Science Education Specialist

South Dakota Science and Technology Authority • Lead, SD

4d • $61,800 - $81,800 • Onsite

About The Position

The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) owns and operates the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). The Education and Outreach (E&O) Department leverages SURF’s fascinating science and engineering to deepen understanding and to inspire educators, researchers, students, university students, and members of the general public. The Science Education Specialist develops, coordinates, and facilitates STEM programs and resources. The Science Education Specialist works collaboratively with teams across the organization to realize SURF’s mission of inspiring learning across generations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Teaching certificate, preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years K-12 or post secondary teaching experience, required.
• Extensive knowledge of NGSS, 3-Dimensional instruction.
• Experience in teaching and learning STEM.
• Work on collaborative teams.
• Science content knowledge.
• Demonstrated presentation and public speaking expertise.
• Excellent writing and speaking skills are required.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time, and proven ability to meet deadlines including coordination of priorities for department staff.
• Develops and maintains effective, cooperative working relationships with stakeholders and a wide variety of audiences.
• Regular interaction with team members, supervisors, and other departments and collaborators.
• Capacity to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to remain calm and focused in high-pressure or emergency situations.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing situations and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and conceptual thinking ability; excellent judgment, troubleshooting, problem solving, analysis, and discretion; ability to handle work-related stress; ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously; and ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to follow safety protocols and procedures.
• Sitting for extended periods of time while using a computer
• Hearing, Speaking, Vision (With and without corrective lenses)
• Dexterity to operate office equipment such as computers, printers, and telephones.
• Perform occasional physical labor and lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Occasional standing, walking, climbing up and down flights of stairs, and otherwise moving around the office to perform tasks

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree, preferred.
• Experience in museum education or informal science a plus.

Responsibilities

• Create and facilitate interactive and engaging classroom presentations (including virtual) within K-12 and university classrooms.
• Host interactive field trip experiences at SURF.
• Leverage the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), 3-Dimensional instruction, and SURF-Connected phenomena to design STEM curriculum and interactive, hands-on resources.
• Create, refine, and facilitate quality and engaging teacher professional development and/or training for public facing outreach staff.
• Develop, facilitate, and assess high quality and engaging programming, exhibits, and events for external audiences, including the public, families, researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with educators, researchers, and SURF-connected communities to develop, implement, and refine programs and events.
• Promote educational programming to regional, national and international constituencies.
• Initiate, develop and maintain cooperative and collaborative relationships with key constituencies.
• Maintains consistent and reliable attendance.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Perform work in a typical office environment which includes individual workstations, shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and common areas such as a break room and kitchen.
• The noise level is generally low to moderate, typical of an office setting, with occasional background noise from office equipment and conversations.
• The office is well-lit with a combination of natural and artificial lighting to ensure a comfortable working environment.
• The office maintains a controlled temperature environment, with heating and air conditioning systems to ensure comfort throughout the year.
• Ergonomic office furniture and equipment are provided to support employee health and well-being.
• The company is committed to providing a safe working environment and adheres to all relevant health and safety regulations.
• Employees are expected to comply with SDSTA’s ESH Manual safety program.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to safety Standards protocols are mandatory.
• Act in accordance with SDSTA’s core values: Safety Focused, Care for Others, Professionalism and Being a Team Player.

What This Job Offers

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