Director of Education
About The Position
The Director of Education provides strategic direction and leadership for the Education Department. The incumbent works in partnership with the Copper Corridor Community to develop STEM education programs that are based in the Arboretum’s mission to increase engagement with children that increase awareness about the ecosystem that they reside in. In addition, the Director of Education oversees onsite educational programming and volunteer engagement activities that provide visitors with opportunities to engage with the Arboretum’s mission and goals. Responsibilities include development of programs for children, families, school groups, homeschool groups, adult learners, and general visitor engagement, including interpretation. The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable about desert ecology, informal education, curriculum development, and enjoy working with community partners.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in education, environmental studies, or related field
- 8-10 years of experience managing, designing, and implementing educational programs, preferably in a public garden or informal science education setting for diverse audiences of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
- Experience supervising staff and volunteers.
- Knowledge of arid-lands ecology.
- Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
- Excellent computer skills: MS Office, PowerPoint, Excel, Altru
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work in a challenging, fast-paced environment
- Detail-oriented, collaborative manner, and strong work ethic
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Ability to demonstrate initiative, establish priorities, and meet deadlines
- Must pass a background check
- Must be able to sit and stand for long periods
- Must have a valid AZ Driver’s License
- Fully functional vision is required to perform essential duties of the position (prescription lenses are acceptable).
- Occasionally able to lift 30 points independently.
- Ability to communicate with fellow staff, applicants, stakeholders, visitors, and donors. Communication will include one-to-one, small, and large group communication. Communications need to be in English. Communication means both written and oral communication.
Nice To Haves
- Fluent in Spanish language, preferred.
Responsibilities
- Engage with community partners to develop curriculum and programs that benefit Copper Corridor schools.
- Guide and manage strategic growth for the Education Department, including the development of education and outreach programs and uses of learning spaces on-site.
- Lead Education staff in developing programs that support the Arboretum’s mission and goals. This includes designing and implementing inquiry-based, student-centered curricula and programs for elementary, middle, and high school students aligned with the Arizona Science Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, as well as community outreach and on-site visitor experiences.
- Develop and oversee the Education Department budget, including reporting of grant and donor-restricted funds.
- Participate in fund-raising and grant-writing activities that benefit education programs.
- Directly supervise education staff and provide direction for onsite educational programming, school programs and outreach, field trip programs and volunteer programs.
- Work collaboratively with education staff to develop and coordinate various adult education classes, on-site and virtually.
- Work with contract instructors to align program content with BTA mission and goals.
- Deliver presentations, tours, training, and programs to internal and external audiences.
- Provide accurate and timely information for marketing and communication purposes.
- Supervise and mentor staff within the Education Department.
- Track and measure the effectiveness of all major initiatives and programs undertaken by the Education Department, ensuring consistency with the Arboretum’s strategic vision, and make recommendations for continued improvement.
- Assess the completeness and scientific accuracy of all material and programs.
- Work collaboratively with other departments to achieve strategic goals of the organization.
- Provide leadership and engagement in the larger public garden community and work collaboratively on shared goals and projects.
- Serve as Manager on Duty as needed during Arboretum operating hours and occasional weekends.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
