Education & Curriculum Manager

Oakland Children's Fairyland • Oakland, CA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Education & Curriculum Manager develops, leads, and evaluates Children’s Fairyland’s interdisciplinary, culturally responsive educational programs. Using storytelling, imaginative play, and hands-on learning, the role supports children’s development and shapes how children, parents and caregivers, and educators engage with Fairyland as an informal learning environment. Programs advance literacy, social-emotional development, creativity, scientific exploration, and appreciation of the performing arts and natural world.

The manager oversees curriculum development and implementation for offerings including field trip programs, Youth Writer’s Workshop, Toddler Storytime, and Summer Camp, and collaborates with colleagues on educational experiences for parkwide events. The role also supports staff training, program evaluation, field trip administration, grant-related work, and community engagement. It leads and coaches Summer Camp staff and supports hiring, training, and performance evaluation of seasonal staff. This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position scheduled Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position is primarily located in an office environment and includes work throughout the 10-acre park, travel to events or meetings, and occasional evening and weekend work.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; education, early childhood development, or a related area preferred.
• At least three years of relevant work experience in an educational setting.
• At least two years of administrative work experience, such as invoice processing, data entry, or field trip coordination.
• At least two years of supervisory or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating curricula and/or educational programs.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace suites.
• Extensive knowledge of educational technology, comfort learning new online learning platforms and processes, and ability to adapt quickly to new systems.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, follow through thoroughly, and be a reliable team member.
• Passion for teaching and supporting the whole child, especially in literacy, science, creativity, and social-emotional development, and rapport with children.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communication with adults in person, by phone, and by email.
• Compassion for children and adults and a commitment to social justice and equity.
• Strong organization, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Knowledge of Oakland and/or greater San Francisco Bay Area schools and youth centers.
• Clear background history with no barriers to working with children.
• Current valid California Driver’s License and an insurable driving record.
• Ability to interact effectively, politely, and productively with people of varied backgrounds and experiences; comfort working with non-English-speaking and culturally diverse stakeholders.
• Professional maturity to maintain composure during stressful interactions.
• Energetic, diplomatic, adaptable, and a good sense of humor.
• Strong work ethic, orientation toward process improvement, and impeccable integrity and honesty.
• Able to sit at a desk, conference room, or workstation for more than three hours at a time; safely traverse uneven terrain throughout the 10-acre park; access transportation to local, state, and national events or meetings; communicate clearly in person, before large audiences, and through phone or video applications; and occasionally lift 40–50 pounds with assistance.
• Able to work special events, weekends, and evenings according to Fairyland’s event schedule.

Nice To Haves

• Additional studies or training in early childhood education or a teaching credential.
• Bilingual Spanish language skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, plan, implement, and evaluate interdisciplinary educational programs for children and youth across ages and developmental stages, including Youth Writer’s Workshop, field trip programs, Toddler Storytime, Summer Camp, and new initiatives.
• Design engaging, developmentally appropriate curricula incorporating storytelling, literacy, imaginative play, creativity, social-emotional learning, science, and exploration of the natural world.
• Advance inclusive, culturally responsive programming that reflects the identities, experiences, languages, and learning needs of East Bay children and families, including children with differing abilities and learning needs.
• Support access to programming for families experiencing financial hardship and ensure inclusion of refugee and undocumented families.
• Collaborate with the Puppet Education team and other colleagues on Puppet Education, Toddler Storytime, and related educational experiences.
• Assess program effectiveness, gather and evaluate feedback, identify community needs, and recommend improvements and new opportunities with the education team.
• Support staff training content and facilitation, including teaching strategies, inclusive learning practices, and assessment methods.
• Book education programs and facilitate field trip registration, confirmation, evaluation, and invoice processing.
• Lead and coach Summer Camp staff to support a safe, engaging, and positive learning environment.
• Plan, design, and implement projects for parkwide events as needed.
• Coordinate with Fairyland teams on marketing communications, facility needs, program schedules, and operational support.
• Assist with financial oversight and management of grant award expenses.
• Represent Fairyland at community engagement events.
• Pursue ongoing professional development as an educator.
• Collaborate with education and philanthropy teams on grant applications and reports.
• Support hiring of education staff; schedule, train, assign responsibilities to, counsel, and evaluate seasonal Summer Camp staff.
• Provide service to internal and external stakeholders, including coworkers, vendors, visitors, and teachers.
• Model and uphold Children’s Fairyland’s mission, vision, values, policies, procedures, operating standards, confidentiality standards, and code of conduct.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage at 100% for employees.
• Accrue up to 10 days of PTO in the first year, a separate paid sick leave bank of up to 10 days per year, and three floating holidays per year.
• 401(k) plan available.
• Family membership to Fairyland or six guest passes annually.
• Discounts on Fairyland merchandise and Café.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager