Explorer dome science presenter - hands-on science shows & portable planetarium - united kingdom, bristol city centre, bristol

if you love science, are a skilled communicator, enjoy working with children, touring the uk and can drive a van... we want to hear from you and can offer you one of the most enjoyable and rewarding jobs out there!

explorer dome is one of the uk's best-respected science outreach organisations. based in bristol, we tour the south west, south east, midlands and beyond visiting schools, colleges, youth groups, family events, fairs & festivals with inspiring, entertaining, hands-on science shows.

we are searching for at least one fabulous, part time science presenter. our brilliant presenters are at the heart of everything we do at explorer dome. when schools book a visit from us, they expect to receive the best quality science shows from presenters who are knowledgeable, highly trained, passionate about science education and, most importantly, fun!

who are we looking for? first things first, you will be travelling around the country in a van. it is going to be vital that you have held a full, uk driving licence for at least 12 months. you do not need to have had previous experience of driving vans, but if you are not able to drive, this outreach job is not for you... or perhaps it is, but you need to learn to drive first and come back to us in a year's time!

you need to be self-motivated and passionate about science and the value of equality, diversity and inclusion in education. an undergraduate degree in a scientific subject and a good general science knowledge is a huge benefit, as you will be communicating aspects of space science, physics, chemistry, biology, environmental science and geography, however, enthusiasm, dedication and the ability to learn quickly is far more valuable.

are you a friendly sort? you'll become an integral part of our team of professional science communicators so you need to enjoy working with people and working as part of a team. you need excellent face-to-face communication skills with adults and children to enable you to be professional, approachable, authoritative and fun - if this is you, this job will be hugely rewarding! previous experience working with young people or with public or specialist groups is highly desirable but not essential.

being organised in yourself as well as being happy and able to 'think on your feet' is a huge asset. creativity is also encouraged. once you are familiar with the equipment and shows, we hope you will explore your own interests within the show scripts and bring your personality and suggestions of how you feel we could do things differently to constantly improve and stay up-to-date with our content and approach.

the job does require lots of travel so you should be comfortable with early mornings, some long days, driving and visiting new places and have enough energy to make sure the last show is as good as the first.

what does the job involve? a typical day working with explorer dome involves travelling to school to arrive for a cup of tea at 8am to set up the inflatable dome. a school can be anything from 5 minutes to 3 hours’ drive from bristol, so you must be energetic enough to deal with this part of the job. you always work in a team of 2 which improves diversity, quality, great interaction with the children, maintains a lively pace in the shows and makes the working day far more enjoyable. the number of shows ranges from 2 to 7 shows per day so you may by home by lunchtime or later in the evening. we sometimes travel between two local schools (or a school and an after-school event) on the same day. every day is different!

we frequently spend part of the week staying overnight in devon, cornwall, pembrokeshire, london or the south-east. you’ll get the chance to visit some interesting and beautiful parts of the country and we provide a budget for overnight accommodation and expenses. you may be asked to stay overnight once or twice a term, but you are never obliged to do so. most of our work is in schools, but we also work occasional weekends & holidays for family events and festivals.

explorer dome presenters work on a part-time basis by arrangement, between 2-4 days per week during term-time and occasionally during weekends and school holidays. you will receive expert training in science communication, live presentation and working with schools, you will expand your knowledge of many aspects of science and become part of a very friendly team.

the above description should give you an idea on whether you are suited for this position. we are certain that if all the above fits your skills and personality, you will thoroughly enjoy this work. we look forward to welcoming applications from a wide range of people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, experiences and academic history. please browse our website to get to know us and what we do. to apply, please email ben with your cv and a covering letter telling us about yourself, your background, any experience with presenting, planetariums, science & schools, why you want to work with explorer dome and anything else you think we should know. we look forward to hearing from you!

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