Play & Learning Specialist in AUSTIN, Texas at Thinkery

This role's standard workdays are Tuesday-Saturday.

Thinkery is where Austin’s children and their families come to enjoy play-based, inquiry-rich, hands-on learning experiences. We believe that innovative, play-based, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning experiences are a powerful way for children to develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and curiosity about the world around them. Our exhibits and programs encourage children—alongside their caregivers—to solve creative challenges, explore a variety of materials, and to develop new ways to complete unfamiliar projects. Through these activities, children gain the tools and confidence to develop and grow into enthusiastic, creative, lifelong STEAM learners and thinkers.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Play & Learning Specialist (PLS) is Thinkery’s champion of playful STEAM learning! This customer-facing role actively models and promotes play-based STEAM learning on the museum floor, in the makerspace, and during programs. As a model facilitator, the PLS ensures every guest enjoys a high-quality, engaging, and welcoming experience. By fostering positive, joyful interactions, the PLS contributes to a culturally fluent environment that inspires curiosity, creativity, and exploration for all guests.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a leader and facilitator of Thinkery’s play-based STEAM learning experiences. Facilitate engaging, hands-on programming for museum guests of all ages and backgrounds with a playful, energetic, friendly, and approachable demeanor. This role takes the lead in programming such as Storytime, Play Lab, Baby Bloomers (Early Learners), and facilitated events. Specialists confidently guide the flow of experiences and model best practices in facilitation. They help create a welcoming, inclusive environment that reflects Thinkery’s values and learning philosophy.
• Provide consistent gallery coverage and guest engagement throughout assigned shifts. Actively welcome, support, and interact with guests while maintaining safe, engaging, and well-prepared museum spaces. Monitor gallery needs and proactively respond to guest, operational, and staffing needs to ensure a high-quality visitor experience.
• Serve as a role model for new and seasonal teammates by demonstrating effective facilitation techniques and playful learning approaches. Encourage and support teammates during pre/post shift meetings and offer in-the-moment guidance and redirection, while collaborating with managers to help teammates reach their full potential.
• Actively interact with caregivers of young guests, discussing their child’s learning experiences and sharing relevant resources to support continued learning at home.
• Develop and iterate novel gallery activations and experiences, deploying those activations responsively to daily guest and museum needs creating joyful and engaging learning experiences.
• Maintain a safe, welcoming environment by upholding museum policies, operational procedures and daily, weekly, and quarterly cleaning protocol.
• Responsible for storage and inventory of props, books, and consumable resources. Ensures that all props in the museum are in working order, clean, in back stock and out in the galleries. Supports purchasing consumables and replacement items as needed and assists with tracking usage and expense reporting in coordination with the department.
• Act as a direct link between administrative and floor team, effectively sharing programming details, policy updates, changes, upcoming events, and opportunities to ensure seamless operations.
• Provide the highest level of customer service and model exemplary service behaviors. Address and resolve guest issues through collaboration with relevant teams to produce effective customer-focused solutions.
• Work closely with all Thinkery Museum Learning teammates to meet the organization’s daily, weekly, and quarterly goals, ensuring a cohesive and successful museum experience. Execute opening, closing, reset, and readiness procedures for galleries, program spaces, and museum learning environments.
• Model and promote the museum’s core values, emphasizing playfulness and belonging.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Schedule and availability reflect that the organization is in a 7-day-a-week operation. Staff are expected to work weekends and holidays. Occasional duties outside of/more than regular work week schedule during seasonal high-volume times.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Must be playful, with a sense of humor desired.
• Comfortable speaking and singing in public.
• Able to problem-solve and react positively to rapidly changing circumstances.
• Thrive in a fast-paced, varied, and demanding work environment.
• Confident in facilitating activities with small or large groups of guests of different ages.
• Able to work independently, identifying needs and executing solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, including active listening and comprehension.
• Must be hands-on, team-oriented, and attentive to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently with others, including providing constructive feedback.
• Comfortable taking initiative and offering guidance to colleagues and leadership when necessary.

COMPETENCIES

• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Creates Connection: Builds engagement and belonging in relationships across teams and with guests promoting a welcoming environment for all.
• Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

• High School Diploma or GED, a STEAM-related associate or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Considerable experience with making or tinkering.
• Experience working or volunteering in a busy, loud, public-facing environment, i.e. museums, food service, retail, etc.
• Comfortable with public facing playful engagement.
• Spanish fluency preferred, knowledge of ASL a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This position is very active. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

• Observe and respond to the needs of guests, staff, and community partners.
• Move throughout the museum.
• Manipulate and move exhibit components weighing up to 45 pounds, including those that may be low to the ground or above eye level.
• Clean and disinfect a variety of surfaces and props of various sizes at various heights.
• Communicate and exchange accurate information with guests, staff, and community partners in a variety of formats including in-person, electronically, and over the phone.
• Identify and respond to safety hazards.
• Work in outdoor environments.

BENEFITS

Thinkery offers competitive and affordable benefits for our full-time team members including options for 100% employer sponsored medical coverage. Our benefits package includes:

• Medical insurance options including HSA, PPO Gold, and PPO Platinum plans.
• Affordable dental and vision plans.
• 100% employer sponsored EAP, STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance.
• 2 weeks of paid vacation, 12 days of paid sick leave, and 13 paid holidays annually.
• Paid Family Leave.
• Pet and child friendly offices.

This job description should not be construed to imply these requirements are the only duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job. Incumbents may be required to follow any additional related instructions, acquire related job skills, and perform other related work as required. This job description may be updated as needed.

Thinkery is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices on the basis of race, sex, age, handicap, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Hiring, transferring and promotion practices are performed without regard to the above listed items. All candidates offered a position will be required to submit to a background and reference checks.