Interpretation and Outreach Associate (IOA)

Interpretation and Outreach Associates (IOAs) are college students, recent graduates, and curious adults interested in the museum field – who are responsible for facilitating museum education and community engagement through an inclusive, interdisciplinary, and intersectional approach. 

Working within the Education Department, IOAs are responsible for facilitating thoughtful student-centered tours for our school and family programs and playing a critical support role with art studio instruction. Additionally, IOAs provide support and collaborate on Family Programs, Public Programs, Community Partnerships, and other education and outreach initiatives. As key collaborators, IOAs will participate in a rigorous hands-on training and syllabus including readings, discussions, workshops, and seminars on museum education, programming, interpretation, and more. 

Starting Tuesday, September 8, 2026, IOAs complete an 8-week hybrid paid training program that introduces museum education, in-gallery teaching, art making, and community engagement frameworks, discussions, and approaches. This is a one-year program, September 2026 - August 2027.

Applications close Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 9 PM PST. We plan to launch the interview process in June.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

1.  Participate in professional development training and workshops, including readings, group dialogues, guest presentations, and self-reflection.

2.  Research, design, and facilitate student-centered gallery tours utilizing the museum's permanent collections and exhibitions for school groups and families

3.  Support the Family Programs team and teaching artists in facilitating Family Art Making, Sketching in the Galleries, de Youngsters Day Out, and more, including hands-on art-making and in-gallery activities for diverse, multigenerational families of all ages and skill levels.

4.  Assist the Public Programs team in implementing welcoming and mission-driven programs, including Free Saturdays, festivals and community days, exhibition openings, symposia, film, music series, as well as other initiatives.

5.  Work with community partnership and engagement to facilitate off-site community outreach taking place at Equity School Partnership Program school-sites, local civic gatherings, community-based organizations, colleges and universities, and other locations.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Minimum: High School Diploma/GED is required. College students, recent graduates, and adults interested in museum work are encouraged to apply. Experience in fields of childhood and adolescent education, museum education, ethnic studies, art history, or studio art is preferred.

Work Experience: 

• Experience working with diverse and intergenerational audiences within an art setting is encouraged—no prior museum experience required.

Skills and Abilities

• Interest in art and museums, public programs, research, multimodal teaching, and community engagement.

• Comfortable communicating with a diverse public, including museum staff, visitors, children, youth, community members, and peers.

• Comfortable with public speaking (groups of 10+).

• Must be comfortable and enthusiastic about engaging with children through museum programs and in-gallery teaching.

• Experience with varied art materials and studio practice.

• Must be reliable, self-motivated, enthusiastic, open-minded, and collaborative.

• Experience and willingness to engage in conversations surrounding identity and historical events.

• Ability to commit to the training and program schedule outlined below.

• Desired Qualification: Proficiency in key San Francisco Bay Area languages, including but not limited to Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese, and Filipino, including Tagalog and Ilocano.

Additional

Schedule: 

• This position has a one-year term starting September 8, 2026, through August 31, 2027. 

• Candidates must have the ability to commit 8-16 hours per week. Programs generally take place on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but they may shift to other weekdays based on operational needs. 

• Paid training is September 8 through October 31, 2026, on Tuesdays (3-5 pm, virtual) and Saturdays (10-4 pm, onsite at de Young). 

Compensation:

•  A flat rate of $21.00 hourly. There are no benefits associated with this position. 

Application Questions:

In lieu of a cover letter, we request that you answer the following questions in the designated question portion of the job application.

1. Please describe the skills you are excited to contribute to this role. (150-word limit)

2. Please tell us about your experience and interest in working with children and youth. (150-word limit)

3. Public speaking is an essential part of the Interpretation and Outreach Associate program. Please describe your comfort level with public speaking, and recount an experience of yours where public speaking was centered. (150-word limit)

4. Are you proficient in any key San Francisco Bay Area languages, including but not limited to Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese, and Filipino, including Tagalog and Ilocano? 

Applications close Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 9 PM PST. We plan to launch the interview process in June.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources @ famsf.org.

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COFAM is the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums and is the privately funded non-profit corporation which supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.

COFAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all phases of employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States. The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of over 4,000 years of ancient and European art including Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge.