Historical Interpreter

Role Responsibilities

Are you looking for a fun and challenging summer job where you can develop your skills, work in a team and share our province’s history with people from all over Alberta, Canada, and the world?

As a Historical Interpreter, you will work collaboratively with a small team to lead tours of historic site structures and landscapes; participate in the planning, development, and presentation of educational programs and special events for visitors of all ages; and coordinate craft and skill demonstrations. This job will allow you to develop a wide variety of skill areas including leadership, public speaking, customer service, program and event development, interpretation techniques, research, social media planning, and historical crafts and skills.  

Other duties include the collection of admission fees and visitor statistics, event promotion, gift shop sales, day-to-day administration, and maintaining the general order of visitor facilities. This position requires weekend work, and on occasion working and travelling alone or scheduled off-site work.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

In this role, you will contribute to our team by demonstrating the following behavioral competencies:
   

• Drive for Results: Support operational goals and mandates on a daily basis by promoting a client-centered culture. Accurate and timely customer service in program delivery is a key priority.
• Build Collaborative Environments: Work together with the interpretive team as the first point of contact for visitors and program users onsite. Provide support while working with the general public, school teachers and other group leaders, team members, and supervisors.
• Creative Problem Solving: Demonstrate resourcefulness in addressing challenges in program delivery, and suggesting new approaches or opportunities for communicating site themes.
• Develop Networks: Build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Work closely with external clients to ensure return business and create a welcoming environment.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• High School Diploma
• Ability to learn large amounts of information quickly and to confidently speak and work with a range of audiences with varying backgrounds, from young children to seniors, in groups both large and small.
• Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a small workplace team.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods as well as lift and carry moderate loads.
• A basic understanding of the history of Alberta, an interest in historical interpretation. as well as communication, creativity, and organizational skills. 

Assets: 

• Post-secondary education and/or experience in education, drama, historical interpretation, Canadian history, Indigenous studies and/or recreation administration.
• Other assets include customer service experience; experience with children and seniors; fluency in French and/or Indigenous languages 

Equivalency: Directly related experience considered on the basis of one year of experience for one year of education.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. 

Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

These are temporary positions from May 1 through September 13, 2026. Most positions work 36.25 hours per week. (Exceptions are noted below.)

• Successful candidates will be required to undergo a criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening.
• Successful candidates must be able to provide a current Standard First Aid Certificate (including CPR-C).
• Successful candidates will be required to have their own transportation for getting to and from work.
  
  

Position Locations: 

• Fort George and Buckingham House: www.fortgeorgebuckinghamhouse.ca
• Historic Dunvegan: www.historicdunvegan.ca  
• Stephansson House: www.stephanssonhouse.ca  
• Turner Valley Gas Plant (positions are primarily weekends over the summer): www.turnervalleygasplant.ca

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.