Director of Education, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, CA
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Bay Area Discovery Museum—a nationally-recognized children’s science museum and research center—seeks a Director of Education to champion STEM learning in children’s first decade of life. This results-oriented, collaborative, and strategic leader will oversee museum education to build children’s creative problem-solving through hands-on, interactive STEM content. The Director of Education will ensure that current exhibits have strong education elements; serve as a leader in designing the museum’s new exhibits, as part of a capital campaign; collaborate closely with visitor experience to ensure exceptional visitor engagement; and oversee special event and donor programming. Reporting to the Vice President of Education and managing a team of five, this person will be a key senior staff member of the organization, shaping policies and procedures for successful operation of the museum as well as direction and strategy for education initiatives.
The Director of Education will lead department-wide meetings, ensuring alignment and effective communication among teams, and oversee professional development for education staff. Additionally, the Director of Education will be responsible for new and noteworthy initiatives (outlined in the strategic plan) that relate to education and programming. This person will draw on the research assets of the Center for Childhood Creativity to ensure that all museum programs demonstrate the promising practices outlined in the institution’s translational research.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
In partnership with the VP of Education Strategy, lead strategic assessment and visioning for museum programs and education initiatives.
Develop strategy and metrics for success for the following:
- Public programs included with museum admission (arts programs, STEM programs, Fab Lab programs);
- Programmed spaces included with museum admission (arts studios, educational exhibit elements, and the Fab Lab);
- Revenue-generating specialty programs (summer and holiday camps, family classes, and Fab Lab workshops);
- Special events (e.g., STEM Superheroes Series);
- New and noteworthy initiatives in the strategic plan.
- Provide exemplary leadership, management, and operational oversight for the teams executing against this vision and strategy.
- Serve as part of exhibits task force, finding ways to enliven present exhibits with stronger STEM content and creative process; oversee testing and prototyping of new exhibit elements; contribute to the site improvement plan currently underway as part of the institution’s capital campaign.
- Design staffing models that allow for strategic, efficient, and responsive educational programs. In collaboration with human resources, articulate KPIs related to frontline and program staffing and staff engagement and develop meaningful strategies to attract and retain diverse talent, representative of the Bay Area’s many communities. Leveraging the expertise of the CCC, oversee and lead staff training.
- Oversee annual budget development for all associated program and teams, aligning to institutional goals and strategic planning; manage expenses and revenues to ensure fiscal health; train and empower staff to monitor budgets and make strategic spending decisions.
- In collaboration with the Associate Director of Marketing/ Communications, leverage museum programs to meet marketing and communications goals; ensure that the museum’s unique brand promise and educational value is communicated through programs and signage; evaluate opportunities to expand museum audience through diversity initiatives and strategic evaluation of off-site programming opportunities.
- In partnership with the visitor experience team, serve as a key leader driving a quality visitor experience; oversee the collection and analysis of data related to how visitors experience programs; use data to inform design and delivery of programs.
- Establish processes and procedures for program evaluation, including alignment to research and efficacy of approach.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s required; Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in STEM or Early Education, Museum Sciences, and/or Business preferred.
- Understanding of, respect for, and investment in creativity (defined broadly as the openness, flexibility and persistence to solve problems in innovative ways) and STEM education.
- Deep content knowledge of early STEM education preferred.
- Six or more years of experience in management, ideally in the education sector, with a proven track record of successfully supervising multiple reports at once.
- Exemplary communication and customer service skills.
- Proven track-record of strong operational management, including budget development and management; hiring, training, and overseeing staff; and systems and processes development.
- Passion for developing, overseeing, and evaluating hands-on, learning-rich programs.
- Tolerance of ambiguity, change, risk, rapid iteration and a fast-paced work environment; ability to manage pressure with sense of humor, positivity, perspective and strong prioritization.
- Skills in both creative idea generation and tactical execution.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
- General comfort with technology; high proficiency with full Microsoft Suite; ability to learn new platforms quickly.
- Bilingual applicants (in Spanish and Mandarin or Cantonese) and candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply.