This position is located in the Education Department and reports to the Director of Education and Research in Learning. The primary purpose of this position is to facilitate planning for impact and to evaluate education programs and exhibition engagement to ensure that they are accessible, relevant, and impactful. With input from education and exhibition staff, the incumbent plans, develops, and executes evaluations, analyzes data, and reports on findings to colleagues and directors. Using the findings from the data and analysis, the incumbent collaborates with education and exhibition staff to incorporate evaluation results into iterative planning, as well as to align practices and resources to strengthen programs.
The position is critical to assessing the impact and value of education programs and exhibitions and interpretation at Crystal Bridges to ensure that audiences both onsite and offsite are having experiences of the highest quality. The scope encompasses all education programs and exhibition interpretation, including publications, workshops, guided tours, and the website. Results and documentation will inform funding proposals and reports as well as the strategic direction of the Art and Education Branch and allocation of resources.
Through planning and evaluation, the Research and Evaluation Coordinator is responsible for helping the Museum achieve its mission of welcoming all to celebrate in the American spirit by evaluating educational programs and exhibitions to ensure they are accessible, relevant, and impactful.
Principle Responsibilities (Essential Functions)
  • Use diverse qualitative and quantitative data collection methods which may include audience observations, interviews, and timing and tracking, where audiences are timed and tracked by data collectors as they move through a space such as an exhibition or interactive learning environment
  • Develop surveys including creation and validation of scales
  • Develop an evaluation plan for educational programs and exhibitions
  • Identify measurable indicators of success for programs and exhibitions
  • Assist others in the design and implementation of evaluations
  • Implement research design
  • Train and supervise data collectors which may be education and exhibition colleagues, volunteers, interns or contractors
  • Gather and  analyze data
  • Synthesize results into non-technical language for colleagues and  directors
  • Make recommendations to improve programs and align resources

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications
Education, Training, and Traits:
  • Bachelor of arts/sciences preferred with a major in social sciences such as sociology and psychology; Masters of arts/sciences preferred
Work Experience:
  • Two years work experience in a museum or cultural setting developing and implementing visitor studies evaluations
  • While this position informs internal decisions, the incumbent will also have interest and experience in publication and presentations for the wider museum and social science field.
Equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience will satisfy the minimum requirements.
Licenses and Certifications:
  • Valid Driver’s License
Skills and Abilities:
  • Demonstrated computer literacy
  • Demonstrated research skills in quantitative and qualitative methods
  • Demonstrated knowledge of statistical packages, preferably STATA, to analyze quantitative data
  • Have experience with Institutional Review Board protocols
  • Excellent customer relations and communications skills (in person and on the telephone)
  • Exemplary writing skills
  • Understanding and experience in budget maintenance
  • Ability to work independently and effectively, collaborate with peers, and lead cross-departmental teams
  • Multi-task oriented
  • Positive approach to support fellow staff and goals of the Museum
  • Ability to maintain highest levels of confidentiality and discretion
Physical Requirements and Work Environment:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Physical demands:  In the work environment described below, position requires verbal and written conversation with others, ability to move throughout the Museum, trails and grounds, and communities served, reaching, lifting/moving objects up to 10 pounds, and use of hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Vision abilities required by the job include close vision.
  • Work environment:  Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, construction site, and in communities served. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Position requires some independent overnight travel. Occasionally the work schedule may include evenings and weekends.

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