Educator, Tour and Docent Programs

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight for the docent program in partnership with the Associate Director of Education.
• Recruit, train, and mentor docents to grow program capacity, diversify perspectives, and meet increasing demand.
• Develop and lead docent continuing education that integrates art historical scholarship with pedagogical best practices, in collaboration with curators, educators, and external experts.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the docent corps and Newfields team members.
• Implement and uphold policies established in collaboration with the Director of Education.
• Monitor national trends in docent programming and museum education to position Newfields at the forefront of practice.
• Develop docent trainings and new tour formats for exhibitions, gallery rotations, cultural celebrations, holidays, and commemorative milestones.
• Develop and maintain docent teaching resources aligned with institutional standards and informed by industry best practices.
• Lead evaluation and assessment of the docent program, using visitor feedback and data to refine training, tour design, and visitor engagement.
• Track and steward program budgets with fiscal responsibility, in coordination with the Associate Director of Education.
• Maintain accurate records, including docent engagement statistics, program attendance, and evaluation data.

Qualifications

• Communication: Clear, effective communication with docents, colleagues, and museum audiences.
• Facilitation: Skilled in leading docent training sessions, workshops, and continuing education programs.
• Mentorship: Ability to provide individualized guidance and support to docents, fostering growth and confidence.
• Art Historical Knowledge: Strong grounding in art history with skill in connecting scholarship to public engagement.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated success working with curators, educators, and external experts to enrich docent learning.
• Diplomacy: Ability to navigate strong personalities, build consensus, and cultivate trust across teams and volunteers.
• Judgment: Proven capacity to exercise sound judgment in balancing docent needs, institutional priorities, and visitor experience.
• Accessibility & Inclusion: Commitment to equitable, accessible, and inclusive museum practice that welcomes varied perspectives.
• Organization: Strong organizational and record-keeping skills, with attention to detail and accountability.