Watershed Visitor Assistant – Seasonal

Position Title: Watershed Visitor Assistant (Seasonal)

Department: Education – Watershed

Reports to: Visitor Experience Manager and Visitor Experience Assistant Manager

Position Status: Part Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt, At Will (Onsite)

Seasonal Position from May 15– September 7, 2026

Work Location: ICA Watershed, 256 Marginal St, Boston, MA 02128

Overview: The ICA Watershed Visitor Assistants are reliable, strong customer service-oriented individuals who combine the responsibilities of gallery safeguarding with museum information and exhibition interpretation. The Watershed is a seasonal exhibition space hosting contemporary artists who work in diverse mediums and scale. Exhibition formats vary in size, sound, color and materials providing a unique, multi-sensory and/or stimuli experience for audiences.  Seasonal Visitor Assistants facilitate the engagement with the artwork through supportive interpretation while ensuring the visitor and artwork are safe in the space.

Seasonal Visitor Assistants are responsible for overseeing the gallery spaces and protecting the art while ensuring a positive museum experience for guests by providing exemplary customer service and education. The part time seasonal Visitor Assistant will have the opportunity to work as a key member of an education-oriented, visitor-centered staff. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the visitors’ experience at the ICA. This seasonal position runs from May 15th– September 7th, 2026, and requires weekend and holiday availability.

This position requires adhering to a dress code as well as extended periods of standing stationary and/or moving about in the galleries displaying exhibits which may include sensory stimulating components, such as flickering images, flashing lights and loud noises.

The seasonal Watershed Visitor Assistant contributes to a culture of collaboration, community, and respect while embodying the principles of ICA’s Quality of Service and centers the work of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Belonging in all areas of their work.

WORKING AT THE ICA:

• All ICA employees are required to reside in Massachusetts and within a reasonable commuting distance from our Seaport/Watershed locations as of their first day of work.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a liaison to visitors while promoting the safety of the museum, communicate clearly and consistently with visitors to ensure a positive museum experience while facilitating safe and engaging interactions with artwork.
• Remain informed and up to date of artwork on view, enhance visitor experience through interpretation and engaging inquiry-based conversation.
• Monitor visitors in gallery areas to provide smooth flow of visitation, prioritize artwork and visitor safety during regular museum hours, onsite programs, and special events.
• Enforce museum guidelines in a clear and friendly manner.
• Work in conjunction with gallery supervisors and security to respond to emergency situations.
• Assist with use of educational resources and spaces and promote programs when applicable.
• Assist in maintaining inventory of brochures, literature, and gallery resources for the public.
• Engage with visitors to answer questions and resolve concerns, partner with gallery supervisors to share feedback and resolve visitor experience concerns.
• Report artwork incidents to gallery supervisors.
• Adhere to ICA policies and procedures.
• Additional duties as directed by management

Qualifications:

• Six months or more of customer service experience is required, preferably in hospitality, cultural organizations, or a retail environment.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced and diverse environment.
• Experience with contemporary art, public speaking, and museum education is a plus.
• Open to working in a multi-sensory environment.
• Experience with safety protocols (ex: Code Adam, Fire Evacuation, Public Safety) is a plus.
• Ability to be assertive if needed to enforce museum guidelines.
• Solid interpersonal, problem solving and communication skills.
• Desire and motivation to engage and interact with individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
• Proven ability to identify, react to, and resolve visitor-related issues in the moment; strong decision-making skills required.
• Work for this position is performed in a museum setting and involves working with the public and all that entails.
• Bilingual or multilingual a plus
• Must be able to work a weekly set schedule, including some evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Must be available to work May 15 – September 7, 2026 (training will be held at Seaport location May 15^th, 19^th, and at Watershed on May 20^th)

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of remaining stationary, standing and/or moving about throughout the galleries.
• Ability to speak, control and/or operate a hand-held radio for verbal communication.
• Must be able to exchange accurate information with visitors, staff, departments, and diverse and multigenerational guests.
• Travel to Watershed via water taxi requires traveling down a dock ramp and transferring to the boat (boarding boat requires stepping over/on and three steps down).
• Ability to perform duties in an environment with dynamic exhibitions that may flash or produce sounds consistently.

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions. While the above is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned.

The Watershed Visitor Assistant must adhere to dress code and ICA policies. Work for this position is performed in a museum setting and involves working with the public and all that entails. Work involves extended periods of standing and/or walking. Staff in this position use and/or operate a hand-held radio for communication.

Pay Range: $19.00 – $19.00 per hour (this is a fixed rate position)

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to jcortez@icaboston.org and jobs@icaboston.org . When applying, include “Watershed Visitor Assistant” in the subject line of email.