Director of Education: Student, School & Youth Programs

Organizational Culture:
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy. 

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position will spearhead the development, implementation, and evaluation of engaging educational programs for children and youth with the overarching goal of promoting a lifelong passion for and appreciation of science. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in K-12 science education, program management, and a passion for making science education accessible to all.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. 

About the Education Team:
The Education Division is a key catalyzer of the Academy’s work. Comprising two departments, the Education Division serves as a bridge between the wide range of audiences that the academy reaches and the impactful work done through science and collaboration. The Director of Education oversees the department of student, youth, and school engagement, consisting of 3 teams that develop and provide teacher professional development programs, onsite lab and classroom programs for school groups, self-guided field trips, family nights, distance learning programs, K-12 online learning resources, the Rock Fund Program K-5 endowed initiative, and out of school programs with youth and families. This position also directs the expansion and maintenance of the Educators section of the Academy website, including the online resources section, overseeing the curation and global marketing of online videos, lesson plans, and interactives via regular email marketing, paid advertising, and public-facing email accounts.

The Director supervises a team of approximately 20 people, including managers of signature programs, program staff, paid interns, fellows, and non-paid seasonal volunteers that support programming. The Director also has direct creative responsibility for collaborating with the Viz Studio and others to create online resources for educators for global distribution. The Director also supervises special projects on behalf of the Public Engagement and Education Division, related to Academy-wide operations, ticketing and point of sale systems, the website, and reporting systems as these interface with field trip and student program registration. This position entails direct collaboration with the other Education Division Director and the Chief of Education to develop divisional strategies, priorities, and synergies.  

Schedule: Full Time, 40 hrs/wk

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 

Review of applications will begin on September 20, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Please upload your resume, cover letter, and complete the brief online application using this link.