Visitor Services Manager (Historian II)

Fairfax County • Herndon (Df04), VA

18h • Onsite

About The Position

Join the Park Authority and our nationally recognized team of professionals! This position works as a part of one of the most highly regarded park systems in the country. With more than 25,000 acres of parkland, nine Recenters, eight golf courses, three lakefront parks, and more, FCPA is an exciting organization to be a part of and there are many opportunities for staff to make a difference at every level. Frying Pan Farm Park, a very active, 135-acre park with diverse facilities including a working 1920's-1950’s farm, equestrian center, historic buildings, visitor center and more. The park has over 750,000 visitors each year. The site hosts a multitude of large events each year, including one which is a large 4-day event. This position leads long term planning for and directs daily operations of visitor services including managing the site's interpretation, exhibit/display care and creation, camps, volunteer program, training, managing large events, and retail store operations. Also manages the historic artifact collections onsite, including monitoring condition of historic buildings and operations for the park. Assists with natural and cultural and resource projects, managing all sales and ticketing, rentals, and financial transactions, preparing administrative reports and plans, regular budget exercises and record keeping, office management, management of weekend and volunteer program staff, safety/security training and inspections, human resource functions, and assisting with outreach and advertising. Position will require weekend work as well as some evenings during events/programs. This position is one of the Park Authority's emergency personnel positions and is on call for alarms. Serves as assistant site manager taking on site manager duties in the absence of the site manager.

Requirements

• Knowledge of American and regional history
• Knowledge of historical research procedures
• Knowledge of the principles of historic education and interpretation
• Knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of historical park or museum management
• Knowledge of curatorial practices and procedures
• Ability to conduct comprehensive historical research and prepare factual reports on historical issues
• Ability to provide technical resource and program leadership to historian staff
• Ability to perform effective administrative work including budgeting, human resource management, purchasing, and the development of short- and long-range operational plans
• Ability to manage and operate interpretation/conservation programs at a site
• Ability to program and coordinate major special activities
• Ability to supervise paid and volunteer staff engaged in professional historian and technical support positions
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to deal effectively with citizen inquiries and complaints
• Ability to develop and maintain working relationships with staff and the general public
• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in American history, American studies, archaeology, museum education, or a closely related field
• Two years of progressively responsible experience in museum or historical site interpretation, collections, education and/or research, or closely related field
• Driver's license
• Must complete a criminal background check and driving record check

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of local natural and cultural history
• Experience in planning, coordinating, and conducting natural and/or cultural history interpretive programs
• Experience writing interpretative exhibits, blogs and/or brochures
• Knowledge of or experience in caring for historical buildings and artifacts
• Experience operating a visitor center/nature center
• Experience with financial management, analysis, and budgets
• Experience supervising paid and/or volunteer staff
• Ability to work well with the public and colleagues
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Professional NAI certification
• Bilingual in English and another language

Responsibilities

• Directs all aspects of visitor programs and activities including staffing, facility use, security, safety, resource protection, visitor control, operating procedures and hours of operation, and procurement of supplies, equipment and services
• Assists site manager in the research, writing, implementation and evaluation of the site’s annual operational plan, project plans, prospectus and interpretive plan, including goals and objectives for delivering programs and services
• Plans, develops, and executes site programming and interpretation including the planning, development and evaluation of site events, tours, exhibits, museum education, and outreach programs
• Manages site historic artifact collections ensuring compliance with guidelines for interpretation, security, and maintenance procedures
• Investigates and responds to citizen complaints and concerns
• Assists in the development of, and accounting for, the site annual budget, including donated funds
• Supervises submission of cash reports and required reporting of management indicators such as visitation, program numbers, and project accounting
• Disburses site petty cash funds
• Recruits, interviews, selects, trains, supervises, sets priorities and work schedules, assigns projects, and evaluates paid and volunteer staff
• Coordinates historic collections activity in areas of conservation, documentation, and interpretation
• Develops and implements a division-wide publications and promotions program including a quarterly division publication to enhance understanding of the resource management division’s mission, functions, and operations
• Develops and implements division and/or site promotional, advertising and marketing tools, utilizing appropriate media to reach targeted audiences

Benefits

• Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.
• Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level