Planetarium Production Assistant (Part-Time)

Maryland Science Center•Baltimore, MD

About The Position

The Planetarium Production Assistant maintains the visual integrity of public, school, and special-event programs and assists with producing Planetarium programs. The role also oversees the production and presentation of school programs and the development and distribution of teacher activity packets. It performs programmatic and administrative duties that support the department and MSC, including serving as an astronomy information resource and assisting with Observatory operations and events. The position is part-time, 15–20 hours per week, and pays $15.50 per hour. It is non-exempt and requires passing a background check.

Requirements

College degree in science, education, animation, audio/video production, or a related field.
1–3 years of experience in the Planetarium field, animation, audio/video production, or a related field.
Must be able to pass a background check.
Knowledge of physical sciences, especially astronomy.
Knowledge of Planetarium production and presentation techniques.
Computer proficiency, including standard office software and Internet research techniques.
Comfort and familiarity operating a computer.
Public-speaking skills.
Creative thinking.
Ability to be creative in a team production capacity and to work independently as well as with a team.
Ability to learn other behind-the-scenes technical work.
Ability to lift 30–40 pounds, work in low-lighting situations, climb stairs, use computers for extended periods, and operate telescopes.

Nice To Haves

General familiarity with the production process for an animated show.
Editing skills.
Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Audition, or similar programs.

Responsibilities

Maintain the visual quality and integrity of Planetarium public, school, and special-event programs.
Upload and program digital imagery in the planetarium system.
Work with the Producer and technical staff to resolve theater technical problems.
Contribute to program conceptualization, design, and storyboarding.
Help research, write, and edit Planetarium program scripts.
Assist in creating new Planetarium programs.
Oversee the production and presentation of school programs and the development and distribution of teacher activity packets.
Serve as an astronomy information resource for the public, teachers, and students.
Assist with Observatory operations and events.
Stay current on space science and astronomy topics.
Perform programmatic and administrative duties that contribute to departmental and MSC function.