The Russian History Museum is hiring a full-time Public Engagement & Education Manager in Jordanville, New York. This museum education and public engagement role focuses on tours, public programs, school partnerships, and community outreach, offering an exciting opportunity to shape visitor experience and build dynamic programming at a growing cultural institution. Ideal candidates may come from museum education, public history, nonprofit programming, or community engagement backgrounds.

The Role

We are seeking an energetic, self-motivated, and organized Public Engagement & Education Manager who is passionate about history and creating meaningful visitor experiences. If you are driven to share stories, spark dialogue, and build community, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

In this role, you will shape how visitors experience the Russian History Museum (RHM): through tours, public programs, school partnerships, and community engagement initiatives that bring RHM’s collections to life. This is a rare chance to build a dynamic, audience-centered program from the ground up, unlocking the extraordinary potential of the museum’s artifacts and stories to engage and inspire diverse audiences.

From tours and lectures to workshops, school programs, and community events, you will create experiences that resonate on a personal level, encouraging visitors not only to connect deeply with the material and our campus, but to return and share it with others.

You will take meaningful ownership of programming and engagement efforts, playing a central role in expanding the museum’s reach and helping transform RHM into a vibrant cultural destination.

Why RHM?

The Russian History Museum offers a unique opportunity to bring history to life through engagement with one of the most distinctive collections of Russian and Russian émigré history in the United States. Located on the historic grounds of Holy Trinity Monastery, an active Russian Orthodox monastic community, the museum serves as both a center for scholarship and a vibrant cultural institution.

With a growing audience and an expanding schedule of exhibitions, online programs, and international partnerships, RHM is in an exciting period of development. The museum is committed to making its collections accessible, engaging, and relevant to a broad public, from scholars and specialists to families and first-time visitors.

Working at RHM means joining a small, collaborative team of dedicated professionals who are deeply committed to preserving, studying, and sharing the stories embedded in the collection. Staff members contribute across roles, bringing creativity, initiative, and a shared sense of purpose to exhibitions, programs, and institutional growth.

For those who are passionate about history, education, and community engagement, this is an opportunity not only to build programs, but to join a mission-driven institution at a pivotal moment of growth and shape how audiences encounter and understand a rich cultural and religious heritage.

What You’ll Do

Visitor Experience & Interpretation

• Design and lead engaging tours of museum exhibitions and the surrounding campus of Holy Trinity Monastery
• Serve as the primary point of contact for scheduling group tours, coordinating logistics and communication with visitors, staff, and volunteers
• Develop interpretive materials, including tour frameworks, gallery activities, and self-guided family resources
• Recruit, train, and coordinate docents, interns, and student assistants
• Represent the museum at community events and cultivate relationships that promote visitation and engagement
• Ensure an exceptional visitor experience by creating a welcoming environment, responding enthusiastically to visitor questions, and adapting tours to different audiences

Public Programs & Events

• Plan and implement special programs such as lectures, workshops, concerts, and special tours connected to exhibitions and collections
• Identify opportunities within the collection to create thematic programs (e.g., textiles, music, holidays, daily life) that offer intuitive, relatable access points to general audiences
• Develop signature events, such as themed weekends, open houses, and family days, that attract and engage broad audiences
• Collaborate with communications staff to promote programs and grow participation

School & Community Engagement

• Build and sustain partnerships with schools, homeschool networks, colleges, and community organizations
• Design educational programs aligned with curriculum standards and develop supporting resources
• Coordinate group visits and immersive experiences for educational, cultural, and faith-based audiences

Program Evaluation & Institutional Impact

• Track attendance, participation, and audience feedback to assess program effectiveness
• Use evaluation findings to refine, adapt, and strengthen programs over time
• Contribute data and narratives for grant proposals and reports
• Identify opportunities to expand audience reach and deepen community engagement
• Collaborate across the museum to ensure programs align with institutional goals and mission

Who You Are

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in museum education, history, art history, or a related field
• 3–5 years of experience in museum education, public programming, or community engagement
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and public speaking skills, engaging diverse audiences with warmth and energy
• Strong interpersonal skills and a confident, welcoming presence with visitors, groups, and community partners
• Proven ability to plan and manage programs from concept to implementation, both independently and collaboratively in a small team environment
• Creative, proactive, and solutions-oriented, with a drive to learn and continuously improve
• Adaptable and resilient, able to respond to unexpected situations with composure
• Solid working knowledge of Russian history and culture, able to independently develop accurate and engaging content and programs
• Familiarity with Orthodox Christianity, including comfort engaging with clergy and monastic communities and responding to visitor questions about the faith, traditions, and life of Holy Trinity Monastery

Preferred Attributes

• Master’s degree in a relevant field
• Deeper academic or professional background in Russian history, Slavic studies, or a related discipline
• Russian language skills
• Experience leading tours or facilitating programs in historic, religious, or culturally specific settings
• Experience working in a small museum or mission-driven organization
• Experience with community outreach and partnership-building

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

Public Engagement & Education Manager Position Details

• Position type: Full-time (40 hours per week)
• Location: In-person in Jordanville, NY (partial remote work possible)
• Salary: $50,000–$58,000, depending on experience
• Schedule: Includes regular weekend programming and occasional evening events
• Reports to: Executive Director

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Employer-matched retirement savings
• Paid time off and generous holiday schedule
• Flexible schedule, with some remote work possible
• Professional development support (workshops, conferences, etc.)
• Membership in professional organizations

We understand that people come to this role with different professional and personal priorities. Within the scope of our resources, we aim to be flexible and thoughtful in shaping a benefits and support package that reflects what matters most to the successful candidate and helps them thrive in their work with us.

To Apply

Send resume and cover letter, explaining what makes you particularly well-suited for this role and joining the RHM team, to Michael Perekrestov at mperek@russianhistorymuseum.org. “Public Engagement & Education Manager” should be placed in the email subject line. No phone calls please. Consideration of candidates will begin May 6 and continue until the position is filled.