STEAM Educator & Program Coordinator

The STEAM Educator and Program Coordinator is responsible for bringing science to life and lives to science by creating memorable learning experiences that provide compelling reasons to visit and meet our educational impact goals for all Da Vinci Science Center audiences. Specific responsibilities include overseeing selected programs, the day-to-day operation of the exhibit floor as Team Leader and promoting the success of STEAM Education part time staff and volunteers as they bring science to life every day for our visitors. The coordinator will help the science center to be more welcoming to all members of our community by being willing and able to work with all visitors, regardless of age, race, sexuality, gender, etc. The coordinator is also responsible for developing and delivering hands-on educational programming that meets the needs of all guests, including classroom workshops, exhibit facilitation guides, and more.  As Team Leader, the STEAM Educator and Program Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the exhibit floor including daily scheduling of groups, staff, and volunteers, interacting with guests, supervising staff and volunteer activities, leading morning meetings, training staff and volunteers, and maintaining consistent and high quality experiences through coaching and collaboration. The coordinator is responsible for successful implementation of specific programs including but not limited to reserved programs like Science Clubs, single day special events, and more. This includes leading team meetings, developing the concept and design plan for the experience, creating and implementing task lists, taking a leading administrative role, coordinating with parents, speakers and volunteers, staying within budget, and following the evaluation plan.

SPECIFIC JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Exhibit Floor Team Leader Responsibilities Include:

• Manage day to day operations and logistics of public and school visits by conducting morning meetings with staff, developing schedules for staff, volunteers, and guests, greeting guests, identifying and meeting customer needs, and ensuring that all customers have a special day.

• Communicate with group leaders and parents to provide details about their experience.

• Create daily staff and group schedules and review at the morning meetings.

• Attend weekly operations meeting and actively participate, giving and receiving feedback and action items to improve the guest experience.

• Notify other departments of any experience improvements needed with exhibits and facilities.

• Train volunteers and staff on effective presentation of exhibit concepts to the public, appropriate level of interaction, accurate knowledge of content, inquiry-based pedagogy, exemplary customer service, and effective teamwork. 

• Train volunteers and other Team Leaders in new daily education programming such as Inquiry Island, public programs, and new exhibit experiences.

• Develop new educational programming content, like exhibit facilitation guides and exhibit floor activities as needed.

• Collaborate with and coach part time staff to continuously improve performance and maintain consistency.  This includes giving ongoing performance feedback and scheduling program observations.

• Schedule and train museum experience volunteers.

     Program Responsibilities include:

• Actively participate in the public program committee, the Da Vinci Science Center team that creates annual compelling reasons to visit the center and a menu of reserved public programs to maximize community impact. Aid in cross-cultural connections to promote relevance to broader audiences.

• Serve as the Experience Lead for selected public program teams including scouts, science clubs, special events, and others as assigned. Design innovative educational experiences that inspire guests, meet learning goals and have an impact on the community.

• Set meeting agendas and follow standard procedures for developing new and annual programs including content and concept development, learning goals, design development, fabrication and implementation. Gain appropriate approvals throughout the process to move to the next steps.

• Create and follow task lists, engaging other team members to complete certain tasks.

• Work with marketing department to create and/or translate marketing and communications materials to promote special programs.

• Promote the success of other team members. Promote exemplary communication by keeping group communication tools up to date.

• Provide a leading administrative role by keeping up to date with program enrollment and communication with parents and guardians of guests.

• Coordinate outside contractors, mentors, and community partners as appropriate to meet program goals.  

• Successfully implement the program and train other staff to deliver a consistent high quality experience.

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, ability to problem-solve independently, exemplary organization, classroom and lab management experience, cultural competency, adaptability to unique situations, proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and Teams), ability to present engaging programs to learners with diverse backgrounds, ages, and abilities.

Background:  Ideal candidates will have at least high school diploma or equivalent experience. College-level or similar certification/employment experiences preferred, especially with early childhood education, science, art or STEAM-related coursework/experience. Familiarity with summer camp, student clubs, scouts or museum-based programming, inquiry-based and student-centered teaching methods, and positive youth development models. Bi-lingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

*Candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.