With 600,000 annual visitors, Liberty Science Center (lsc.org) is the most-visited cultural institution in New Jersey and the largest interactive science museum in the NJ-NYC metropolitan region. The Center’s mission is to get learners of all ages, particularly K-12 students, excited about the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology and to encourage high-school students to consider careers in science and technology. Approximately 250,000 students participated in LSC’s onsite and in-school STEM-education programs in 2014. The Center has a special responsibility to serve “at-risk” students from low-income communities in New Jersey; 90,000 at-risk students participated in LSC programs in 2014.  Liberty Science Center is also a regional leader in providing professional development programs for science teachers; 1,250 teachers participated in LSC’s professional development offerings in 2014.

The VP of STEM Education serves as the Center’s lead educational innovation officer to ensure that the programming and services are relevant, engaging, and pedagogically sound, with measurable outcomes.

PRIORITIES

The VP of STEM Education will:

  • Develop high-level, sustainable partnerships with government agencies, school districts, charter schools, and related educational organizations to advance the Center’s overall STEM education impact, reach, and profile.

  • Serve as the institution’s key interface with the NJ Department of Education to ensure aligned vision, program delivery, and collaboration on future educational innovations.

  • Create innovative STEM programs that contribute to the financial health and mission of LSC,   with emphasis on growing LSC’s high-school offering; after-school programs; STEM summer camp; computer-science, bio-tech, 3D-printing, and robotic offerings; and programs that support the NGSS, which New Jersey has adopted.

  • Collaborate with the External Affairs team on STEM-related grant applications and fundraising initiatives, including serving as LSC’s Principal Investigator (PI) on grants when appropriate.

  • Lead and mentor the STEM Education division team with a style and purpose that results in an exceptional quality of program delivery, cross-institution collaboration, and efficient use of resources.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A PhD in education, science, technology, or math preferred;

  • 5 to 7 years of K-12 educational experience, including as a classroom teacher;

  • A track record in innovative and results-oriented leadership;

  • Participated in and contributed to thought leadership in the field;

  • Exceptional written and oral communications skills;

  • Significant engagement in the STEM field with knowledge of education best practices from across various disciplines; understanding of diverse pedagogical approaches to education, familiarity with learning styles and developmental stages; an ability to bring to bear a broad range of educational tools and methods; facility with creating innovative, personal, and high-touch educational experiences for diverse audiences;

  • A deep network and working relationships in the STEM education sector;

  • Specialization in one or more STEM domains: education policy and reform (NGSS); multilateral partnership building; curriculum development; or digital learning platforms;

  • A record of success in leading cross-disciplinary teams, including attracting and retaining talented STEM staff.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate is:

  • A mission-driven individual with a passion for STEM education and an appreciation for the impact and value of informal science learning; analytical and strategic, yet skilled in translating concepts in contemporary science into actual programming;

  • A team builder – confident and competent, with strong systems-building, management and leadership skills; understands the subtleties of motivating and directing a diverse group of personalities with different work styles;

  • A good listener and strategist; comfortable receiving input from a variety of sources; able to analyze and formulate disparate information into well-organized plans;

  • An individual with outstanding human qualities and a high degree of emotional intelligence; straightforward, shares information easily, listens as well as provides informed advice, and respects the abilities of others; someone who operates and guides with  integrity and solidity;

  • A graceful communicator who cultivates trust and engages the active support of staff and external constituents; able to represent and advance Liberty Science Center’s  interests with diplomacy yet determination;

  • A hard worker with a high energy level; results-oriented and adept at seeing the big-picture; strong planning, prioritizing, organizing and following through; emotionally mature with a sense of humor and an ability to maintain balance and perspective.

How to apply:

In order to be considered for this position send an email to employment@lsc.org with the following:

  • In the subject line include Last Name, First Name_VPSTEM
  • Cover letter and resume in one Word or PDF document

It is the policy of this institution to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status or status within any other protected group.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Contact Person: Francisco Montes
Email Address: employment@lsc.org