Position Description:

Reporting to the President, and working with the Senior Management team, the Curator of Education will have 4 primary areas of responsibility including: 1) articulating and implementing a strategic vision adopted by the Board of Trustees; 2) develop and raise funds necessary to implement education objectives; 3) oversight of staff responsible for the apprenticeship program, a comprehensive K-12 school visitation program, volunteer programs and outreach; and 4) communication of the educational mission and goals to various audiences.

Responsibilities include:

  • Working closely with the Chair of the Education Committee, the President and consultants as necessary, the Curator of Education will implement a 2013 Strategic Plan for museum education plus prepare Museum education programs for migration into a new Education Center and Research Library.
  • The successful candidate will establish a visible presence in local and regional education communities. He/she will operate collaboratively and in a consultative manner with other department managers and partner organizations.
  • Ownership of the development and management of education-related grant proposals, including stewardship of foundation relationships and administration of departmental specific grants, including accountability to funding organizations when appropriate.
  • Stewardship and oversight of 100+ volunteers and docents (who donated 20,000+ hours of service to the museum in 2012) including recruitment of new volunteers, implementation of volunteer retention strategies and leveraging the volunteer effort effectively in museum programs.
  • Overall responsibility for building up a volunteer-taught K-12 structured school tour program with the objectives of introducing the museum to a geographically wider audience and designing standards based curricula appropriate for multiple grades.
  • Working collaboratively with the curatorial staff to create interpretative materials for exhibitions and developing interactive techniques to engage multiple audiences.
  • Design and management of programs and courses for life-long learners.
  • Management and supervision of a year-long high school Apprenticeship program and a related college/post grad Internship program including budget and program management.

Job Requirements:

The candidate will have a Master’s Degree or significant experience in public school education or museum education. Experience in curriculum design, personnel management and grant writing is required. Familiarity with strategies for communicating ideas and information in exhibit and education/program formats is preferable as is a strong track record in developing programs and related experience in evaluating program success. Demonstrated success in leading a diverse professional and volunteer staff. This position requires excellent oral and written communication skills and an energetic and collaborative leadership style that encourages broad community engagement.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Send resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to Michelle Taylor, Senior Director of Finance and Human Resources, at mtaylor@whalingmuseum.org.

The employer is committed to equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age or disability. In addition, the employer is committed to improving employment opportunities for and utilization of people who may have been denied equal opportunity in society at large. The employer encourages application from people of color.