Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESPHS) seeks outgoing, engaging and creative people for the position of Temporary Part-Time Daytime Visitor Services Staff. This position serves as the face of ESPHS. A detailed description for the position appears below; please follow specific instructions to apply.
Visitor Services staff are responsible for creating a positive and engaging experience for each and every visitor to the penitentiary. Responsibilities include welcoming and orienting visitors when they arrive at the historic site, selling admission, working in the museum store, and promoting the membership program. Visitor Services Staff also distribute audio tour units, answer visitors’ questions, interact with the public both in person and over the phone, and maintain a clean and professional work environment.
Other responsibilities include site maintenance, which entails cleaning and taking out trash, retail duties, such as stocking shelves and keeping the merchandise storage area organized, and upholding safety and security standards. Please note that Eastern State Penitentiary is a ruin and working conditions are not always ideal. Visitor Services staff spend a significant portion of their workday in outdoor conditions.
You are a great fit for this job if you are:
- Passionate about learning and sharing knowledge with people from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and interests.
- Enjoy working with the public.
- Able to provide exceptional customer service in a fast-paced environment.
- Committed to team process and fostering a collaborative work environment.
- Willing to work outdoors in all types of weather.
- Able to work weekends.
- We especially encourage you to apply if you:
- Speak a language other than English.
- Have experience with cash handling.
- Have experience working in retail.
To Apply:
Please send a resume and cover letter with your availability to [email protected] In your cover letter, please include why you want to work at Eastern State Penitentiary and what you feel makes an excellent visitor experience at a museum/historic site. The deadline for applications is March 3, 2023. No phone calls please.
About Employment at ESPHS:
Positions are three to four days per week beginning in March 2023 through the end of November 2023. Applicants must be available for weekday and weekend shifts (approx. 9 am to 5:30 pm); occasional evenings required.
Hourly rate $16.50/hr.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.
ESPHS strongly believes in second chances and, as such, is committed to providing appropriate employment opportunities to those who have been incarcerated. As a condition of employment, all individuals who accept an employment offer must complete a criminal background check. Eastern State will review any criminal record and make appropriate employment decisions in accordance with applicable law and its policies.
About ESPHS:
When Eastern State opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. The first prison of its kind –a penitentiary– it was designed to inspire true regret in the hearts of criminals. The building itself was an architectural wonder; it had running water and central heat before the White House and attracted visitors from around the globe. Although the prison now stands in ruin, its story remains relevant today. When Eastern State Penitentiary opened as a historic site in 1994, it attracted just over 10,000 daytime visitors – in 2019, it was visited by more than 300,000. The site’s programming continues to grow by inviting the public into new spaces, mounting original exhibits and artist installations, and engaging visitors in dialogue about history that deepen the national discussion about criminal justice today.
