Front-of-house roles

Information desk volunteers

Role: These volunteers are often the first face seen by our visitors. They welcome people entering the museum, and help them to make the most of their visit, by providing information and advice about what is going on throughout the building.

Qualities needed: People with great communication skills who enjoy helping others and sharing their enthusiasm for the museum and for Auckland. People who are fit and active, able to be on their feet moving around our foyer areas, and well presented.

Commitment: This is a role with considerable ongoing training, so we ask these volunteers to stay in the role for years, rather than months. We ask these volunteers to make a commitment of at least half a day per week, although we can accommodate alternate weeks in some cases.

Shifts run from 9.40am to 1pm, and 12.45pm to 4pm, seven days a week.

Education volunteers

Role: We have many school groups who work with our Learning and Engagement team here at the museum, and education volunteers work with our educators in a support role. They work with teachers and with groups of children, and also help with making and organizing resources for programmes.

Qualities needed: People with great communication skills who enjoy being part of a team and working with children of all ages. Fitness is essential, and a sense of humour.

Commitment: We ask these volunteers to come in on school day each week, during school terms. Occasionally programmes run during holiday periods, but mainly it is term time, and the day is from 9.30am to 2pm.

Volunteer guides

Role: Volunteer guides take visitors on guided Highlights Tours and specialist tours of the museum. They bring to life our treasures and our stories while guiding international tourists as well as locals around the building.

Qualities needed: Guides should have a real interest in history and in museums, and have excellent communication skills and a passion for continuing to learn. The training is extensive and requires full commitment in order to successfully complete the course.

Commitment: We run only one intake of guides per year, and successful guides are asked to commit to guiding for at least two years, and to be available for a minimum of one tour per week. Guides who work full time and only volunteer on weekends are asked to commit to alternate weeks. As well as being regularly rostered, guides are expected to make themselves available for occasional group tours as they arise, and as they can fit around other commitments.

Back-of-house roles

Data entry and filing

Role: Many areas of the museum are looking for volunteers who can assist with administrative tasks, and are prepared to be meticulously accurate and well organised.

Qualities needed: People with good written and spoken English, and are computer literate, and self motivated. The ability to learn and to work independently is also very important.

Commitment: We would normally ask for at least a half day per week as the basic commitment, and more opportunities exist during the working week than in the weekends.

Flying squad

Role: This team of volunteers are on call, and respond to calls for help from various parts of the museum, and the work is varied. It may be preparing resources, putting together files, photocopying, filing, stuffing envelopes or even skewering marshmallows.

Qualities needed: Flying Squad members must be on email, and check their accounts on a daily basis.

Commitment: The job suits people who want to support the museum, but cannot commit to a regular time slot, and would prefer to be on call. Normally it involves coming in as a small team to work for a couple of hours on administrative tasks. The minimum input required is to offer to help at least 3 or 4 times in the year, but we love it if you can commit to more.

Other roles

We also have other roles available for volunteers within the museum, and if you have a particular passion for military history, or natural history and the sciences, or the library, it is worth while submitting an application just in case a vacancy for a volunteer in those areas arises. Our volunteers fulfil many varied roles throughout the organization, and bring a wide range of skills with them.

The range of roles undertaken by volunteers in the museum is vast, so no matter what your skills and interests, it is possible that somebody on the staff is waiting for you to come along and volunteer.

Try us!