1817 Draft Horse Handler, Forest History Center

JOB TITLE: #1817 Draft Horse Handler, Forest History Center

LOCATION: Forest History Center, 2609 County Road 76, Grand Rapids, MN 55744

COMPENSATION: $22.92 hourly minimum

STATUS & HOURS: Full-time (approximately 2,080 annual hours) project position through March 31, 2025.

BENEFITS: Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution. Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.

DESIGNATION: Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 3173

POSTING DATE: September 6, 2023

DEADLINE DATE: Open Until Filled

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date.

DESCRIPTION: This position provides daily care, training, handling, and driving of the site’s draft horse teams. This position is also responsible for delivering programming related to draft horse use in historic and modern logging and forested work settings.

SUMMARY OF WORK: 1) Provide daily care, training, and handling of the site’s draft horse teams; 2) Develop and execute maintenance schedules of historic and modern draft horse equipment. Includes cleaning, maintaining, and repairing; 3) Support ongoing development of site’s draft horse programming and care protocols; and 4) Provide for the safe and secure daily operation of the site.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

● High school diploma or equivalent.

● Experience in horse care, overseeing their wellbeing and handling.

● Ability to work independently and take individual initiative while also being able to collaborate effectively and contribute positively in a team environment.

● Ability to multitask and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines, prioritizing and adapting to changing priorities.

● Demonstrated ability to think imaginatively and problem solve.

● Ability to communicate both orally and written, including giving work direction, preparing and delivering reports.

● Demonstrated experience and ability to provide consistent high quality customer service.

● Physical strength, stamina and coordination to perform a wide variety of job tasks.

● Ability and willingness to climb ladders and enter enclosed spaces.

● Ability to lift 75 pounds rarely, 50 pounds occasionally, and 30 pounds regularly.

● Ability to stand for extended periods of time, to walk long distances regularly, and to perform exterior duties in all Minnesota climate extremes.

● Experience with or willingness to learn how to use a tractor or loader.

● Ability, flexibility and willingness to work a varied schedule including weekends and holidays.

● Valid driver’s license.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

● Experience conducting educational or engaging programming around animals.

● Demonstrated success in conveying a variety of program content using multiple techniques and facilitating dialogue with guests in an accessible manner.

● Ability to be able to harness and drive a team of draft horses.

● Ability to adapt program presentations and lessons to best suit the needs of visitors based on situations that arise including late arrivals, special visitor needs, teacher inquiries, and visitor inquiries.

Should you have questions with the application process, email humanresources@mnhs.org.

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.