Visitor Experience Facilitator

Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity (Beaty Centre)

Supervisor: Operations Manager

Position Category: Full Time

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2025

Salary range: $40,000 (starting rate)

About Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity

Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity, a project of Discovery Centre International in partnership with Dalhousie University, is an ocean-focused interactive centre located in the Dalhousie University Steele Ocean Sciences building. Through its engaging exhibits and hands-on learning opportunities, Beaty Centre aims to promote public understanding about the ocean and its many life forms and to encourage visitors of all ages to take action to protect the ocean. Beaty Centre strives to showcase ongoing ocean-related research and to inspire the next generation of ocean scientists, marine biologists, and oceanographers.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Visitor Experience Facilitator is responsible for delivering an exceptional experience for all visitors of Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity. The role is primarily focused on encouraging visitor interaction with the centre's exhibits and facilitating school programming, hands-on activities, and guided tours. The Facilitator has additional responsibility for keeping the visitor experience fresh; developing and delivering new ocean-related programs for visitors, school and organized groups, as well as special events. The Facilitator is also involved in training staff, including co-op students, interns, and volunteers.

The incumbent is an excellent presenter, a great team player, creative, knowledgeable about ocean and marine life, and experienced in informal education, science communication, and inquiry-based learning.

Responsibilities:

• Provides a warm welcome to visitors, including delivering a formal orientation to groups.
• Engages with visitors, school groups, and university students in the exhibit galleries, providing an exceptional visitor experience. Ensures that experiences are engaging, playful, and filled with high-quality learning.
• Delivers guided tours and hands-on science demonstrations.
• Knowledgeable on topics related to marine life and conservation, ecosystem modelling, human impacts on oceans, and technologies.
• Responsible for creating and implementing educational programming (e.g., guided tours, hands-on visitor programs, curriculum-related school programs for learners of all ages).
• Delivers visitor engagement evaluation activities including surveys for exhibits and newly developed programs.
• Collaborates and interacts with staff, volunteers, community organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders in a friendly and professional manner.
• Acts as a positive role model for co-op students, interns, volunteers, as well as assists in training.
• Performs leader on duty responsibilities addressing sick calls and serving as point of contact in case of an emergency.
• Participates and supports the Beaty Centre special events, programs, and activities.
• Contributes to social media content creation.
• Supports cross-departmental staffing needs, including front desk operations and scheduling, as required.
• Cleans exhibits and demonstration equipment regularly. Reports any exhibit maintenance needs. Restocks and maintains programming supplies.
• Follows safety guidelines and protocols. Active participation in OHS procedures, assists with the creation of safety guidelines and risk assessments for new programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A post-secondary degree in Marine Biology, Education, Early Childhood Education, Science Communication or other relevant field, or comparable relevant experience
• Relevant experience related to interpretation, education, or recreational programming, especially those within science centres or museums
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills
• Teaching experience is an asset
• Effective written communication skills
• Initiative and ability to take ownership of the work
• Demonstrated aptitude for safe practices
• Excellent customer service skills
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Highly organized
• Adaptable to changing conditions in the workplace
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Computer skills - Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, E-mail, Web literate
• Fluency in English is required; additional languages (especially French) would be considered an asset

Other Qualifications:

• A clean criminal record check and child abuse registry check are mandatory
• Must hold or be willing to work towards a certificate in First Aid with CPR
• A clean driving license is considered an asset

Work Environment and Schedule

Working conditions include daily contact with people of all ages, small and large groups, long periods of standing, and light physical activity. The position is located at Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity for 35 hours a week, Wednesday to Sunday with evening hours on Thursday, and other hours as required.

Benefits:

Vacation and medical benefits are offered upon successful completion of the probationary period.

Application:

Applicants should submit their resume, cover letter and references to [email protected] referencing Beaty Centre and the position name in the subject. All applications will be reviewed but only those chosen for an interview will be contacted. All applicants are thanked in advance for their interest.

Discovery Centre International is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment. We are committed to leveraging our facility, people, and programming to create inclusive spaces that ignite a passion for science and discovery. We are also committed to advancing diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility practices within our workplace, public engagement spaces, and programming. Our management and staff believe diverse participation and representation are essential and that our networks thrive when we create an inclusive and equitable culture where all people can see themselves reflected, feel respected, and have their contributions valued.

We promote equal employment opportunities for all job applicants, and we encourage applications from candidates who self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group, including Indigenous people (especially Mi'kmaq), people of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), members of other racialized groups, women, people with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact [email protected] to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.