Education Program Director

Job Family: Program Management
Job Classification: Full-time
Job Level: Director
Rate Range: $57,000-62,000
Telecommute Eligible: Yes
Reports To: Executive Director

Job Summary:

This position works closely with education department staff, department directors and Executive Director to create and maintain robust programming. This position will supervise the Education Program Manager as well as contractors and program interns. The ideal candidate will have an academic background in education and the environment, as well as experience developing and evaluating experiential learning for culturally diverse audiences.

BRN’s Education Department is composed of place-based educational programs built around a common curriculum that covers the restoration of watersheds, ecosystems, and communities, providing a culturally relevant context. Our current programming is divided into four ongoing initiatives: Borderlands Earth Care Youth, Water is Life, Borderlands Field Course, Borderlands Earth Care Center (BECC). 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Direct and evaluate BRN’s educational programs detailed above. 
• Supervise the Education Program Manager and other staff as needed.
• Identify funding sources; write, coordinate with staff, and prepare competitive grant proposals and manage them.
• Strengthen existing collaborations among partners and develop new collaborative opportunities to design, fund and deliver educational programs.
• In collaboration with the Education Program Manager, Executive Director, and leadership staff strategize the development of the Borderlands Earth Care Center (BECC). 
• Continue the development and maturing of the program’s initiatives and as appropriate, facilitate program components. 
• Develop and manage program budget.

Required Education & Experience:

• A minimum of a baccalaureate degree in education or another field directly related to  BRN’s mission, graduate degree preferred
• At least five years work experience designing and teaching experiential learning courses for high school students, college students, and/or adult learners in environmental education or related field
• Experience managing educational programs, budgets, and supervising staff

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Discretion and excellent judgment in handling sensitive and/or confidential information.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.

Desired Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proven track record in securing funding for educational programs
• Familiarity of the ecology, cultures and landscapes of the Arizona-Sonora borderlands
• Familiarity with experiential learning pedagogy and practice designed to prepare participants for employment or higher education
• Familiarity with the principles of a restoration-based economy and sustainability education’s role in supporting it
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred

Physical Requirements: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• The employee needs sufficient strength, agility, and mobility to perform essential functions and to supervise and participate in restoration activities in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations, including loose, uneven ground.
• The employee must be able to hike various distances, often in remote work locations
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device.
• The employee frequently is required to sit, reach, and must be able to move around the work environment.
• The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Borderlands Restoration Network is an equal opportunity employer that works in the culturally diverse, multinational borderlands. We invite and support strong voices from diverse groups of people to join us as board members, staff members, and volunteers. As an organization, we will consider all applicants without regard to race, ethnicity, economic circumstances, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. For more details on how we practice equity, inclusion, and justice in our work please click here.