Arts and Social Impact Educator, Oda Japan Program

• Support the interpretation, programming, and visitor experience within the Japanese House exhibit, developing and implementing best practices for culturally inclusive learning experience
• Create, test, and refine educational activities, incorporating feedback from colleagues, teachers, and community members
• Develop and facilitate engaging, educational and interactive programming for Museum visitors, school groups and educators, focusing broadly on the Japanese Program, including, but not limited to, Japanese House Exhibit guided tours, school vacation week and summer programming
• Supports the repair and preservation of the Japanese House Exhibit, the 140-year-old historic architecture from Kyoto, by managing the daily maintenance and cleaning routines of the house, as well as all its integral materials, such as furniture pieces, shoji and fusuma paper doors, tatami floors, silk textiles, tokonoma artworks, a butsudan Buddhist altar, a kamidana Shinto shrine, and various Japanese materials
• Assist special initiatives and projects related to the Japanese House and Gallery spaces
• Support and coordinate community engagement efforts, including building relationships with key stakeholders like the Consulate General of Japan, Japan Society of Boston, and Urasenke Boston, ensuring the Japanese House reflects diverse narratives within Japanese culture
• Facilitate cross-cultural exchange through partnerships that strengthen ties between the Museum, Boston, and Japan, while expanding program visibility and community involvement
• Serve as a point of contact for the Japan Program volunteers, supporting the coordination of volunteers
• Train and mentor other Educator staff, floor staff, interns
• Communicate information about the Japan Program to appropriate staff within the Museum, including Visitor Experience staff, and external audiences
• Support the training and mentoring of Visitor Experience Ambassadors, Educators, Program Fellows and other colleagues who engage with visitors around the Japan program's educational experiences
• Support with exhibit restock of loose parts, report maintenance or safety concerns
• Contribute to Museum-wide initiatives, participate in meetings, and support institutional goals
• Collaborate across the teams in the department to support other programming when needed
• Organize and maintain the Japan Program resource materials, including Collections objects, books, and lesson plans
• Work collaboratively with the Collections team on the preservation of the Japan Study Storage
• Participate as an active member of the Arts & Social Impact team, developing engaging, fun, and interactive programs and experiences for children, families, and educators, for use inside and outside of the Museum
• Work with the ASI Manager, Oda Japan Program, ASI Team and other staff members to create staffing plans that cover programs and events, develop systems and task lists, determine key dates and deadlines, and monitor progress
• Lead the approach and delivery of school and group visits and special programs, which may include school vacation weeks, summer programming, and other holiday programming
• occasionally assist with the delivery of team or Museum events led by colleagues
• Coordinate with Security, Facilities, and Operations teams to ensure the seamless logistics and integration of volunteers and Japan Program-related visitors on-site
• Serve as a resource for Museum staff, external partners, and ASI networks, drawing on specialized content knowledge to represent the Museum
• Serve visitors from diverse populations with age-appropriate programming, courteously and professionally
• Support institutional and departmental initiatives, goals, and operations
• Participate in required all-staff activities, discussions, meetings, and trainings
• Other duties as assigned

• Some college experience or equivalent work experience is preferred, with a background in museum education or other informal learning environment (or classroom teaching plus demonstrated understanding of community/informal educational settings)
• Strong understanding of Japanese culture, contemporary society, and traditions through lived experience or cultural studies
• additional background in historic preservation, interpretation, arts, and creative studies experience also valued
• Strong experience working with young children ages 0 - 10, and an understanding of children’s emotional, intellectual, and social development, and the role of culture
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Japanese
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding, and experience with informal education and family learning, particularly identity-based education
• Existing relationships within the Japanese community in Boston, nationally/internationally is a plus
• Communicate in Japanese, with the ability to navigate through many of the social practices of the Japanese culture and community
• Responsibly and respectfully embody a sense of belonging in the space and create community in the exhibit
• Proven ability to understand and interpret existing relevant educational research and theory to inform practice
• Proven ability to network, forge, and sustain collaborations within the Japanese community locally and beyond, including the ability to understand and demonstrate appropriate cultural practice
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
• Proven ability to determine the scope of a project, create a work plan and timeline, modify plans along the way to meet changing project goals and challenges
• Proven ability to problem solve and think flexibly, and to learn and grow from experience
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and comfortable presenting to large groups
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with multicultural, intergenerational audiences, in an energetic, friendly, outgoing, and professional manner
• Excellent organizational and computer skills
• Ability to stand for long periods
• Occasional pushing, pulling and or lifting materials of up to 50 lbs
• Sustained periods of moving around the museum and studio, and or outdoor spaces
• Some work may require sitting on the ground, getting dirty, and uses of craft material that may stain clothes
• Oversee the day-to-day cleanup of the Japanese House
• Ability to work in a face-paced environment, often loud/noisy, and sometimes crowded environment with the public and with young children
• Weekend, school vacation, and holiday hours are required
• Schedule includes one weekend day

Existing relationships within the Japanese community in Boston, nationally/internationally

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays
• Up to 12 Sick days
• Mass Earn Sick Time
• Up to 10 Vacation days
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Qualified Transportation Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• American Alliance Museum Access
• New England Museum Association Access
• Free Admission to 100+ Museums