Skip to main content
Menu

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

APS3 Experience Facilitator – Part Time

Applications close midnight Monday 8 June 2026

The position

The Experience Facilitator (EF) plays a crucial role in creating meaningful connections between visitors and art. As a friendly and visible presence in the gallery, the EF helps set the tone for an enriching visit. Supporting visitors to engage and reflect, while igniting curiosity and creating memorable moments.

Experience is everything. Working on the gallery floor, the EF delivers consistently high‑quality visitor service and plays a key role in shaping positive experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds. The role involves facilitating public and education programs, leading guided tours, and supporting self‑guided and digitally enabled experiences.

The EF works collaboratively across the section to deliver both on‑site and online experiences for diverse audiences, including schools, families, young people, adult learners, communities with access needs, and national online audiences.

Specific Tasks

  1. Deliver welcoming, person-centred visitor experiences
    Provide welcoming, person-centred interactions that help every visitor feel included and at home in the Gallery. Tailor information and orientation to individual needs, introducing visitors to exhibitions, programs, Gallery spaces, amenities, and membership opportunities such as the Circle of Friends, while supporting positive and inclusive visitor journeys.
  2. Facilitate front of house operations
    Contribute to the day-to-day delivery of visitor services, including reception, visitor feedback collection, point-of-sale transactions and monitoring public areas. Help maintain safe, secure, and welcoming spaces for all visitors and staff.
  3. Facilitate learning experiences for school audiences
    Deliver engaging onsite and online learning experiences that encourage student participation, curiosity, and connection, while supporting the safe and effective use of learning spaces.
  4. Deliver interpretive tours
    Lead tours that bring artworks, stories and ideas to life for diverse audiences. Use interpretive approaches to encourage conversation and create meaningful connections with the collection and exhibitions.
  5. Support targeted audience experiences
    Contribute to the preparation, facilitation and pack down of experiences for specific audiences, supporting smooth delivery and positive audience outcomes.
  6. Administration
    Perform administrative tasks supporting the delivery of experiences and contribute ideas and reflective feedback to support continuous improvement of experiences.
  7. Prepare and reset spaces
    Safely handle and assist in moving a range of objects and materials as required including but not limited to art supplies, bollards and furniture to support the delivery of exhibitions and experiences.

Selection Criteria

  1. Visitor experience and engagement skills
    Demonstrated experience delivering high‑quality visitor services in a public‑facing environment, including front‑of‑house service and guided tours. Proven ability to assess visitor needs in the moment and respond with care and professionalism.
  2. Program facilitation skills
    Demonstrated experience facilitating planned onsite and/or online public programs and learning experiences for school audiences, families and lifelong learners. Ability to use audience‑centred facilitation approaches to encourage participation, dialogue and meaningful engagement.
  3. Teamwork and initiative
    Proven ability to work collaboratively within a team environment while also demonstrating initiative, reliability and the capacity to manage tasks independently in a visitor focused setting.
  4. Communication and interpersonal skills
    Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, confidently and respectfully with diverse audiences, using strong verbal and interpersonal skills to convey information, facilitate discussion and build positive engagement in a publicfacing environment and with fellow team members.
  5. Awareness of workplace principles
    Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly develop an understanding of the Gallery’s and the Australian Public Service Workplace Diversity and Equity, Workplace Relations, and Work Health and Safety, with the ability to apply these principles in daily work.

Our ideal candidate

Applicants may bring experience or knowledge from a range of backgrounds. Formal qualifications are not required. We welcome candidates who demonstrate:

  • A genuine enthusiasm for connecting with people, creating welcoming experiences, and supporting learning through art is highly valued.
  • An interest or experience in visual arts, Australian history, museums, galleries, cultural organisations, or visitor focused environments
  • A curiosity about portraiture and storytelling through art, and a willingness to learn about the Gallery’s collection and programs
  • Experience supporting or delivering online or digitally mediated programs and experiences, or an interest in developing these skills
  • A commitment to child safety, including appropriate professional behaviours and the ability to create safe, positive and engaging experiences for children and young people.

Additional Note

This role involves standing for extended periods in public areas and requires flexible working hours within the Gallery’s operating times of 7am–7pm, including occasional weekend work. To be eligible for this role, you must:

  • Hold Australian Citizenship,
  • Satisfy a police check, and
  • Hold a Working with Vulnerable People (ACT) (or the ability to obtain and maintain)

Work Patterns

  • The Gallery is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day) from 10 am – 5 pm.
  • There are four positions available, each at 0.7 full-time equivalent (FTE), which is 7 days per fortnight. Successful applicants will be required to work a 4‑week rotating roster, including two weekends in each four‑week cycle and some public holidays.
  • Any changes to roster patterns will be managed in accordance with Clauses 331–334, of the NPG Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027.
Work patterns, APS3 Experience Facilitator – Part Time

Applicant information

In no more than two A4 pages, please tell us how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications make you the best person for this job.

Email your application, a current CV and the application coversheet to [email protected] by the deadline listed below.

If you need more information, please get in touch with Gill Raymond by email [email protected]

Applications close midnight Monday 8 June 2026.

© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency