The organization operating the Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township is seeking someone to serve as the museum facilitator this year to oversee the site of the historic 1763 battle between British and colonial troops and Native Americans that lifted the siege at Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh.
“Our museum facilitator is the one person who is there every single day we're open,” said Bonnie Ramus, president of the nonprofit Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society, which oversees the site of the battlefield east of Harrison City.
The museum facilitator is the only paid position at the battlefield. The museum facilitator will have a seasonal job to oversee the battlefield site that is open from April through October, said Lauren Buches, a volunteer with the heritage society and the organization's first museum facilitator. The work can continue on a part-time basis after the museum closes to handle paperwork and various activities later in the year, Buches said.
The new museum facilitator will succeed Colleen Madore, who left the position at the end of last season, Buches said.
“They're the go-to person whenever a visitor or a volunteer needs assistance—whether it's finding out more information on the history of the battlefield, or knowing when we close for the day.”
The museum facilitator organizes volunteers for school groups and tours, makes sure regular programs such as quarterly lectures, nature walks, a car cruise and the Haunted History Hayride run smoothly, and helps publicize such events. The facilitator also helps with basic maintenance of the museum and works with the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission on daily operations of the site.
The commission owns the museum building and pays for its utilities. The state also pays two staff members to care for the grounds, which are a state park. But the remainder of the operations are run by dozens of volunteers.
“It's a perfect job for someone just out of college and looking to gain experience in running a small nonprofit, managing volunteers and coming up with creative ways to market a historic site,” said Ramus.
Buches, who is marketing coordinator for the Westmoreland Heritage Society in Unity, said the experience she gained as the museum facilitator helped her land a job at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
All applicants must submit a resume, cover letter and three writing samples to info@bushyrunbattlefield.com by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 31 to be considered for the position. The wage for the position ranges from $11 per hour to $13 per hour, Buches said.
For more information on the requirements for being the museum facilitator, visit the job listing at bushyrunbattlefield.com .
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
