Director of Audience & Evaluation

Space Center Houston•Houston, TX

2d•$120,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Space Center Houston is seeking a Director of Audience and Evaluation to lead their Audience and Evaluation team. This role is responsible for ensuring a deep, data-informed understanding of visitors' needs, motivations, and experiences. The Director will design and lead a comprehensive evaluation strategy to inform the development and continuous improvement of exhibits, operations, and informal education programs. This position translates research and evaluation findings into actionable guidance for various teams and oversees a team of two full-time members and three part-time data collectors, ensuring the integrity and consistency of evaluation practices to align the organization around the audience experience.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social sciences (e.g., psychology, social work, statistics, anthropology, museum studies, user experience design) or other related field.
Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in evaluation and research, preferably for an informal education institution (e.g., nonprofit, library, museum or cultural organization).
Demonstrated work experience in planning, designing, implementing, managing and reporting on evaluation projects including front-end, formative, prototyping, summative, and process evaluation studies.
Direct experience collaborating and proactively communicating with stakeholders.
Strong knowledge of quantitative/qualitative evaluation methods and analysis techniques.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Demonstrated work experience presenting evaluation and research results clearly and effectively both in writing and through presentations for a variety of audiences.
Successful track record of leading evaluation for grant projects and funded proposals.
Ability to create systems to effectively train and delegate components and full evaluation projects to support staff and volunteers.
Experience identifying, sharing, and interpreting relevant scientific literature, unpublished studies, and market research findings for colleagues.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
Demonstrated commitment to matters of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within education and the STEM workforce.
Adherence to human subjects research ethics and guidelines.
Advanced proficiency using MS Office Suite products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

Nice To Haves

Skill, creativity, and effectiveness in Data Visualization and Reporting (DVR) a plus.
Interactive workshop facilitation experience strongly preferred.
Knowledge of museum and informal science education literature a plus.
Experience with statistical software and packages (SPSS, R, SAS, etc.) a plus.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) proficiency a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the organization's audience research and evaluation strategy for the brand, exhibits, educational programs, guest experiences, and institutional initiatives, overseeing all phases of front-end, formative, prototyping, process, and summative evaluation.
Develop and maintain evaluation standards, methodologies, and best practices to ensure consistency, rigor, and ethical application of audience research and evaluation across the organization.
Lead audience and community research initiatives that inform strategic decision-making, audience development efforts, and organizational priorities.
Lead or support staff in design of logic models, evaluation planning, creation of data collection instruments, data analysis, data visualization and reporting.
Provide evaluation planning, budget guidance, drafted text for relevant sections of proposals, implementation and reporting support to grant and sponsorship proposals and projects.
Facilitate workshops to build alignment in goals and vision for intra- and cross-departmental projects.
Establish and maintain organization-wide evaluation reporting systems, dashboards, and communication processes that drive transparency, accountability, and data-informed decision-making.
Provide leadership, coaching, and development for the Audience and Evaluation team, establishing clear goals, performance expectations, and professional growth opportunities while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
Serve as a thought partner and contributor in strategic planning and prioritization in service of guest acquisition and engagement.
Compile and share field-wide research and advancements.
Identify and monitor benchmarking efforts with other sites to deliver an outstanding guest experience at Space Center Houston.
Other duties and special projects as assigned.