The Wende Museum is a free art museum, historical archive, and community center in Culver City dedicated to preserving and sharing the art, culture, and history of the Cold War and its global legacies. Through its collection of more than 100,000 artworks, objects, and archival materials, the Museum fosters exhibitions, research, education, and community engagement that explore the social, political, and cultural changes of the past and their relevance today. We welcome individuals who are interested in supporting this work and helping create meaningful access to history, art, and dialogue. Current employment opportunities are listed below. The Wende Museum participates in E‑Verify.
Facilities Assistant
Organization: Wende Museum
Department: Facilities
Status: Part-time, up to 29 hours per week
Pay Rate: $21–$24 hourly
Supervisor: Head of Facilities
Summary
The Facilities Assistant supports the maintenance, safety, and day-to-day operation of the Wende Museum’s buildings and grounds. This role is primarily focused on weekdays and weekend coverage to support public programs, events, and routine facilities maintenance. The Facilities Assistant works closely with the Head of Facilities to ensure museum spaces are safe, functional, and properly maintained for staff, visitors, artists, and community partners. This role offers opportunities to develop skills in museum operations, facilities management, and exhibition support. Please note that previous experience in facilities maintenance is required.
Duties and Responsibilities
Facilities and Maintenance
- Perform routine maintenance and upkeep of museum facilities, including offices, galleries, exhibition spaces, storage areas, restrooms, and outdoor and landscaped areas.
- Conduct regular walkthroughs to identify maintenance needs, safety concerns, or cleanliness issues.
- Assist with basic repairs, including minor plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and HVAC-related tasks.
- Report larger or specialized maintenance issues promptly to the Head of Facilities.
Event and Weekend Support
- Provide on-site facilities support during weekend programs and events.
- Set up and break down rooms for events, including furniture, equipment, and space configurations.
- Monitor facilities during events and respond to immediate operational needs.
- Perform post-event resets and coordination of cleaning as needed.
Safety and Security Support
- Assist with safety checks of emergency exits, exit signage, emergency lighting, and fire life safety systems.
- Support adherence to established safety protocols and incident reporting procedures.
- Assist with basic security-related checks during weekend operations.
- This role does not make independent security decisions and escalates concerns to the Head of Facilities or designated staff.
Exhibitions and Install Support
- Assist museum staff with exhibition installation and de-installation support.
- Safely move artwork, display cases, signage, lighting components, and related materials under supervision.
- Follow all museum handling, access, and preservation procedures.
- Art handling tasks are performed under supervision and training is provided.
Vendor and Contractor Support
- Assist with escorting vendors and contractors during scheduled shifts.
- Report work completed, issues observed, and follow-up needs to the Head of Facilities.
Inventory and Supplies
- Assist with organizing and maintaining facilities, tools, supplies, and equipment.
- Monitor supply levels and communicate restocking needs.
Waste and Sustainability
- Support proper waste disposal, recycling, and sustainability practices in accordance with museum policies and local regulations.
Documentation and Reporting
- Maintain basic records of maintenance tasks, inspections, and event-related facilities support as requested.
Online Museum Overstock Support
- Assist with managing the museum’s online overstock operations on platforms such as eBay and OfferUp.
- Support product listings, order processing, packaging, and shipping coordination as assigned.
Education and Experience
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Previous experience in facilities maintenance, building operations, or custodial work preferred.
- Experience in a museum, nonprofit, or cultural institution environment is a plus.
Essential Skills and Abilities
- Working knowledge of basic building maintenance and repair practices.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to follow established procedures and work independently when required.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Reliability and consistency, particularly for weekend event coverage.
- Bilingual English and Spanish preferred.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to climb ladders, bend, kneel, and perform physical labor.
- Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying conditions.
- Ability to stand or walk for extended periods during events.
Schedule Requirements
- Primarily weekend work supporting events and routine maintenance.
- Occasional weekday hours may be scheduled based on operational needs.
To apply, please send PDF copies of a cover letter outlining your interest and a current resume to opportunities@wendemuseum.org
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Wende Museum is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and diverse workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.
Collections Internship
The Wende Museum offers Collections Internships for currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, as well as recent graduates who are interested in gaining experience in collection management, collection development, and artifact research. Positions are part-time, paid at $18/hour for 120 hours, and available for course credit. Internships are offered year-round, typically beginning in January, June, and September. We are currently accepting applications for our Winter Collections Internship, which is set to begin in January 2027.
The Collections Internship will focus on cataloging the Museum’s incoming acquisitions and existing backlog. Interns will gain experience in key areas of object handling, processing objects, and using a museum database (Mimsy XG). Interns will have the opportunity to directly work with artifacts from the Cold War and be exposed to a variety of museum activities. Potential interns must meet the following criteria for consideration:
- Be available to work part-time between Monday and Friday;
- Have completed at least one semester of college by the time of application;
- Possess an interest in museum studies, collections management, history, and/or material and visual culture of the Cold War;
- Be comfortable working with databases and computers;
- Be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and independent, with excellent communication skills;
- A reading knowledge of German, Russian, or an Eastern European Language is helpful but not required.
Applications for our Winter Internship will be accepted through November 1. To apply, please fill out this form and send PDF copies of your cover letter outlining your interest and a current resume to internships@wendemuseum.org
Please indicate that you are applying for the Collections Internship, both in the email subject and cover letter.