The Interpretation Department at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, DC seeks an intern with a demonstrated interest in audience research, museum interpretation, and visitor engagement. This hands-on, project-oriented role offers practical experience in visitor studies, data analysis, and program development. A specific project focus will be mutually agreed upon before the start of the internship.
This internship is on-site at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Projects include:

• Develop and implement visitor studies to further understanding of usage patterns and value perceptions of the museum’s audio tour and printed visitor guide, including conducting visitor interviews, surveys, and behavioral observation.
• Analyze visitor data and develop recommendations based upon key takeaways from visitor studies.
• Conduct interviews with peer museums about their audio tours and printed visitor guides, and the role these resources play in visitor satisfaction.
• Support other projects related to audience development, including researching expanded access to the museum’s lectures and to local family audiences.
  Additionally, interns will experience the day-to-day work of the Interpretation team in a museum environment.

Learning Opportunities:

• Participate in weekly check-in meetings with the intern supervisor to review progress and set weekly goals.
• Join, as available, meetings that the Interpretation team leads or attends, including exhibition planning meetings, docent training preparation meetings, and more.
• Attend and/or assist with public programs occurring during the intern’s tenure.
• Conduct informational interviews with Hillwood staff across departments — including Curatorial, Finance, Human Resources, Archives, Collections, Museum Shop, Horticulture, and others — to learn about a range of career pathways in the museum field.

Minimum Qualifications:

This internship is appropriate for undergraduate, post-graduate, and graduate students in museum studies, communications, public history, or other related fields. We seek motivated, self-starting students with availability between 10–16 hours per week. Strong communication and computer skills are a plus. The intern, as part of their duties, may at times be required to lift objects of up to 15 lbs. unassisted.

Interns may be eligible to receive course credit in coordination with their university and are eligible for compensation; however, neither is guaranteed nor a criterion for participation in a Hillwood internship.

Work Environment and Physical Conditions:

The physical requirements and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job or may be encountered while performing the essential functions of this job.
The employee is regularly required to communicate professionally in person, over the telephone, through email and other electronic means, move about their work area, between buildings and the campus grounds, handle various types of media and equipment, and visually or otherwise identify, observe and assess. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 15 pounds.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions to the extent Hillwood may do so without undue hardship. The term “qualified individual with a disability” means an individual who with or without reasonable accommodation can perform the essential functions of the position.

Notice:

The preceding job description indicates the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time nor does it proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.