Overview

Position Description

Walking Tour Guides will act as welcome center staff and deliver existing tours. You will assist visitors with information and tickets, and guide them along the C&O Canal, teaching them about stops along the way. This is a great opportunity to engage families, adults, students, and special audiences with the history of the Canal in Georgetown! Perfect for a background in history, education, theatre, museum studies, or outdoor recreation!

This position is anticipated to be seasonal (24-32 hours per week/ weekend work required) through October/November while walking tours are operational.

Responsibilities

  • Deliver daily walking tours Wednesday – Sunday:
    • Using the provided tour outlines and materials, learn the content of the tour and be able to deliver it to a wide-ranging audience, and make in-the-moment adjustments as needed.
    • Facilitate engagement with audiences.
    • Answer visitor questions about the tour content, the C&O Canal, and Georgetown
    • Ensure visitor safety and comfort during tour
  • Deliver pop-up interpretive programs such as boat tool show-and-tell, lunch-and-learn, and others to be developed with the Executive Director and NPS staff
  • Staff the Visitor Center:
    • assist visitors via phone, online, or in-person
    • ensure visitor center is clean and tidy
    • oversee visitor center volunteers
  • Coordinate with National Park Service staff on issues related to Visitor Center or towpath access/safety
  • Provide daily reports to the Executive Director
  • May have the opportunity to work additional evening hours to support special events
  • May have the opportunity to work with GH and NPS staff to develop additional tours and programs

Qualifications

  • Experience, training, or interest in history, education, and/or the arts
  • Previous experience delivering tours or other public speaking is preferred
  • Customer service experience, including familiarity with POS and/or ticketing systems is preferred
  • Ability to operate a computer, tablet and smartphone
  • Must be reliable & punctual, able to commit to work shifts (8 hrs. per day, 4-5 days a week, weekends required) and dedicated to excellent customer service.
  • Must possess physical capabilities to conduct walking tours:
    • being outdoors for most of the day including in inclement weather
    • walking up to 2 miles per tour on unpaved trail surfaces and going up multiple flights of stairs
    • lifting up to 40 pounds
    • Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
  • Must consent to and pass a criminal background check
  • Must have proof of COVID-19 Vaccination, and maintain up to date CDC vaccination requirements
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