Job Description

Position Summary:

We’re hiring a Senior Exhibit Content Developer to join the Academy’s Exhibit Studio. We create captivating exhibits and visitor experiences to engage a global audience in the Academy’s mission to explore, explain, and sustain life on Earth. Reporting to the Associate Director of Exhibit Content Development, the Senior Exhibit Content Developer will work closely with Academy scientists, a top-notch exhibit team, and other internal and external partners to develop innovative strategies for Academy exhibits, create engaging scientific content, research and write exhibit and aquarium labels, and produce interactives and media. Our current projects include a new exhibition on cutting-edge exploration of coral reef biodiversity, redesigning portions of the signature living rainforest, and pioneering new ways to showcase incredible natural history collections and science-based sustainability solutions to Academy visitors.
Who are we looking for? You’d jump at a job where you get to make science and sustainability compelling for broad audiences. You love immersing yourself in complex science… and emerging with a memorable storyline. You enjoy writing clear, delightful sentences; dreaming up unconventional ways to communicate science without words; or helping find the perfect soundtrack for a short video. You build rapport with colleagues, whether they’re designers, educators, techno-wizards, or scientists. You have experience in museums, exhibit design firms, or other educationoriented settings.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Develop interpretive strategies for assigned exhibits. Establish exhibit goals, objectives, and key messages. Complete literature reviews, visitor research, theme and topic development.
  • Collaborate, communicate progress, and coordinate work with cross-functional teams of project managers, designers and developers, scientists and other subject matter experts, collections staff, educators, and other Academy staff.
  • Act as an effective liaison between Exhibit Studio and scientific staff, partnering with researchers to highlight Academy scientists and their research in exhibitions. Facilitate content review by in-house and external parties and incorporate feedback.
  • Research and interpret scientific information, images, objects, and technologies. Develop concepts and content for delivery through text, visual media, interactives, and audio. Includes writing lively text for labels and scripts; editing, revising, fact-checking, and proofreading; researching, selecting and helping to secure specimens, artifacts, images, video, and other educational resources.
  • Advocate for audience-centric exhibit experiences that make science fun, engaging, and surprising for people of all backgrounds.
  • Design and conduct evaluations at specified points in exhibit development process to ensure that projects achieve goals and objectives. Includes working with teams to develop prototypes and test with audiences, and summarizing findings and recommendations.
  • Follow and contribute to the Academy’s exhibit development process and complete work in a timely manner to meet schedules and budgets.
  • Participate in professional development opportunities to stay informed of trends in the museum field, learn from and share knowledge with colleagues, and build relevant partnerships.
  • Follow Academy safety regulations.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

We’re looking for applicants with the following education and/or equivalent experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, environmental studies, museum studies, or related field.
  • 5+ years (7-10 preferred) of experience in exhibit development for informal science or similar setting and thorough understanding of exhibit development process and design principles.
  • Demonstrated experience in science writing for diverse public audiences.
  • Experience at successfully handling multiple projects simultaneously and meeting tight deadlines. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Gifted storyteller and science communicator who writes clearly, concisely, and imaginatively.
  • Ability to work successfully in a team environment as well as independently.
  • Ability to balance multiple projects and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to develop thematic structure for exhibits and use a variety of methods and techniques to communicate concepts to general audience(s).
  • Ability to create exhibit content that is intellectually and emotionally engaging. Exhibits should have a “fun” or “Wow!” factor that will drive attendance to the Academy.
  • Ability to read and understand scientific literature.
  • Knowledge of exhibit evaluation methods in informal education settings.
  • Knowledge of conservation factors and proper presentation of artifacts.
  • Detail-oriented and accurate.
  • Comfortable using Microsoft Office, collaboration tools such as Evernote, Box, and others to create, manipulate and share text documents, spreadsheets, images, and other digital assets. Some familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite is a plus.

Language Skills:

  • Ability to read and interpret floor plans and elevations, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
  • Ability to speak effectively before groups or individuals.
  • Ability to write persuasive reports and correspondence.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment 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.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. Must be able to perform repetitive motions 75% of the time. Must be able to lift 20 lbs.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 

Please submit your cover letter and resume online at http://calacademy.snaphire.com. Note that the recruitment timeline for positions vary and depend on many factors, so it is impossible to accurately predict when a position will close. We appreciate your patience during this process. No phone calls please.C