Chief Educator

BlueSteps Connect; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

BlueSteps Connect is seeking a Chief Educator to define and advance the educational vision and public engagement strategy. Reporting to the Executive Director, you will lead transformation of the Education Department and align with institutional priorities, designing scalable operating models and cross-functional collaboration to boost audience impact.

You will drive an education strategy that translates curatorial content into accessible programs for youth, families, and adults, ensuring

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Art History, Education, or a related field; PhD preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive experience in museum education or similar settings.
• Experience leading organizational change or departmental transformation.
• Strong knowledge of educational programming and interpretive strategies.
• Ability to translate curatorial content into accessible and engaging educational programming.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Spanish.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Assess current education functions and restructure; set strategic direction for the Education Department.
• Develop and execute an education strategy aligned with mission and audience needs.
• Design and implement scalable operational processes for education programs.
• Translate curatorial content into accessible educational programming and inclusive programs for diverse audiences.
• Ensure accessibility, relevance, and audience-centered design across initiatives.
• Partner with Development to support fundraising, grants, and program narratives.
• Build external partnerships with educational, cultural, and community organizations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Education team to foster a high-performance culture.

Skills

Organizational change leadership

Educational programming

Interpretive strategies

Inclusive programming

Bilingual English/Spanish

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Leadership

Education

Master's degree in Art History / Education / related field

PhD preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Suite

Job description

This senior leadership role is responsible for defining and advancing the client's educational vision and public engagement strategy. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Educator will lead the transformation and strengthening of the Education Department, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and long-term goals. The role will oversee the design and implementation of a sustainable operating model for education programs, and collaborate cross-functionally to enhance audience engagement, accessibility, and impact.

Key responsibilities include assessing current education functions, restructuring and setting strategic direction for the Education Department, and developing and executing an education strategy aligned with mission and audience needs. The Chief Educator will design and implement scalable operational processes, translate curatorial content into accessible and engaging educational programming, and develop inclusive programs for diverse audiences, including youth, families, and adults. The role will ensure accessibility, relevance, and audience-centered design across initiatives, and will partner with Development to support fundraising efforts, grant proposals, and program narratives.

The Chief Educator will also build external partnerships with educational, cultural, and community organizations, and will lead, mentor, and develop the Education team to foster a high-performance culture. The requirements include a Master's degree in Art History, Education, or a related field, with a PhD preferred, and 10-15 years of progressive experience in museum education or similar settings. The role expects proven experience leading organizational change or departmental transformation, strong knowledge of educational programming and interpretive strategies, experience creating inclusive programming, excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish, strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration, proficiency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite, strong organizational and project management skills, and the ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends as needed.