Education, Director of Education and Public Programs, Full Time

Summary

The Norton Simon Museum seeks a Director of Education and Public Programs to oversee and develop the educational initiatives at the Norton Simon Museum, which serve children and their families, students and teachers, lifelong learners and people with disabilities. A leader in the Museum’s audience development and engagement efforts, the Director of Education and Public Programs is a strategic thinker with a passion for the arts, museums and museum education, and has experience managing and motivating a diverse group of staff. This full-time, exempt position reports to the Vice President of External Affairs and manages one full-time coordinator, one part-time assistant, and a group of 15 paid museum educators.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the Museum’s educational initiatives and manages the education and public program department
• Develops, coordinates, implements and assesses education-related events, lectures, performances, classes, and adult and school tour programs
• Researches and writes curricula on the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection for schools and teachers
• Manages the full-time education coordinator, part-time education assistant and group of paid museum educators
• Recruits, trains and provides feedback for the Museum educators, who lead 5-12^th-grade school tours, private and general public tours, and family programs
• Collaborates with the curatorial team on developing exhibition-related programs for diverse audiences, including a robust lecture series
• Reviews exhibition didactics and provides guidance to the curatorial team
• Collaborates with the Senior Manager of External Affairs and Digital Content on special digital projects and member programs
• Keeps abreast of changes in the Museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, and relays these developments to the educators responsible for touring
• Stays current on museum education professional practices and initiatives, including issues relating to accessibility and inclusion
• Speaks and writes about all aspects of the Museum’s collections and their history, including creating content for the Museum’s website, social media and newsletter
• Conducts tours for special guests and conveys information about the collections to outside organizations
• Develops and maintains professional relationships with community members, local school personnel and peers in the museum education field, effectively representing the Museum’s educational goals and initiatives
• Develops and manages the education department budgets
• Oversees a database of educational events and tours; schedules educators via this database to lead tours and participate in education classes and events
• Cultivates relationships with individuals in civic, cultural and professional associations
• Assists with special projects as needed
• Occasionally comes in for evening or weekend programs

Qualifications

This position requires at least 7 years of progressive museum education experience, familiarity with curriculum guidelines, California State Standards, and lesson plan development. Excellent interpersonal, writing, public speaking and computer skills are required. The ideal candidate possesses a positive attitude, sound judgement and is team-oriented. M.A. degree in art history, art education, museum education, or related field is highly desirable, as are foreign language skills. Prior management experience is required. A valid California driver’s license and personal automobile insurance are required.

Physical Requirements

This position requires moderate lifting, stretching, reaching, bending, and occasional long periods of sitting and standing. Ability to lift up to 15 pounds.

Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt position regularly scheduled to work 37.50 hours per week: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. with occasional availability for evening and weekend programs.

Compensation

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, and includes excellent benefits, including medical, dental, vision and life insurance and a generous pension program.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Norton Simon Entities* provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Norton Simon Entities do not unlawfully discriminate or tolerate harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, reproductive health decisionmaking, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, age (forty years of age and over), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. The Norton Simon Entities make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and employees and for religious observances and practices. This policy applies to all areas of employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, termination, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer, and social and recreational programs.

The Norton Simon Entities are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion in its workforce.

*The Norton Simon Entities are composed of the following: Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena and the Norton Simon Art Foundation. Employment may be with either, or both, of these entities.