Assistant Manager, Public Programs

Come join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every ­one of the qualifications for the position.

The position is on-site in California and can change as business needs warrant. The candidate must easily be able to work onsite at the Academy in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco when needed. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, including receiving a booster shot, as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy.

POSITION SUMMARY: 
Reporting to the Director of Public Programs & Academy Volunteers, the Assistant Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the presenter team. This includes supervising, hiring, mentoring and evaluating a team of public program presenters and ensuring that they can provide Academy guests with quality informal science engagement that inspires and engages. The Assistant Manager collaborates within Public Programs and across departments to implement strategic priorities and projects like Science@Home and community partners. The Assistant Manager is highly skilled at interpreting any topic relevant to the Academy for general audiences. This position spends at least one day per week on the main floor interacting with guests.

This full-time position is 40hrs/week. Applicants should be available to work at the Academy on either Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday from 8:30am to 5:00pm, yet some flexibility in scheduling may be considered based on an employee's needs, and shifts will have a consistent schedule from week to week. Occasional evening or weekend events may be required, and will be scheduled with advanced notice whenever possible. Full-time employees are offered competitive medical and vision benefits, and accrue paid time-off. The Academy offers a pre-tax commuter benefit for transit and parking as well as an incentive for using alternative modes of transportation (walk, bike, carpool, or public transportation).

The position is an onsite role and can change as business needs warrant. The candidate must easily be able to work onsite in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco when needed. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, including receiving a booster shot, as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy

POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in the management of the Public Programs presenter team
  • Manage the hiring of new PP presenters
  • Design, coordinate, and implement presenter onboarding and ongoing training
  • Mentor, coach, and develop presenters
  • Assist in determining delegation needs and advises on appropriate delegation of projects to presenters
  • Responsible for direct supervision and performance management of 2-6 Presenters
• Manage the daily operations on the Public Programs presenter team
  • Advise on developing an annual programming plan and advise on periodic revisions
  • Manage monthly staffing process including staffing calendars and daily programming schedules
  • Collaborate with other team leaders to advise and facilitate the implementation of departmental goals
  • Collaborate with other public-facing departments to ensure successful programming that provides a seamless experience
  • Design and facilitate the program evaluation process
• Coordinate the implementation of strategic priorities for the Public Programs presenter team
  • Support and guide Public Programs in implementing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion goals
  • Support Academy-wide initiatives including the new strategic plan and initiatives
• Guide presenters, and assist volunteers, in staying current in relevant fields such as interpretive best practices, informal science education, museum engagement, program development, relevant content knowledge, developmentally appropriate practice, and staff management
  • Support presenters in pursuing professional learning and networking opportunities
  • Plan, design, and lead professional development workshops
• Direct the complex online learning programs for general audiences, such as Science @ Home.
• Oversee community partnership efforts to augment the museum education and entertainment experience
• Assist in purchasing and budgeting for the presenter team
• Follow all Academy safety regulations and complete all HR-assigned trainings
• Support the Academy’s mission, vision and Academy-wide initiatives
• Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EXPERIENCE and/or EDUCATION:

• 3 years supervisory and/or management experience
• 4 years public speaking experience
• 4 years experience working in informal education or interpretation
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion
• College-level coursework, professional training, or experience in one or more of the following fields: museum education, human resources, volunteer management, or other relevant field

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to work on teams with diverse perspectives, values, and identities
• Excellent leadership skills and commitment to positive team dynamics
• Excellent public speaking, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to collaboratively work on multi-stakeholder, cross-departmental, deadline-based projects
• Ability to learn new skills quickly
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Can make complicated science concepts accessible to general audiences while maintaining scientific accuracy
• Ability to train and mentor others in best practices in museum engagement, natural history interpretation, informal science education, and developmentally appropriate practices
• Adapts and maintains flexibility in changing and fast-paced environments
• Works well independently and as part of a team
• Ability to transport 50 lbs with assistance

DESIRED/PREFERRED:

• Fluency in a second language

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable differently abled individuals to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to work at a computer communicating with others in person, on the telephone, and online. Ability to perform repetitive motions 25% of the time. Ability to safely work in both outdoor and indoor environments that may include stairs, uneven paths, ladders or lifts, and secure access areas. This position requires extensive time on the museum public floor which includes: frequent travel across concrete floors and bark while transporting materials, intervals of time outdoors in varying environmental conditions, extensive public speaking often in noisy environments, and exposure to high levels of noise.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The deadline to apply is September 6, 2022. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).

The California Academy of Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to ensure that all employees and applicants receive equal consideration and treatment, regardless of race, color, creed, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), religion, marital or domestic partner status, age, place of birth, national origin or ancestry, physical, mental or medical disability, height or weight, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship, military service status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.

How to apply:

Please upload a resume, cover letter, and complete the brief online application on our careers page.