McCormick House Visitor Engagement Fellow

Description

Foundation Summary   

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is a leading philanthropic institution investing more than $75 million annually in Chicagoland, with a focus on improving economic opportunity on Chicago’s South and West Sides. The Foundation is named for its donor, Colonel Robert R. McCormick. The Foundation’s Board of Directors also oversees Cantigny, Col. McCormick’s estate, which today provides educational and recreational opportunities in Chicago’s western suburbs.  

The 500-acre Cantigny estate includes McCormick’s Home and Gardens, which host dozens of programs and events annually for nearly half a million visitors; the First Division Museum, a military history museum that tells the story of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, beginning in World War I, in which Col. McCormick served, to present; and Cantigny Golf, a 27-hole public golf course and a 9-hole short course, perfect for children and families. 

Position Summary  

The McCormick House Fellow is a 1–2 year developmental fellowship at the McCormick House. The role focuses on day-to-day operations, visitor experience, volunteer programming, and historical interpretation. The McCormick House serves as a historic house, public gathering space, and interpretive experience within Cantigny. The Fellow will help ensure visitors experience the House in a welcoming, well-organized, and engaging way by connecting daily operations, storytelling, interpretation, and volunteer leadership. 

The fellowship combines meaningful operational responsibility with structured mentorship and professional growth. Working closely with the Director of McCormick House and the Foundation Historian, the Fellow will develop skills in historical research, interpretation, institutional history, operations, and visitor experience. Responsibility for interpretive content, special projects, and cross-departmental initiatives will grow throughout the fellowship. Near the conclusion of the 1–2-year term, Cantigny leadership will evaluate the House’s needs alongside the Fellow’s performance and interests to determine whether a continuing or elevated role is warranted. Continuation beyond the fellowship is not guaranteed. 

Essential Functions  

Operations 

• Monitor the daily readiness of McCormick House for public visitation. 
• Coordinate with Guest Services and Security on opening, closing, visitor access, building security, and emergency procedures. 
• Identify maintenance, housekeeping, environmental, technology, and facility issues that could affect visitors, and communicate them to the appropriate staff. 
• Develop and maintain operational procedures, checklists, and visitor-service protocols. 
• Ensure public spaces, galleries, interpretive areas, and visitor amenities are ready for daily operation. 
• Plan for periods of high visitation and special events. 

Visitor Experience 

• Oversee the day-to-day visitor experience during public hours. 
• Serve as a visible, knowledgeable presence within McCormick House. 
• Respond to visitor questions and concerns with accurate, helpful information. 
• Maintain standards for welcoming, engaging, and accessible visitor interactions. 
• Monitor visitor flow, dwell time, feedback, and other indicators of engagement. 
• Recommend improvements to signage, wayfinding, interpretive materials, and visitor amenities. 

History, Interpretation & Tours 

• Research and develop tour narratives, themes, and talking points that connect the McCormick family, architecture, and collection to Cantigny's and Chicago's broader history. 
• Curate and refresh interpretive content to keep tours accurate, current, and engaging for diverse audiences. 
• Deliver tours and public presentations as needed, modeling the storytelling standard expected of docents and volunteers. 
• Train volunteers and tour guides in interpretive techniques and content to ensure consistent, high-quality storytelling across all tours. 
• Evaluate tour quality and visitor engagement, and use feedback to continuously refine content and delivery. 

Volunteer Program 

• Coordinate the day-to-day volunteer experience at McCormick House. 
• Support volunteer recruitment, orientation, scheduling, training, and retention. 
• Set clear expectations for volunteer conduct, visitor interaction, building awareness, and communication. 
• Maintain volunteer training and reference materials. 
• Provide regular feedback and coaching to volunteers. 
• Ensure appropriate volunteer coverage during public hours, tours, and special programs. 

Programs and Special Experiences 

• Support special tours, open houses, member events, educational programs, revenue-generating experiences, and other activities held at the House. 
• Coordinate onsite logistics for programs and special events as needed. 

Cross-Departmental Collaboration 

• Maintain effective working relationships with Guest Services, Public Programs, Food & Beverage, Security, Facilities, Communications, Horticulture, and other Cantigny departments. 
• Communicate upcoming tours, programs, events, and operational needs clearly and on time.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:  

Education: Education: Bachelor's degree in museum studies, history, public history, education, hospitality, communications, tourism, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.   

Experience: Experience in a museum, historic site, cultural institution, visitor attraction, hospitality environment, or comparable public-facing organization. 

Skills:   

Required 

• Demonstrated experience working directly with the public. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to translate historical information into engaging narratives. 
• Strong public-speaking and interpersonal skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to train, coordinate, and support staff and/or volunteers. 
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic public environment. 
• Ability to work a variable schedule including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events, consistent with the House's public operating hours. 
• Willingness to commit to a 1–2 year fellowship term. 

Preferred 

• Experience managing or coordinating volunteers. 
• Experience developing visitor programs, tours, or special experiences. 
• Coursework or experience in public history, historical interpretation, or narrative/storytelling development. 
• Familiarity with digital interpretation, mobile tours, audio interpretation, or other visitor-experience technologies. 
• Experience using visitor feedback and participation data to evaluate programs. 
• Interest in a long-term career path in museum interpretation, curatorial work, historical research, or public history leadership. 

Working Conditions  

Work is performed primarily onsite at the McCormick House in a public-facing environment. The position requires regular standing and walking, including navigating stairs, and may include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Occasional outdoor work and lifting of materials up to 25 pounds may be required. 

Equal Opportunity Employer 

Cantigny and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, individuals with disabilities, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital and housing status.