Job Description

Department: Education

Reports to: Director of School & Teaching Programs

Classification: Hourly, Non-exempt, part-time

Pay rate: $20.00 per hour

This is an onsite, Boston-based position. Local candidates strongly preferred. No agencies, please.

Required: Please submit a cover letter with your application. Applications with cover letters are due July 3, 2026.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Core Values

Isabella Stewart Gardner so deeply believed that art had the power to change lives that she built a beautiful, personal, and immersive Museum “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” Today the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) is a living embodiment of her bold vision; it’s a dynamic place where ideas and creativity in all its forms inspire visitors. We strive to tell new stories and challenge assumptions through exhibitions, music, programs, and performances and by engaging the perspectives and collaboration of our communities.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum seeks to connect past with present, develop and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities and artists, broaden our audiences, and generate opportunities for creativity. We are firmly committed to a welcoming work culture and visitor experience. Our five-year strategic plan outlines the Museum’s core values, goals, and initiatives that serve as a renewal of Isabella’s promise to serve the public and be a resource for the city.

Museum Teachers have an essential role in connecting visitors to the Gardner Museum, its Collection, and its changing special exhibitions. Museum Teachers are flexible, visitor-centered, curious educators who are able to meet the needs and interests of a wide range of visitors. They encourage inquiry, close looking, slowing down, making personal connections, and bringing multiple perspectives into interpretation of the Museum and its artworks.

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an information session in-person at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet Museum staff and current Museum Teachers, learn more about the program, and participate in small group discussions with current museum teachers in the galleries. Applicants that attend an information session on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 6-8pm will be prioritized. Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/j1Dtsi3Py5GdqwCRA by June 22, 2026.

Applications for this position are due July 3, 2026.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities

• Museum Teachers are responsible for leading interactive tours for all audiences (including adult, university, and K-12). To prepare for this visitor-facing role, Museum Teachers begin as trainees, completing a 10-month course encompassing teaching practice and Museum content areas. This course will run weekly September 2026 - June 2027 on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. There is an additional required extended training on Tuesday, September 22 from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• During the 10-month training period, Museum Teacher trainees will also be expected to frequently observe tours, co-lead or lead tours, and spend time independently researching the Museum collection.
• All Museum Teachers are also required to complete ongoing training, including attending monthly meetings, special exhibition training sessions, and occasional HR-required trainings.
• Upon successful completion of the New Museum Teacher course, Museum Teachers are required to lead a minimum of 3 tours per month. Tours take place on weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Some evening and weekend tours may be available. We expect a two-year commitment at minimum: Museum Teachers who begin training in fall 2026 will be expected to actively lead tours through at least August 2028.
• Warmly engages visitors and asks open-ended questions that prioritize visitors’ perspectives.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or department head.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Active, empathetic listener who is curious about others, themselves, and the world around them.
• English fluency is a requirement. Linguistic and cultural competency is essential for reaching the broadest range of visitors possible.
• Excellent communication skills, including but not limited to email and digital communication.
• Enjoys working as part of a team, sharing knowledge and multiple perspectives.
• Lifelong learner committed to advancing the ISGM’s strategic initiatives.
• Ability to problem solve and think flexibly in the moment to troubleshoot minor problems.
• Reliable and prompt.
• Able to reliably stand, climb stairs, and navigate a variety of gallery spaces.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.
• Satisfactory background check.

Desirable

• Museum and/or non-profit experience.
• In addition to English, we are particularly interested in candidates who are also fluent in Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Arabic, and/or ASL.
• Prior experience in customer service, or other public-facing positions, a plus.
• Some college-level work in education, art education, and/or art history, a plus.
• Familiarity with the Gardner Museum is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Museum is committed to affording equal opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, age (40 or older), disability, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, ancestry, or status as a veteran. Consistent with our core values and our founder's legacy, the Museum is dedicated to building a work community that fosters collaboration, excellence, belonging, and a diversity of perspectives and experience.

Request an Accommodation

Applicants with disabilities who are unable to access ISGM's online application system fully may contact us at hr@isgm.org for assistance with a reasonable accommodation.