Position Description: The Director of Education serves as Cooper Hewitt’s leader and expert in developing and implementing a wide range of diverse and innovation education programs. He or she oversees all education programming that provide an annual audience of over 40,000 K-12 students, educators, families and adults with innovative and engaging educational experiences. S/he is responsible for conveying the mission of Cooper Hewitt and the importance of design in everyday life through education programs that serve a wide range of audiences, including teachers, students, professional designers, scholars, and the general public, ensuring programs are impactful beyond the museum and reach a national audience; creating and managing signature programs onsite, locally, and nationally; and serving as education content director of the museum’s website. The Director of Education provides strategic leadership and direction on all of the Education Department’s major initiatives, including Design in the Classroom locally and nationally; the website’s Educator’s Resource Center (500 standards-based lessons in all curriculum subject areas and videos modeling best practices); and the National Design Awards and National Design Week, which connects the public to the National Design Awards though a series of public programs. Serving as a senior manager, reporting into the Deputy Director, s/he has key financial responsibilities in leading the program and securing grants and funding for the program.

Exceptional Benefits:

  • TIAA-CREF (Defined Contributions – 12 percent)
  • Free Life Insurance
  • Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
  • Long Term DisabilityHealth Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield)
  • Dental (Delta Dental)
  • Vision (Vision Services)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Free Transit/Commuter Benefits (up to $3,060 commuter costs paid per year)
  • Annual Leave (13 days) increasing after 3 years (20 days)
  • Sick Leave (13 days)
  • Federal Holidays (10 days)
  • Family Friendly Leave Family Friendly Workplace
  • Telework Policy
  • Historic and landmark offices and garden
  • 92Y Fitness Center
  • Free Entrance to Museums and Galleries
  • Design LibraryCuratorial Talks and Tours (Cooper Hewitt)
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Smithsonian Network
  • Tarallucci e Vino Museum Café (employee discount)
  • Museum Shop (employee discount)
  • Admission to NYC museums and galleries (free)
  • General Employee Discounts

Qualifications:

  •  B.A. (M.A. is highly desirable) in education or arts administration or closely related field.
  • 10 years leadership experience managing and/or directing an Education Department or related fields. Strong leadership and management skills to effectively direct innovative K-12 Education and Family Programs to ensure they are conceived, developed, funded, and implemented to support Museum education, curatorial and public program initiatives.
  •  Expertise in museum educational concepts and practices in order to oversee and manage a world-class education program that has nationwide impact.
  • Program Management skills to oversee and lead the National Design Awards Program.
  •  Expert knowledge of public education programs for a museum in order to oversee the development and design of a schedule of multidisciplinary programs for adults that deepen intellectual engagement with the museum’s exhibitions and all facets of design.
  •  Expert in learning theories to develop and oversee strategies to reach diverse audiences through exhibitions and other informal and formal learning opportunities and resources.
  •  Knowledge of Design in order to collaborate with curators in the development of exhibitions and interpretive materials.
  •  Expertise in secondary and elementary education practices and trends to (including web-based and other new media) for classroom use and visiting school groups.
  • Knowledge of and experience in using technology to reach a range of audiences.
  •  Knowledge of the characteristics of museum visitors including disabled persons in order to ensure that the needs of a broad variety of visitors are considered and integrated into the conceptual and physical development of exhibits.
  •  Demonstrated ability to communicate orally in a highly skilled manner to deliver a wide range of topics on museum education, in which conveys the mission of Cooper Hewitt and the importance of design in everyday life through education programs.
  • Experience serving on a wide range of panels and committees as requested that represents Cooper Hewitt as well as the Smithsonian.
  • Demonstrated interest and background in design, art, and museums preferred.

Salary: Competitive

Website: http://www.cooperhewitt.org

Job Date: 2016-11-17

Other Details

Please submit cover letter and resume (addressing qualification requirements) to HReducation@si.edu

Contact Name: Angela Hall

Contact Email: HReducation@si.edu

Contact Phone: 212 849 8302