Director of Education and Academic Affairs

University of Texas at Austin

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Education and Academic Affairs position provides experienced and visionary leadership for the Blanton’s nationally recognized department of Education and Academic Affairs. This department delivers high-impact academic and experiential learning opportunities across all disciplines on campus, advancing the university’s mission to transform lives through teaching, research and student engagement. This leadership position is critical to sustain, coordinate, and advance this institutional impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with 7-10 years of professional experience in a related discipline.
Ability to articulate and lead a strong vision for object-based learning across a wide range of disciplines
Proven success teaching at the university level, using experiential, interactive, and collection-driven approaches
Demonstrated experience developing and delivering educational programs for K-12 students and educators
Strong research skills and experience connecting museum collections to interdisciplinary, curriculum-based courses from a variety of academic departments
An interdisciplinary thinker with a genuine enthusiasm for collaboration, and a demonstrated commitment to meaningful faculty, student, and institutional engagement.
Significant experience in people management and leadership, including mentoring, performance management, and team development
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective relationships with museum staff, university partners, community stakeholders, and diverse audiences
Knowledge of museums and non-profit operations, including best practices and emerging trends in museum education and academic partnerships
Excellent written and verbal communications skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences clearly and effectively
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work on multiple programs and deadlines simultaneously
Availability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends, as required by programs and events
Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in art history, art education, fine arts, museum studies, or a related discipline
Professional experience in a college or university museum or academic museum environment
Prior teaching experience in higher education, including curriculum development and faculty collaboration
Spanish fluency

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the Education and Academic Affairs Department, serving university audiences, schools, and the public.
Lead, mentor, and evaluate staff; oversee departmental programs and budgets.
Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration that distinguishes the Blanton as a leader in museum education.
Design and implement educational programs that serve as models for peer university art museums.
Partner other senior leadership members and internal teams to align initiatives with the museum’s mission and represent the museum in professional organizations and field-wide initiatives.
Develop and sustain collaborative partnerships with a wide range of academic departments and university programs to foster the use of the Blanton collection and special exhibitions as an integral resource.
Teach curriculum-based classes in the galleries for a broad range of academic disciplines – from medical and nursing programs to the humanities – with a special emphasis on integrating the use of Blanton resources with major university initiatives.
Partner with other museum departments to develop and implement strategies that facilitate this effort.
Collaborate closely with curators and other museum staff to develop and implement interpretive strategies for exhibitions and objects from the collection.
Participate as needed in exhibition content reviews and selection processes.
Review and edit all written interpretive materials for clarity.
Oversee K-12 programming developed in close collaboration with area school educators, appropriate university faculty and staff, and partner organizations supporting K-12 visual arts education.
Provide leadership for the museum’s long-standing docent program with a corps of more than 60 volunteers.
Oversee family programs, evaluating quality , impact, and potential for growth.
Develop and implement an evaluation plan to assess the qualitative and quantitative impact of Education and Academic Affairs Department programs.
Collaborate with museum staff to develop fundraising strategies and actively participate in fundraising and donor solicitation efforts in support of departmental initiatives.
Provide direction for engaging the broader university student body in self-initiated, out-of-class museum visits that foster a lifelong love of the arts among students.
Oversee departmental interns and fellows.
Other related functions as assigned.