Entering its 101st year, Boston Children’s Museum seeks to deepen its expertise in child development and strengthen its commitment to the community. BCM seeks an innovative expert in child development with deep roots in the Boston community to serve in the new role of Director, Child Development & Community Engagement.

 

As part of a larger initiative to bring new collaboration, innovation, and expertise to the Museum’s exhibits, programs, and the overall visitor experience, the Director of Child Development & Community Engagement will lead a newly-formed team representing the stages of child development from early childhood to school-aged to youth, in furthering BCM’s hundred year track record of outstanding service to Boston’s neighborhoods and community nonprofits. This team, composed of Museum professionals who together have designed and implemented decades of compelling programming for all ages within BCM and in partnership with community leaders, will serve as advocates for children of all ages, as well as their grownups, in new exhibit development, new program offerings, and initiatives for children from around Boston and the world and from all cultures, races, and socio-economic backgrounds.

BCM is a leader in the national community of children’s museums as well as the field of informal learning in part through grant-funded initiatives that the Director will frequently oversee. Further, the Director will ensure that the joyful learning experiences BCM provides to hundreds of thousands of children each year meet children where they are developmentally and culturally and support the grownups caring for those children.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

 Manage a team of four professionals addressing the learning and development of infants,

toddlers, school-aged, and teen children, and their caregivers, as well as represent BCM’s

community engagement initiatives for all ages.

 

 Contribute to the development of new programs and projects and oversee BCM’s grant-funded

initiatives to successful completion, contributing both to funders’ and to BCM’s strategic goals.

In doing so, develop and manage budgets, identify important new initiatives and help to secure

year, Boston Children’s Museum seeks to deepen its expertise in child development

funding, and raise the level of understanding and expertise in child development across the

Museum.

 

 Represent BCM across Boston neighborhoods with key nonprofit partners and City stakeholders,

including the Boston Public Schools; with thought leaders in academia and the private sector;

and with key Museum constituencies including members and trustees.

 

 Consider whether the different stages of a child’s development are reflected in exhibit and

program development, community programs, and other initiatives and serve as an advocate for

incorporating child development expertise throughout the Museum.

 

 Ensure that the Museum’s partnerships with community leaders are thoughtfully and

respectfully developed and managed, and contribute to BCM’s long-term strategic goals in a

sustainable and replicable manner.

 

 Collaborate interdepartmentally to implement both short and long range educational and

program planning, partnership development and related educational initiatives.

 

 Oversee evaluation of all programs.

 

Among the initiatives the Director of Child Development & Community Engagement will lead are the

following:

 

 Analyzing and advancing BCM’s efforts to serve half of its visitors more effectively, the “grown-
ups” accompanying children, particularly those for whom a museum visit is unfamiliar or

unknown.

 

 Assessing how children of different ages are served within the Museum, developing strategies

for ages or communities that are less well-served and providing a continuum of experiences for

infants to school-aged children.

 

 Developing a strategy and understandable rubric that helps BCM decide how and when to enter

into a partnership with a community organization.

 

 Leading the newly-formed team of four staff to plan work, address challenges, deliver results

and grow as professionals.

 

 Managing research and evaluation protocols and analysis.

 

 Contributing to the leadership and success of the Museum’s newly united department for

exhibits, programs, child development and community engagement, and innovation.

 Contributing to the formulation of a Museum-wide agreement on what ages BCM serves and

why.

 

 

Qualities & Qualifications:

 

 Bachelors of Arts or Sciences in Education, Early Childhood Education, Informal Learning, Child

Development, or another relevant field. Master’s Degree strongly preferred.

 

 Successful experience bringing a new team together and managing staff in a complex, matrixed

work environment.

 

 Possesses a working knowledge of significant research, developments and trends in the fields of

education and in the areas of child development and family learning.

 

 Experience in content or curriculum development for both formal and informal educational

programming.

 

 Deep roots in Boston’s neighborhoods as a professional, resident, community leader or

volunteer.

 

 A significant network among Boston’s educational community and/or community nonprofit

leaders.

 

 Successful stewardship of long-term partnerships and development of new partnerships.

 

 Experience developing and overseeing the implementation of grant-funded initiatives and

developing, drafting, and securing foundation funding preferred.

 

 Budget-management skills in a complex financial environment, including federal grant

management experience.

 

 Fluency in evaluation methodology and practice.

 

 Facility with technology from Microsoft Office to social media to the innovative use of

technology in education or Museums.

 

 Experience as a teacher or within a museum is ideal.

 

 Fluency in a second language, particularly one spoken by new Bostonians, is ideal.

 

 

To Apply: Please submit resume and cover letter by email to Jobs@BostonChildrensMuseum.org; by fax

to 617-423-3213 or by mail to Boston Children’s Museum, Attn: Human Resources, 308 Congress Street,

Boston MA 02210. For more information about the Museum please visit:

www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org