General

We are seeking to add a new team member who is enthusiastic, responsible, reliable, inquisitive, and passionate about leading in-depth, interactive, and inclusive tour experiences for people of all ages and abilities about the infrastructure, people, and places that maintain, sustain, and nourish New York City. 

In this role, our new staff member will lead public, private, and custom group tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Prospect Park, Essex Market, and about New York’s food cart vendors. They will also contribute to the development of tour content and outlines, as well as K–12 lesson plans for tours and programs. As with all of our team members, they will also be expected to participate in training sessions, regularly scheduled staff meetings, and contribute to our body of research that relates to our tour programs and museum consulting practice.

General responsibilities:

• Lead tours that are inclusive of and welcoming to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities
• Interpret the themes and stories of the people and places where we lead tours in ways that are relevant and meaningful to diverse audiences
• Anticipate and address the needs—mobility, auditory, and otherwise—of tour participants and providing exemplary customer service
• Contribute to a positive team-based environment by actively seeking out opportunities to learn from and alongside colleagues, tour participants, and others
• Demonstrate humility and a genuine interest in learning and developing new skills
• Contribute to the company’s body of knowledge through primary source research, multimedia documentation, observation and evaluation of tours, and leading training workshops for the team
• Actively seek new challenges and opportunities for increased responsibility
• Exemplify integrity through your work and hold yourself to high professional and ethical standards in accordance with Turnstile Tours’ mission, core commitments, policies, and procedures.
• Represent Turnstile Tours & Studio at select events and training workshops hosted by key nonprofit and industry partners

Requirements

This position requires candidates who:

• Are fully vaccinated for Covid-19, including booster shots
• Have a positive ‘can-do’ attitude, sense of humor, and friendly personality
• Are punctual, reliable, and are available to lead tours on weekends and on either weekdays or weekday evenings
• Are flexible and able to adapt in a fast-changing environment
• Are a quick and active learner who independently seeks out and shares knowledge
• Are comfortable speaking in front of groups of people
• Are interested in drawing out and responding to the interests, perspectives, and questions of other people
• Are excited about creating and delivering age-appropriate programs that engage the minds and interests of children and young adults
• Are able to perform well under pressure and demonstrate good judgment and communication skills
• Are a good team player and a self-starter
• Have experience in leading tours, teaching, and/or acting
• Are passionate about history and have knowledge about or interest in more than one of the following areas: urban planning, geography, food systems, food justice, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, military or waterfront history, the maritime industry, nature, plants and animals, sociology, economic development
• Have experience working with diverse groups of people of all ages from a wide range of cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities, including people with disabilities

Additional desired qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates who:

• Have excellent listening skills
• Have prior experience in a customer-oriented industry
• Demonstrate the ability to design and deliver accessible, engaging, and interactive educational programming for children and adults
• Have prior experience with tour development and research
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills
• Are familiar with Turnstile Tours and have joined a tour in the past
• Speak English and another language fluently. Preferred languages include Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, Thai, Arabic, or American Sign Language
• Have some prior knowledge about or interest in urban planning, architecture and design, sustainability, the manufacturing sector, and ecological systems of New York
• Are certified in CPR and/or First Aid
• Are a Certified NYC Sightseeing Guide
• Have experience personally or professionally with people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities

Compensation and benefits: This is an hourly year-round position. Guides are paid as employees at $40/hour for in-person tours, including compensation for on-site set up and providing guidance to visitors after the tour. Compensation for staff meetings, training for tours, and other job-related responsibilities are paid at a rate of $25 per hour. After 90 days of employment, all employees of Turnstile Tours are eligible to contribute to a personal 401(k) retirement plan, receive compensation for obtaining or renewing their NYC sightseeing license, access discounted Citibike memberships, and partake in other employee benefits provided by the company.

Applications: If you have a Google account of any kind, please submit your application via this Google Form, otherwise you can can also submit by email to info@turnstiletours.com (please read the directions below carefully to make sure you have included all of the required materials). We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis and are seeking to hire for this position with the expectation that the new staff member will start leading tours by June 2022.

The application asks you to provide:

• Your name and contact information
• Your availability to lead tours starting in June (weekdays, weekends, evenings)
• Answer a few short questions:
  • Why are you interested in this opportunity?
  • In a few words, describe a tour that you went on as a visitor that you loved. What made it such a great experience?
  • Is there anything else you would like to share?

• Submit a video: Please record and upload a brief video (no longer than three minutes) introducing yourself and telling us a story about a place you love in New York City.
• Share your updated resume, CV, or updated LinkedIn page

Turnstile Tours values a diverse workforce to help us better serve a diverse public and we encourage qualified individuals from any and all backgrounds to apply.

Turnstile Tours is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to making all personnel decisions without regard to age, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, disability, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or any other category protected by law.

Turnstile Tours & Studio is a tour company and museum consulting practice based in Brooklyn, New York. Working in partnership with local nonprofit organizations and cultural sites over the past decade, Turnstile Tours has provided its over 60,000 visitors with in-depth experiences that explore the infrastructure, people, and places that maintain, sustain, and nourish New York City. Our team of practitioners at Turnstile Studio have also consulted behind-the-scenes with over 20 organizations on providing inclusive, accessible, and engaging visitor experiences with a client roster that includes Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Historic Hudson Valley, the Singapore Tourism Board, The Ringling (Sarasota, FL) and the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka (Greater Pittsburgh).

As a company, we seek to embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, race, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make each individual unique. The collective sum of the individual differences, unique life experiences, knowledge, capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but of our reputation, partnerships, and our ability as a company to serve and relate to a diverse public.

Learn more about our work by exploring our website or joining us for a tour or virtual program!