Director of Learning Innovation

Description

The Director of Learning Innovation’s primary responsibility will be to direct the day-to- day operations of Knock Knock’s education and community impact programs, both on site and off. The Director of Learning Innovation will be a key leader in developing and carrying out Knock Knock’s mission and programmatic strategic plan. The work of the Director of Learning Innovation provides the foundation for all the children’s museum experiences and programming at Knock Knock Children’s Museum.

The Director of Learning Innovation will report directly to the Executive Director and will work closely with the leadership team, the Education Advisory Committee, and the Education Chair. The candidate will oversee daily programs, school services, community impact, and exhibitions. Working in collaboration with these individuals and other key positions on staff, the Director of Learning Innovation will help implement Knock Knock’s agenda in early education, family learning, and community impact. The Director of Learning Innovation will coordinate with all departments, key staff, and external stakeholders to ensure high quality educational experiences for Knock Knock’s visitors. The candidate should have deep skills related to staff management, program and content development, process improvement, evaluation, strategic planning, community engagement, and stakeholder management.

The Director of Learning Innovation should be creative, organized, and passionate about Knock Knock’s important mission to be the community spark for high quality learning experiences through play for all children in the Capital Region, in particular the increasing population of children growing up in under resourced environments. The candidate should have a deep understanding of child development and learning for children birth to age eight.

The Director of Learning Innovation will be responsible for managing a portfolio of the museum’s education programs, including field trips for school groups and professional development programs for adults working with young children. Critical to the role is the ability to develop and oversee partnerships with groups such as colleges and universities, local school systems in a nine-parish area, Head Start and Child Care entities, and more.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Museum Studies or a relatable discipline preferred
• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of program administration experience, preferably with young children
• Experience managing a department and supervising direct reports
• Excels within a strength-based culture dedicated to ongoing professional development, both personally and mentoring direct reports
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Excellent time management and ability to prioritize and organize workload for self and others
• Proactive approach to making decisions, identifying problems, and creating solutions
• Collaborative work style, strong team player and an ability to engage and lead local and national partners
• Exceptional organizational skills with particular ability to prioritize projects and keep multiple initiatives moving forward simultaneously
• Proven skills in group facilitation, training, coordination, content development, data collection and evaluation
• Experience working with diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic populations
• Experience in grant writing and carrying out large-scale grant-funded programmatic initiatives preferred

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Manage educational programming and exhibits (Learning Zones).

• Manage the design and implementation of educational programming including daily programs, field trips, demonstrations, workshops, classes, camps, and programs for specific audiences (e.g., scouts, homeschool families, girls, children with special needs)
• Collaborate and coordinate in the design and implementation of training programs and professional development resources for various audiences including, but not limited to, educators, health professionals, parents, child care providers, and administrators
• Create and manage an annual program budget to provide extraordinary visitor experiences and reach targeted audiences
• Oversee and coordinate external research and evaluation working with the Learning Innovation team to gather data and develop program quality control systems
• Track all deliverables and outcomes (experiences, grants, programs, etc.) with qualitative and quantitative data, photographs, anecdotal stories, etc. as required by donors and fund grantors
• Strive to maintain a physical environment that is clean, neat, uncluttered, and well-organized
• Work across departments to select, purchase, and maintain high-quality materials, equipment, furnishings, and supplies

Manage and supervise the Learning Innovation staff.

• Recruit, train, manage, and develop a team of dynamic education staff, as well as interns and volunteers to implement KKCM’s educational activities
• Supervise and train Knock Knock staff and volunteers in both content knowledge and best practices in interacting and guiding children’s learning

Develop relationships that strengthen community collaborations and support school initiatives focused on early childhood education (birth to age 8).

• Manage collaborative relationships with schools, libraries, and other community-based organizations
• Work with the Executive Director and other key staff to build and manage relationships with major external partners including universities, government agencies, sponsors, donors, and local and national education associations
• Serve as an early childhood ambassador or representative of Knock Knock at various meetings, gatherings, workshops, or on community boards or advisory committees

Collaborate and communicate across departments and appropriate volunteer committees.

• Work closely with the Operations Department in scheduling and coordinating floor staff
• Work closely with the Operations Department in developing health and safety policies and sanitation procedures for exhibits and materials
• Work closely with the Marketing Department to develop an annual program calendar, promote programs, monitor visitor feedback, and continuously improve programming
• Develop educational content for the web and for social media;
• Produce packets, brochures, and teacher resource materials which support the Knock Knock mission
• Assist the development office on fundraising activities including providing program specific content for grant and sponsorship proposals and reports and fundraising events
• Write literature reviews and maintain knowledge of relevant policies related to early education

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Baton Rouge, LA 70808: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Work Location: One location