Special Assistants

The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) preserves and exhibits the material history of the Marine Corps. It also invests in both the NMMC’s and the Marine Corps’ future through a partnership with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation by executing a dynamic special assistant program which offers opportunities for emerging museum professionals to provide specialized skills while working with NMMC staff in the areas of curation, collections management, education, distance learning, exhibits, public affairs, restoration, and visitor services. Special assistants are immersed in and gain appreciation for the past, while they learn and apply the skills and the reverence needed to ensure the future of this Museum and museums throughout the world.

While interns are typically undergraduate or graduate students, special assistants are usually recent graduates who are looking for additional hands-on professional museum experience. NMMC special assistants are also military spouses whose Marines are stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico as well as Marine Corps retirees and others who are transitioning careers. Special assistant positions are part-time, limited to 29 hours per week, with a term not to exceed three years. Special assistants are employees of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, not the NMMC nor the Marine Corps. These are not federal positions and do not accrue time towards federal service.

Special assistants work with:

Curatorial and Collections Management staff to conduct research, document and catalog artifacts, rehouse artifacts, and draft reports and exhibit scripts.
Education and Distance Learning staff to help present educational programs to K-12 students, families, veterans, and active duty Marines (PME); operate and monitor technical equipment during virtual programs; assist with summer camp and special educational programs.
Visitor Services staff to welcome visitors, schedule and coordinate ceremonies, special events, public programs, and group tours.
Exhibits staff to assist with graphic and exhibit design and visual research.
Strategic Communications staff to assist with disseminating information about the NMMC to more than 200,000 fans and followers; updating and creating new content for social media on six platforms; photography and videography; newsletters with a reach of 10,000+ subscriber; and website updates.
Restoration staff to help with the preservation and restoration of macro artifacts, and conduct research and cataloging for a substantial archival project

Current Special Assistant Openings