Ames Coordinator of Education for Student Engagement and Public Programs

Cornell University; Town of Ithaca (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care options

Retirement contributions

Wellness programs

Employee discounts

Tuition benefits

Generous leave provisions

Job summary

The Johnson Museum of Art seeks an Ames Coordinator of Education for Student and Public Engagement to connect Cornell students with vibrant museum programs. You will help shape adult programs, collaborate with curators, faculty, and partners, and expand student-led arts experiences in galleries.

You will recruit and mentor 3–5 interns annually, strengthen undergraduate internship training, and develop new initiatives that position the museum as a welcoming campus and community hub for art and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in art history, museum studies, art, or related field.
• At least 2–4 years’ experience working with college students and developing programs in a museum context.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills (verbal and written), facility with technology and social media, and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Ability to cultivate inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Responsibilities

• Ignite public programming by shaping a balanced calendar of programs for adults.
• Collaborate with curators, faculty, student groups, and partners to build connections with campus and community.
• Empower student creativity by launching a new program series in galleries.
• Develop standalone art and wellness initiatives for students and community.
• Recruit, train, and manage 3–5 Public Engagement interns annually.
• Support the Director of Education in strengthening undergraduate intern training and audience-building strategies.

Skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Technology proficiency

Social media

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in art history or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Social media platforms

Job description

The Opportunity

We seek an Ames Coordinator of Education for Student and Public Engagement who will bring Cornell students directly into Johnson Museum of Art’s work as a cultural gateway between campus and community. Since opening in 1973, the Museum has served as an educational and cultural resource for Cornell and the region, welcoming approximately 70,000 local and international visitors each year.

• Ignite creative public programming by shaping and implementing a balanced calendar of programs for adult audiences. From artist talks and lectures to music and dance performances, film screenings, poetry readings, hands‑on workshops, and artist‑led experiences, you’ll create welcoming ways for people to connect with the Museum’s collections and exhibitions.
• Working with curators, faculty, student organizations, community partners, Education Department colleagues, and Visitor Services, you’ll bring ideas to life and build meaningful connections with the public, Cornell’s campus community, and local and global alumni. You’ll also help expand programming with scholars, artists, and activists working in underrepresented areas or with marginalized identities, supporting the Museum’s commitment to being a welcoming place for all.
• Empower student creativity by making the Museum a platform for Cornell students to share their cultural and artistic work with the public. You’ll develop a new program series that brings student performances into the galleries and create student-friendly opportunities to gather, connect, and find respite in the arts.
• You’ll also develop a standalone art and wellness initiative for students and the local community, with the potential to grow into an Art Rx program in partnership with campus and community collaborators. Together, these programs will help the Museum serve as a welcoming “third space” on campus and spark new connections between students, art, and the broader community.
• Nurture future leaders by recruiting, training, and managing three to five Public Engagement student interns each year. These interns will lead gallery and exhibition tours and support public programs for visitors, alumni, campus groups, and community audiences.
• Your guidance will help students grow into confident, engaging representatives of the Museum. You’ll also support the Director of Education in strengthening the Museum’s undergraduate intern training program, shaping audience‑building strategies, and promoting programs and events.

This role is for someone who is excited by the possibility of bringing art and ideas to the broadest possible audience. You’ll bring creativity, attention to detail, and a collaborative approach to building programs with students and partners, and you’ll feel at ease engaging campus and public audiences in person.

Reporting to the Director of Education, you’ll join a team of eight professionals advancing the Johnson Museum’s educational and land‑grant missions.

About The Johnson Museum Of Art

The Johnson Museum’s permanent collection numbers 40,000 works, spanning six millennia and encompassing art from most world cultures. Among the strengths of the collection are the holdings of Asian art; more than 23,000 prints, drawings, and photographs ranging from the fifteenth century to the present; modern and contemporary painting and sculpture; European art from ancient times to the present; African sculpture and textiles; and pre‑Columbian sculpture and ceramics. Each year the Johnson Museum mounts major exhibitions and programs that present new scholarship and fresh perspectives on the works in our collection or on temporary loan. Many of these exhibitions are inspired by the Cornell curriculum and are the product of partnerships with faculty, graduate students, other museums, research centers, scholars, cultural practitioners, and source communities.

The Museum enhances and supports faculty teaching across Cornell’s schools and departments by hosting approximately 350 class sessions per academic year in the Museum's galleries and classrooms. Educational outreach programs for the regional community are core to Cornell University’s land‑grant commitment to public engagement. We serve over 9,000 schoolchildren from schools in a 60‑mile radius of Ithaca and offer professional development trainings for regional teachers, many of whom teach in rural areas and for whom the Museum promotes intercultural understanding and global awareness.

Join Us

• Be part of a vibrant, creative community where your ideas can grow into programs that connect the Museum with Cornell and the surrounding community.
• Help make art and culture accessible to a broad range of audiences through welcoming programs inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions.
• Collaborate with students, artists, faculty, curators, community partners, and a passionate Museum team.
• Help shape the Museum as a place to gather, connect, and find inspiration, while strengthening its relationships with campus and community audiences.
• If you’re excited to bring art and ideas to a wide audience through creative programming and meaningful partnerships, we encourage you to apply.

Core hours for this position are Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM with some flexibility on start and end times, mutually agreed upon between you and your supervisor.

Flexibility for coverage of evening and weekend events is required. You will work with your supervisor to pre‑arrange your schedule adjusting, based on event coverage needs.

Details regarding the possibility of performing some work remotely will be pre‑arranged and mutually agreed upon between you and your supervisor once team and department needs are met.

What We Need

• A cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are required for consideration.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in art history, museum studies, art, or related field.
• At least 2-4 years’ experience working closely with college students and student groups and developing programs in a museum context.
• Must have excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills (verbal and written), facility with technology and social media, and the ability to work on multiple projects both independently and in a team‑oriented environment.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.

• Master’s degree.
• Prior work experience in an academic art museum.

Rewards And Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award‑winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition‑free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Cornell is an equal opportunity employer. For more information, visit hr.cornell.edu/eeo.

Pay Range

$65,447.00 - $72,994.00

Remote Option Availability

Onsite

EEO Statement

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world‑class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy‑related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Notice To Applicants

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Accommodation Support

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