Attend periodic training sessions and complete training to the satisfaction of the House Museum Manager.
• Foster good will and positivity at all times with fellow Museum Interpreters and visitors.

All members of the staff of Historic Charleston Foundation are called on, from time to time, to support cooperative Foundation programs that are held after normal working hours and on weekends. They also assist with projects that may lie outside their primary areas of responsibility.

Education & Experience Requirements

• High school diploma required
• Some college and work experience in the field (history, art history, historic preservation, education) preferred. Experience can be either paid or volunteer.

Time Requirements

• Except for a few holidays, the museum operates 7 days per week.  The Museum Interpreter is scheduled to accommodate management and visitor needs.  The Museum Interpreter is a part-time time employee.  There is no guarantee of hours or scheduling.  Hours worked at all Historic Charleston Foundation locations combined during a one-week period may not exceed 25.

Work Environment

• The Museum Interpreter must have the ability to work in an environment where the following conditions exist:
• Uneven walking surfaces
• Steep stairs
• Limited handicap accessibility
• Fluctuating temperatures (tours are conducted indoors and outdoors) with seasonal weather changes (extreme cold in the winter/heat in the summer)

The employment relationship with Historic Charleston Foundation is at-will and can be terminated by either you or the Foundation at any time, for any reason. Neither this form, or any oral or written policy or procedure, nor any representation by any HCF employee, supervisor, or officer can or will change the at-will nature of your employment.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Laurie Ouellette, HR Coordinator via direct email to careers@historiccharleston.org

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