Program Assistant (Summer 2026) - Great Lakes Museum

The Great Lakes Museum's mission is to inspire an enduring connection to the maritime heritage of Kingston and the Great Lakes. We do this through interactive galleries, educational programs, guided tours, and special events. The Museum is a designated National Historic Site and home to the museum ship S.S. Keewatin, older than the Titanic and last of its kind in the world.

The Great Lakes Museum is seeking a Program Assistant with a background in education to develop, facilitate and coordinate community outreach programs and events, summer camps, adult programs, and assist with visitor services throughout the busy summer season. This position is a great opportunity to work in a friendly, creative and collaborative work environment whilst developing program delivery and development, project planning and communications skills.

Location: Great Lakes Museum, 55 Ontario Street, Kingston | www.greatlakesmuseum.ca | 613-542-2261

Compensation: $18.50/hr

Hours: Up to 37.4 hours a week. This is a full-time position.

Start Date: May 11th, 2026

End Date: September 7th, 2026

Application Deadline: Friday, February 13th, 2026 at 5 pm

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Development and delivery of public programs, activities, and events through the summer to varying audiences
• Delivery of guided tours of museum galleries to enhance visitor engagement
• Represent the Museum at community events and act as an ambassador for the Museum by promoting its mission, projects and experiences to encourage repeat visits and experience bookings
• Perform outreach to local schools and community organizations to establish new connections
• Monitor and record program feedback and track program attendance
• Assist with communications duties such as report writing, social media and newsletter content development
• Administrative tasks: monitoring and responding to phone and email enquiries, receiving and processing program bookings
• Provide front-line guest services, including greeting visitors, providing wayfinding, checking in guests, tracking visitor feedback and attendance, processing ticket sales and gift shop purchases

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:

• Must be eligible for the Young Canada Works Program. Eligibility criteria: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/young-canada-works/studentsgraduates/heritage-organizations-students.html
• Must have excellent customer service and excellent oral communication skills in English; French is an asset
• Experience delivering and/or developing programs or public speaking for adults, children or youth
• Ability to work independently and take leadership over tasks
• Ability to take initiative and creatively problem-solve
• Work with a team in a fast-paced environment
• Must be willing to work weekends and occasional evenings throughout the summer, including Labour Day weekend

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 20lbs
• Ability to navigate narrow hallways and steep stairs
• Ability to work in changing environmental conditions: cold, heat, humidity
• Tolerance for motion and ability to maintain balance whilst standing (Though the ship is anchored in the dry dock, it is on the water and movement can be felt when inside, particularly on windy days.)

Accessibility Considerations:

The S.S. Keewatin is not an accessible ship. Gangways, stairs and narrow corridors do not allow for the use of mobility devices. Candidates must be able to navigate narrow stairs, high doorway thresholds and uneven ground. The ship is not climate-controlled and can become very hot and humid during the summer months.

How to Apply:

Please email a cover letter and resumé to Claire Notman at education@marmuseum.ca.

Application Deadline: Friday, February 13th, 2026 at 5 pm. Interviews will take place shortly after.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The Great Lakes Museum is an equal opportunity employer.