Job Description

Supervisory Education Specialist (Public Programming) (IS-1701-12) Application Deadline: 16 August 2024 Department: National Air and Space Museum Employment Type: Full Time Location: Washington, DC Reporting To: Deputy Director Compensation: $99,200 - $128,956 / year Description OPEN DATE: July 31, 2024 CLOSING DATE: August 16, 2024 POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite SCHEDULE: Full Time DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC Position sensitivity and risk : Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk Open to all qualified applicants What are Trust Fund Positions? Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program and may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care). Conditions of Employment Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated as low risk. Complete a Probationary Period Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer. The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply. Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

This position is located within the Education Department in the Education and Visitor Experience Directorate, National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Smithsonian Institution (SI) and reports to a Deputy Director position, who reports to an Associate Director position. The mission of NASM is to commemorate, educate and inspire. Learning at the National Air and Space Museum sparks curiosity and empowers learners to imagine the possibilities of our future. The museum collects, preserves, and displays aeronautical and spaceflight artifacts of historical significance. The purpose of this position is to oversee education programming and the staff working on family and early childhood programming as well as the Museum's astronomy activities and programs. This work targets PreK-12 students and engages students, families, and educators in STEAM activities at the National Mall building in Washington, DC and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, as well as online. The employee is responsible for planning and organizing the work with staff, coordinating with Education leadership, and ensuring all components of all the programs are successful as defined by each program's objectives and goals. Position requires ability to experiment with new learning techniques and technologies, and to seize new opportunities for enhancing learning. It requires advanced knowledge of instructional design, educational technology, training design and development, and education in museums or other non-formal settings. Requires the ability to apply educational principles, practices and methods to develop and implement engaging and accessible programs for culturally diverse audiences. The incumbent is responsible for planning and organizing the work, directing and coordinating with staff and management, and conducting all phases of projects, and frequently involves the definitive interpretation of regulations, laws, and study procedures, and the initial application of new methods. Completed projects, evaluations, reports, or recommendations are reviewed by the supervisor for compatibility with organizational goals, guidelines, effectiveness in achieving intended objectives. Guidelines consist of Federal administration policies, laws, and regulation, as well as the overall policies and procedures of NASM and the Smithsonian Institution for conducting interactive programming. The educational principles and practices that apply to the development of the educational museum programs for diverse audiences, as well as national education standards, also serve as guidelines. Guidelines do not go into detail as to the methods used to accomplish the work; therefore, the employee must use judgment and initiative to refine or develop more specific guidelines such as implementing policy and/or regulations, methods, techniques, and procedures for the measurement and improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of NASM virtual and hybrid programs. The incumbent's work involves gathering information, identifying and analyzing issues, and developing recommendations to resolve substantive problems of effectiveness and efficiency of NASM programs. Assignments require the incumbent to apply qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques that frequently require modification to fit a wider range of variables, and issues that are not always resolved by direct analysis. Incumbent manages both staff and volunteers and addresses management and staffing issues, providing guidance to a diverse staff of educators, program managers, museum specialists, part time intermittent staff, and interns in different aspects of the Museum.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Education Program Operations Oversees and supports staff working on onsite and virtual family days, early childhood programs, and astronomy initiatives. The programs include the Museum's monthly Soar Together family programs, Air & Scare, Innovations in Flight, Flights of Fancy Storytime, and an assortment of astronomy activities composed of sungazing, monthly stargazing, pop-up observing events, and facilitated planetarium programs. Incumbent and staff may also contribute to several ad hoc events or programs that develop throughout the year. The programming focus on supporting students and families in STEAM learning, with particular emphasis on offering engaging activities that are accessible to a wide range of audiences and especially instill wonder and curiosity with learners of all ages. Works collaboratively with leadership and subordinates on strong planning to ensure programs are executed smoothly and efficiently, following Museum protocols. Manages metrics for all programs, guaranteeing all are collected and documented. Ensures analysis of metrics to stated goals and Key Performance Indicators. Manages education funds by overseeing that each program's budget is accurately developed, expenses are tracked properly, and staff is supported on procurement issues. Works in concert with directorate leadership with Advancement office to develop donor proposals and reports. Works with the Communications Department on promotion plans to enhance marketing and outreach efforts of the programs. Education Program Development Oversees the fidelity of all programs, confirming they adhere to best practices of informal learning, and are both innovative and engaging to all types of audiences. Introduces innovative strategies for developing NASM's education programs onsite and online to further the mission of the department, the Museum and SI. Supports programs and activities by working directly with and helping staff work with content experts to ensure accuracy in programs. Co-leads Museum-wide teams on brainstorming initiatives for topical subjects and topics with connections to the collections, identifying new collaborative opportunities with constituents inside and outside the Museum. Contributes to the development of annual monthly themes, creating programming connections to annual and seasonal themes. Engages in evaluation to both create programs and assess program effectiveness. Uses findings to guide and inform future program planning. Trains staff on content and pedagogy as necessary. Reviews and approves program content, materials, signage, and any other deliverables created for programs and activities. Connects with other NASM departments, SI units and external organizations to build strategic partnerships that expand and enhance NASM's educational programming. Supervision Plans, organizes, directs, supervises, and manages the personnel and activities of an education team. Oversees and coordinates complex, long-term projects. Plans and carries out the full range of supervisory and managerial authorities related to assignment of work, coordination with other programs, management advisory services, technical work direction, evaluation of subordinates, recommending selections for vacant positions, resolving complaints, proposing disciplinary actions, determining or approving training needs, approving expenditures of funds, recommending awards and bonuses and determining means to improve productivity. Exercises delegated managerial authority to set annual and multi-year plans and schedules for projects accomplished in-house and by contract. Determines goals and objectives for the team, where emphasis should be placed and how best to use resources including realignments to address shortfalls or to satisfy priority needs. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR THE POSITION Ability to design and guide a significant segment of NASM's core mission to educate the public about its research findings, its collection, and STEAM. Knowledge on how to set plans and work assignments to be accomplished by subordinates. Sets and adjusts short-term priorities and prepares schedules for completion of work. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments and the capabilities of employees. Skill in supervising and evaluating work performance of subordinates. Provides feedback, gives advice, counsel and instruction to employees on both technical and administrative matters. Interviews candidates and recommends appointment, promotion or reassignment to fill vacancies. Hears and resolves simple complaints from employees and effects minor disciplinary measures. Identifies developmental needs of employees and supports arrangements for coaching and classes. Knowledge of ways to improve delivery or to increase the quality of the work directed. Develops performance standards. Directs one or more contract resources as required. Skill in overseeing that educational program materials and activities are factually accurate and accessible to diverse audiences. Ability to plan and coordinate the work directed with that of others outside the unit and to resolve differences of opinion among managers, educators, contractors and program participants. Ability to provide updates on programming status from ideation through execution, discerning the appropriate level of detail to Education leadership and other constituents. Knowledge on how to coordinate and scale activities for various sized programs, including overseeing large on-site events with 10,000+ participants. Skills in leading the delivery of materials and services to the public, with knowledge on how to evaluate those materials and services, to develop enhancements, corrections and new offerings in delivery to audiences. Knowledge of federal purchasing procedures and skills as a contracting office technical representative. Skill in budget management for both federal and trust accounts, including experience in budget projections and tracking. Skill in oral and written communication in order to manage and coordinate programs, collaborate with a wide variety of individuals at all levels, and prepare and present briefings and reports. Applicants, who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States, must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package. Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins. The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery." Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Relocation expenses are not paid. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact NASM-HR@si.edu . Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's Accommodation Procedures. The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information:

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, Temporary work, Part time, For contractors, Work experience placement, Seasonal work, Remote job, Relocation, Flexible hours,

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