The Brooklyn Children’s Museum (www.brooklynkids.org) is the world’s first children’s museum
and a pioneer in the field of informal learning. Rooted in its vibrant Brooklyn community, the
Museum’s early childhood programs and exhibits engage visitors through play-based learning at
the intersection of culture, the arts, and science. The Museum serves 250,000 children and
adults annually.
Position Summary
Reporting to the President and working in partnership with executive leadership, the Vice
President of Programs and Visitor Experience is responsible for creating and implementing
annual and long-range plans for all museum programming and ensuring an outstanding
experience for visitors. He/she shapes the vision for exhibitions, museum education and visitor
services in order to maximize the Museum’s potential.
The VP directs and supervises the work of the Education, Collections, and Visitor Services
departments, and leads exhibit initiatives. The role includes responsibility for education,
including public, school and after-school programs; care of the Museum’s collections, including
roughly 25,000 objects, and a variety of living flora and fauna; and, oversight of Visitor Services,
which manages admissions, coat check and visitor flow. Exhibitions include permanent
installations, visiting exhibitions, and four traveling exhibits that BCM has developed.
Major Responsibilities
Create strategic vision, goals, and objectives for the Museum’s programs, and implement
tactics to realize that vision;
Set goals, monitor work, and evaluate results to ensure that departmental objectives and
operating requirements are met;
Supervise, hire and evaluate department staff;
Create mission-grounded revenue opportunities, including – but not limited to – fee-based
programs, traveling exhibitions, and increased admissions; and,
Act as a thought-leader for the fields of early childhood education and museum studies.
Detailed responsibilities include:
Prepare annual and long-range planning goals, objectives and strategies for all three
departments, and prepare and manage departmental budgets.
Direct the research, development, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation for all
education program areas, including programs for general public and k-12 education.
Lead the development of innovative educational materials, and foster professional
development opportunities for staff and outside educators.
Develop project proposals and assist in fundraising efforts.
Plan new programs for the Museum’s various expansion and renovation projects including a
rooftop terrace, children’s garden, theater, and satellite spaces in Brooklyn.
Develop partnerships with public and area private schools, and lead communication
between the Museum and the NYC Department of Education, UFT, and DYCD.
Plan, implement, and oversee contracts for new, visiting, and traveling exhibitions.
Hire and manage personnel; engage consultants as needed.
Communicate and represent projects and priorities to a variety of constituencies including:
Museum staff and Board, funders, community groups, schools and the field.
Identify key partnerships and collaborations to further the Museum’s goals.
Qualifications:
Graduate degree in museum work, education, or early childhood studies; PhD preferred.
Academic or professional grounding in play-based early childhood education.
Demonstrated management ability, with excellent communication, writing and team
leadership, operations and interpersonal skills.
10+ years managing educational programs and staff in a museum or education setting.
Commitment to working with children and families, and adolescent youth; experience
working with a diverse audience.
Experience conceptualizing projects and writing funding proposals; project management
experience including evaluation.
Experience with visitors’ services, collections and education operations preferred.
Understanding of public policy and community affairs in Brooklyn a plus.
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to hr@brooklynkids.org.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce
and an inclusive culture. BCM encourages applications from all qualified individuals without
regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age,
national origin, marital status, disability, and veteran status.
March 2015
Leave a Reply