Employment

Classification: Full Time, Non-Exempt
Department: Science Learning
Reports To: Director of Exhibits 

Position Purpose

The Exhibit Technician (Technician) is responsible for the maintenance, repair, fabrication, and operational readiness of all exhibit experiences. This role ensures high exhibit uptime through preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, lighting system oversight, and continuous quality monitoring. The Technician serves as the designated Exhibits Lead multiple times per week, overseeing daily exhibit start-up and shutdown procedures, monitoring exhibit functionality, and responding to exhibit-related operational needs in real time. This position also manages exhibit consumable inventory and ordering to ensure exhibits remain fully operational, safe, and engaging for visitors.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation, and perform other duties as assigned.

• Diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair mechanical, electrical, lighting, and interactive exhibit components.
• Fabricate exhibit elements, modifications, and improvements using appropriate shop tools, materials, and fabrication methods.
• Assist with prototyping, formative evaluation, and development of new or improved exhibit components and experiences.
• Implement approved exhibit improvements that enhance durability, usability, visitor engagement, and alignment with exhibit goals and key messages.
• Participate in the installation and strike of exhibits and support exhibit-related project development.
• Maintain and manage inventory of exhibit consumables, materials, and supplies, including forecasting needs and ordering within budget guidelines.
• Serve as the designated Exhibits Lead multiple times per week by completing daily exhibit start-up/shutdown procedures, conducting floor checks, and responding to exhibit-related operational issues.
• Collaborate across departments to communicate project progress and ensure work is completed on schedule and within budget.
• Represent the Science Learning team to the public by supporting visitor engagement, programming, volunteers, and special events; ability to work occasional evenings and flexible hours.
• Work alongside volunteers with some training responsibilities

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities.

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements:

Required:

• Equivalent combination of education and experience in design, engineering, art, theatre or specific trade/skill, high school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience with tools and working knowledge of woodworking tools and shop safety practices
• Experience with and a willingness to learn fabrication techniques with a variety of materials
• Creative, curious, innovative and passionate about learning
• Flexible in adapting to changing timelines and priorities
• Strong digital, written, and verbal communication skills
• Trustworthy and of high integrity, showing high respect for confidential information
• Ability to communicate complex science concepts in a fun, exciting and interesting fashion; high enthusiasm is required
• Highly motivated and resourceful self-starter with effective multitasking skills
• Ability to work independently while also constructively contributing in a team environment
• Organized with the ability to work efficiently on several projects simultaneously
• Valid Driver’s License
• Successfully pass a background check

Preferred:

• Experience with drafting and design software such as Vectorworks, Adobe Creative Suite and/or SketchUP
• Familiarity with Universal Design, Accessibility, and User Experience Design concepts
• Technical skills or aptitude for coding/computer science, electrical, theatrical lighting, and A/V
• Basic knowledge of museum experiences (exhibits and programs), science, technology, engineering and math
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Physical Demands

Prolonged periods of standing and walking. Must be comfortable working at heights and physically able to climb ladders, bend, or crawl into awkward spaces. Must be able to lift, bend, twist, stoop, climb, reach, and lift up to 75 pounds at a time. Use their hands to grasp, move, handle, control, assemble or feel objects, tools, or controls. Repeat the same movements. See details of objects that are less than a few feet away. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Hours & Work Schedule

The primary schedule for this position will be Thursday to Monday. The hours will vary based on business needs and may include days, evenings, weekends and holidays.

To Apply

Email your resume and completed application materials to scihr@sciowa.org.

Classification: Seasonal, Part Time
Department: Science Learning
Reports To: Director of Exhibits 

Position Overview

The Exhibits Graphics Intern supports the ¡Ciencia Para Todos! grant via the auditing, writing, editing, design, and implementation of bilingual exhibit labels. This is a highly collaborative internship that supports Science Center of Iowa’s (SCI) efforts to increase inclusion and accessibility for the Latino community. This internship offers hands-on experience in bilingual exhibit development, community-informed design, and museum-based graphic production.

Responsibilities

• Audit existing exhibit labels
• Write and edit copy for bilingual signage
• Design and implement bilingual exhibit labels
• Assist SCI with Latino Community Advisory Board sessions as related to graphics and label development
• Support communication with Latino community
• Provide informal Spanish/English translation support
• Help SCI develop culturally responsive practices as pertaining to grant work
• Provide additional support for ¡Ciencia Para Todos! as needed
• Provide excellent visitor experience
• Collaborate and communicate project progress
• Complete work in a timely manner to support project deadlines and budget requirements

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements

Requirements:

• Spanish speaking (verbal proficiency required)
• Eagerness to collaborate with the local Latino community
• Design proficiency with Adobe Suite (Illustrator and InDesign, in particular; coursework or project experience both acceptable)
• Interest in culturally responsive design and community-informed practices
• Organized with the ability to work efficiently on several projects simultaneously
• Ability to work independently while also constructively contributing in a team environment
• Flexible in adapting to changing timelines and priorities
• Proactive; able to identify and improve product quality
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to work as part of a team, being flexible and dependable
• Creative, curious, innovative and a passionate learner
• Service-oriented; upholds Science Center of Iowa values and integrity
• Successfully pass a background check

Preferred:

• Portfolio submission included with application
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

Hours & Work Schedule

Approximately 20 hours per week for three months at $15/hour. Hours offer some flexibility, though should be primarily scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Hours may vary based on business needs with some evenings, weekends, and holidays may be required.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The role is active and requires prolonged standing and walking, as well as bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. This position also will also have periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. The employee must regularly lift and/or move items up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

To Apply

Email your resume and completed application materials to scihr@sciowa.org.

Classification: Seasonal, Part Time
Department: Communications
Reports To: Director of Marketing & Public Relations 

Position Overview

The IMLS Grant Communications Intern supports the ¡Ciencia Para Todos! grant by assessing, writing, editing, designing, and implementing bilingual visitor communications and signage throughout the Science Center of Iowa (SCI). This role centers on non-exhibit materials such as wayfinding, guest services messaging, program promotions, and other public-facing communications that shape the overall visitor experience.

This highly collaborative internship advances SCI’s commitment to inclusion and accessibility for the Latino community. The intern gains hands-on experience in bilingual communications strategy, community-informed design, and museum-based graphic production while helping create a more welcoming and accessible environment for all visitors.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation, and perform other duties as assigned.

• Audit existing visitor communications and signage (non-exhibit) to assess clarity, accessibility, and bilingual consistency
• Write and edit copy for bilingual wayfinding, guest services messaging, program promotions, and other public-facing materials
• Design and implement bilingual visitor communications using established brand and graphic standards
• Support communication efforts with the Latino community
• Provide informal Spanish/English translation support
• Help SCI develop culturally responsive practices as pertaining to grant work
• Provide additional support for ¡Ciencia Para Todos! as needed
• Provide excellent visitor experience
• Collaborate and communicate project progress
• Complete work in a timely manner to support project deadlines and budget requirements

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements

Requirements:

• Spanish speaking (verbal proficiency required)
• Eagerness to collaborate with the local Latino community
• Design proficiency with Adobe Suite (Illustrator and InDesign, in particular; coursework or project experience both acceptable)
• Interest in culturally responsive design and community-informed practices
• Organized with the ability to work efficiently on several projects simultaneously
• Ability to work with little supervision but work collaboratively with different team members
• Flexible in adapting to changing timelines and priorities
• Proactive; able to identify and improve product quality
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to work as part of a team, being flexible and dependable
• Creative, curious, innovative and a passionate learner
• Service-oriented; upholds Science Center of Iowa values and integrity
• Successfully pass a background check

Preferred:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; attention to detail
• NOTE: This internship does NOT require prior knowledge of or coursework in science-related fields.
• Portfolio submission included with application
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

Hours & Work Schedule

Approximately 20 hours per week for three months at $15/hour. Hours offer some flexibility, though should be primarily scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Hours may vary based on business needs with some evenings, weekends, and holidays may be required.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The role is active and requires prolonged standing and walking, as well as bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. This position also will also have periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. The employee must regularly lift and/or move items up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

To Apply

Email your resume and completed application materials to scihr@sciowa.org.

Classification: Seasonal, Part Time
Department: Science Learning
Reports To: Director of Exhibits 

Position Overview

The Community Intern supports the ¡Ciencia Para Todos! grant by strengthening the Science Center of Iowa’s (SCI) connection with the Latino community and supporting the development of bilingual, culturally responsive experiences. This role serves as a bridge between SCI’s staff and the Latino Community Advisory Board, supports on-floor and outreach education, assists with prototyping bilingual signage, and contributes to evaluation and assessment efforts. This is a highly collaborative, community-centered position.

Responsibilities

• Assist SCI with planning, preparation, coordination, and execution of Latino Community Advisory Board sessions
• Support community nights at SCI by conducting assessments and providing educational opportunities
• Provide outreach to communities that historically have experienced barriers to STEM access in coordination with SCI staff
• Support communication with the Latino community
• Develop and implement evaluations and relay community feedback
• Provide informal Spanish/English translation support
• Help SCI develop culturally responsive practices as pertaining to grant work
• Support the bilingual graphic design process
• Provide additional support for ¡Ciencia Para Todos! as needed.
• Provide an excellent visitor experience
• Collaborate and communicate project progress
• Complete work in a timely manner to support project deadlines and budget requirements

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements

Requirements:

• Spanish speaking (verbal proficiency required)
• Eagerness to collaborate with the local Latino community
• A desire to learn about various cultures
• Organized with the ability to work efficiently on several projects simultaneously
• Ability to work independently while also constructively contributing in a team environment
• Flexible in adapting to changing timelines and priorities
• Proactive; able to identify and improve product quality
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to work as part of a team, being flexible and dependable
• Creative, curious, innovative and a passionate learner
• Service-oriented; upholds Science Center of Iowa values and integrity
• Successfully pass a background check

Preferred:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)
• Some experience with Adobe Suite or a willingness to learn.

Hours & Work Schedule

Approximately 20 hours per week for three months at $15/hour. Hours offer some flexibility, though should be primarily scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Hours may vary based on business needs with some evenings, weekends, and holidays possibly required.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The role is active and requires prolonged standing and walking, as well as bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. This position will also have periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. The employee must regularly lift and/or move items up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

To Apply

Email your resume and completed application materials to scihr@sciowa.org.

Classification: Non-Exempt
Department: Seasonal – Guided Learning
Reports To: Guided Learning Manager

Position Overview

The Camp Educator position is responsible for implementing camp curriculum with exciting, hands-on activities around selected science topics in a fun and safe learning environment.  A focus of this position will be providing daily supervision and mentoring of up to 25 children ranging from 4-14 years old.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation, and perform other duties as assigned.

• Implement activity-based curriculum to facilitate inquiry based learning on a variety of science themes and concepts
• Present, teach and facilitate hands-on activities in a classroom setting
• Implement behavior management and time management skills in a classroom setting
• Create a supply list and daily schedule
• Follow the daily schedule in a timely manner
• Prepare, clean and maintain classroom for daily use
• Engages students and staff in a fun yet mature and professional manner
• Please note this job description does not contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job; duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities.

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements

Required

• High School Diploma
• College coursework in Education or Science related fields
• General knowledge of, or interest in, science and education
• Comfortable with public speaking to children, parents, mentors and supervisors
• Demonstrates excellent communication and problem-solving skills
• Organized self-starter
• Ability to work independently while also constructively contributing in a team environment
• Trustworthy and of high integrity, showing high respect for confidential information
• Valid Driver’s License
• Successfully pass a background check

Preferred

• Previous experience working with youth and parents
• Enthusiastic, energetic, hardworking, flexible, creative and timely
• Ability to acquire a Noncommercial Chauffeur’s License (Class D- Endorsement 3 in Iowa)

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. This position is primarily focused on time with children and will require prolonged periods of standing and walking throughout the program space. The employee will also need to sit and stand on the floor throughout the day, and bend, kneel, stoop, crawl and crouch to be at eye level with children. The employee may be required to regularly lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

Hours & Work Schedule

Hours will vary based on business needs and may include weekends, some evenings and holidays. Primarily a Monday through Friday schedule.

To Apply

Email your resume and completed application materials to scihr@sciowa.org.