Senior Manager, Visitor Engagement - Informal Science Education - Exploratorium

SUMMARY

The Senior Manager of Visitor Engagement is a multi-department position responsible for supervising daily museum operations as well as the design and development of programs that support learning experiences for all visitors. The position is responsible for staff supervision and morale, fiscal responsibilities and sales growth as well as the strategic direction for the Exploratorium’s facilitated programs. The ideal candidate will have a passion for teaching and learning; enthusiasm for working with people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities; the vision to lead and innovate programs; and the desire to create unique and meaningful learning experiences in a museum setting. The ideal candidate will have the ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments, possess exceptional leadership abilities and customer service skills, technical aptitude with point-of-sale systems, excellent organizational, analytical, marketing and public relations talents. The ideal candidate will also demonstrate a proven ability to analyze and solve problems, establish and meet goals, set priorities, handle diverse responsibilities and deadlines, and manage an eclectic, energetic staff. The Senior Manager of Visitor Engagement will also be responsible for partnering with the Senior Director and the Chief Brand Officer on representing educational programming for the purpose of fundraising and Board visibility. This position reports to the Senior Director of Visitor Engagement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Strategy and Program Direction

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Visitor Engagement and other leaders to improve all aspects of the visitor experience.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Visitor Engagement on the strategic direction for the Exploratorium’s facilitated programs.
• Lead efforts to align operations and management of facilitated programs.
• Produce an annual strategic plan for division in partnership with the Senior Director of Visitor Engagement.
• In collaboration with educational departments across the museum, develop and supervise informal learning experiences for the museum floor, with a goal of enhancing the museum experience and stimulating an interest and engagement with STEAM, inquiry, and hands-on learning.
• Develop field trip programs and projects that can strengthen connections between students’ school and museum science learning experiences, including development of tools for making such programmatic connections, and the development of floor-based activities and demonstrations.
• Build trust, manage relationships and engage key program, educational and community  stakeholders and members to inform and co-develop extraordinary learning experiences in  alignment with department, division and institutional goals.
• Manage existing and potential programs; including planning, budgets, stakeholder engagement, research, prototyping, and implementation. Ensure impact, pedagogical lens and professional development are in alignment with institutional goals and strategic action plan.
• Development and execution of departmental professional development in partnership with People & Culture.

Fundraising/Grants

• Participate in donor solicitations, grant writing, and grant stewardship in close collaboration with the Institutional Advancement Team.
• Maintain and cultivate positive donor relations.
• Manage grant reporting and ensure programs fulfill grant requirements

Staff Supervision

• Manage daily operations of the Visitor Engagement department.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and creativity that attracts, inspires, and motivates a diverse staff. Hire, train, and manage a diverse staff.
• Strategically develop and refine training plans and materials for a large cross-functional team; ensure successful execution, both with the staff and within systems.
• Lead, manage, and mentor a team of Managers, Assistant Managers and Visitor Engagement staff; model standards for staff; set pace for work quality and productivity.
• Develop and maintain a team-oriented environment; maintain effective lines of communication between staff and management.
• Produce policies/procedures handbook for Visitor Engagement employees with a goal of streamlining and improving the visitor experience.

Fiscal Responsibilities and Sales Growth

• Work directly with teachers, students, and groups who visit the Exploratorium on field trips and build strategy to reach and engage new potential educational audiences, broadening access and participation.
• Meet attendance and financial goals for all earned income streams including ticketing, field trips, membership, Tactile Dome and retail; analyze business performance and implement action plans to improve sales.
• Collaborate with Senior Director / Administrative Director in budget and forecast planning; work within established budget assist with cash management, audits, reconciliation, and inventory control.
• Complete fiscal day/month/year accounting and reporting procedures and produce custom reports as needed.
• Model and maintain commitment to providing exceptional customer service; service oriented with a guests come first mentality.
• Maintain equipment and systems in close coordination with the Information Technology department
• Maintain appearance and functionality of all areas of the museum floor, ensuring they are functional, safe, and visitor ready, with a focus on guest and staff safety at all times; assist during emergency procedures.
• Acts proactively to include Visitor Engagement requirements into future exhibition planning; work cooperatively with other museum departments to ensure an integrated guest experience.
• Perform other duties and assignments as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS  preferably in a science or education discipline or equivalent
• 6 years supervisory/management experience in a similar position, preferably in a non-profit, museum, informal science education institution
• Must be available to work weekend, evening and holiday hours as required by business needs
• Strong computer skills, including experience with Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides, etc.); ability to learn additional software and POS programs
• Must have experience working with a larger staff, preferably 20+ employees
• Excellent inquiry-based teaching and/or interpretation skills
• Experience developing educational materials for teacher use, preferably with knowledge of NGSS
• Must have excellent communication skills and ability to remain diplomatic and equitable
• Ability to be professional and courteous with general public, educational community, museum staff, and professional guests; comfortable interacting with senior management, high level donors, and all other members of our diverse community
• Strong organizational and time management skills; precise and detail-oriented; able to multitask and handle multiple priorities
• Excellent crisis management and resolution skills; ability to calm escalated situations, both in person, over the phone, and through email
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in close cooperation with other team members; must be a team player and hands-on leader
• Ability and interest in learning exhibits and their scientific principles and communicating these to students, teachers and general visitors
• Be or be willing to become First Aid/CPR certified and maintain certification

PREFERED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience and ability to lead work that advances equity, DEAI and anti-racism
• Bilingual/Multilingual
• Knowledge of best practices in the field of interpretation
• Advanced understanding of financial planning and analysis, including accounting, budgets and reporting
• Willingness to travel when needed

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT

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

• Able to move from place to place which may include standing and/or walking for extended periods of time; lift and carry up to 50 pounds short distances
• Able to work in a noisy and sometimes chaotic environment and be flexible under a variety of circumstances

APPLICATION DEADLINE

This position is open until filled

HOW TO APPLY

This is a regular, full-time (37.5 hours per week), exempt, non-union position that includes benefits. The salary range for this role is $91,650 to $97,500 DOE. Please, no phone calls in regards to this job. To apply, please visit the Exploratorium job page.

The Exploratorium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity, inclusion and respect.  We welcome and strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Exploratorium

Piers 15/17, San Francisco, CA 94111

Website: https://www.exploratorium.edu/about/jobs. No phone calls, please

The Exploratorium is committed to a diverse workforce.