Interpretive Supervisor

Oregon Zoo is seeking an Interpretive Supervisor, to guide and mentor the Education Department’s delivery of interpretive messages and themes throughout department programming. Using the Oregon Zoo Interpretive Framework as a guide, the Interpretive Supervisor will provide coaching and resources to education staff and volunteers in interpretive strategies for the variety of audiences served by the department, including teens, secondary school partnerships, volunteers, and zoo guests of all ages. The Supervisor will provide mentorship to individual interpreters, including ongoing observation and feedback. This position will supervise the Volunteer Coordinator and work closely with them on the overall vision of the volunteer program, while also providing interpretive support and alignment to other educational program areas.  

As the Interpretive Supervisor you will: 

• Bring an innovative approach to interpretive interactions in informal education, using an outcome-based lens  

• Provide coaching appropriate for individual interpreters along the spectrum of interpretive skill, to ensure ongoing skill building in all areas and create a consistently high skill set throughout the Education team 

• Assist with setting interpretive priorities within the Education department, to ensure consistent messaging 

• Provide guidance in the development of interpretive strategy for programs using age-appropriate messaging frameworks; guide programs and strategies through iterative processes as they grow and evolve 

• Gather and share stories of Oregon Zoo animals and conservation programs in a way that connects with and is usable for all staff 

Attributes for success: 

• Strong interpretive skill set and experience interpreting in informal education settings 
  Knowledge and experience interpreting about conservation and the natural world; comfort with scientific interpretation and translating scientific principles to a broad audience 

• Experience training staff or volunteers in interpretive theory and practice; experience coaching and providing feedback to individual interpreters 

• Ability to modify approach and practices to fit the variety of audiences served by zoo programming 

• Comfort working with audiences of a variety of ages, backgrounds, and configurations (schools, families, professional peers, etc.) 

• Strong supervisory and managerial skills 

• Understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles as they relate to environmental education, and a commitment to incorporating these principles into interpretive practice 

If interested in this opportunity; visit our website www.oregonmetro.gov/jobs to see a full description of duties and to apply. This position is set to close on 4/26 at 5pm PST.