Anchorage Museum Educational Experiences & Animal Care Assistant

Help Spark Curiosity and Care for Living Collections at the Anchorage Museum

Educational Experiences & Animal Care Assistant

The Anchorage Museum is a place of ideas, creativity, and connection-committed to people, place, planet, and potential. In service of a sustainable and equitable North, we bring science, storytelling, and discovery to life for visitors of all ages.

We are currently recruiting an Educational Experiences & Animal Care Assistant to support hands-on science learning and the daily care of the Museum's living collection. This role blends public engagement, education, and animal care in a dynamic, visitor-centered environment.

If you enjoy working with people and animals, love sharing science in interactive ways, and thrive in a collaborative setting, we encourage you to apply.

About the Role

Under the direction of the Director of the Planetarium & Discovery Center and the Animal Care Manager, this position supports both public-facing educational experiences and daily animal care operations within the Discovery Center.

The Educational Experiences & Animal Care Assistant engages visitors through demonstrations, presentations, and planetarium shows while ensuring animals receive humane, ethical, and attentive care in alignment with institutional standards and regulatory requirements. This role also assists with mentoring seasonal staff, interns, and volunteers and contributes to the Discovery Center's overall operations.

This is a non-exempt position and may include evenings, weekends, and special events.

What You'll Do

Support Visitor Learning & Engagement

• Welcome and interact with visitors to create positive, inclusive learning experiences
• Encourage curiosity, play, and exploration through hands-on science activities
• Assist with school programs, camps, youth and family programs, and public science offerings
• Present live, pre-recorded, and computer-assisted planetarium shows
• Support special events and evening programs in the Discovery Center and Thomas Planetarium

Care for the Living Collection

• Assist with daily animal care, including feeding, cleaning, handling, and habitat maintenance
• Monitor animal health, behavior, and environments
• Follow all institutional policies and applicable local, state, and federal regulations related to animal welfare, safety, and ethical treatment
• Safely work with science laboratory equipment, specimens, and chemicals

Support Discovery Center Operations

• Assist with the development and maintenance of science programming in astronomy, biology, geology, physics, and related fields
• Help maintain organized, safe, and welcoming program spaces
• Participate in daily operations, upkeep, and organization across the Discovery Center
• Collaborate with staff across departments and support mentoring of seasonal staff and volunteers

Who We're Looking For

We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. This position is a great fit for individuals who bring strengths such as:

• Experience teaching or working in informal education settings (preferred)
• Experience working with live animals and following safety and care protocols (preferred)
• Interest in science education, animal care, museums, or public engagement
• Strong communication skills and comfort presenting to audiences of all ages
• Ability to deliver engaging, positive, and inclusive public experiences
• Reliability, professionalism, and a strong sense of responsibility
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, public-facing environment
• Willingness to learn science content and technical systems, including planetarium equipment
• Comfort assisting visitors during emergencies as needed

Physical & Work Environment Considerations

This role is active and hands-on. Duties may include standing, walking, bending, lifting up to 50 pounds, handling animals, and working with laboratory equipment and chemicals. The work environment may range from moderate to noisy.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Why Work at the Anchorage Museum?

• Be part of a mission-driven organization serving the Alaska community
• Combine education, science, and animal care in a unique museum setting
• Work with a collaborative, passionate team
• Contribute to meaningful visitor experiences that inspire curiosity and connection

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Anchorage Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming workplace and encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. All employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable law.

For more information, or to apply now, you must go to the website below. Please DO NOT email your resume to us as we only accept applications through our website.

https://anchoragemuseum.applicantpool.com/jobs/1292443-249247.html