Community Experience Director

Urban Ecology Center; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee seeks a Community Experience Director to lead the CE team, align visitor experiences with our urban nature-based education mission, and serve as the primary representative for CE in city-wide partnerships.

The role oversees onsite operations across three branches, collaborates with Ecology, Education, Marketing, and Development teams, and guides planning, standards, and partner engagement to ensure a consistent, welcoming experience for visitors and community

Qualifications

• Minimum 8-10 years in related field (natural resources, museum education, community development, environmental education, non-profit management).
• Minimum 5 years managing people (staff or volunteers).
• Background in event coordination, experience design, program development, or related work is recommended.
• Experience with community groups is recommended.
• Valid driver’s license and insurability under company policy required.
• Bilingual Spanish/English skills are highly desired.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Community Experience Managers and coordinate annual, quarterly, and monthly plans for onsite visitor experience.
• Provide on-site leadership at each branch in coordination with department leaders.
• Determine public operating hours for all branches based on community needs and feedback.
• Coordinate with Ecology and Education Directors and Marketing/Development teams to share information impacting the onsite experience.
• Establish organization-wide standards for intake, messaging, and public space engagements.
• Provide leadership during partner intake, including follow-up, decision-making, or communication guidance.
• Represent UEC at community meetings, associations, and networking events.
• Share information and connect staff with partners and organizations that align with CE goals.
• Support the CE Manager and CE Coordinator in determining pathways for community members and partners to collaborate with UEC.
• Support or lead projects impacting CE at branches in partnership with other departments.
• Connect UEC leaders with CE needs across departments.
• Create work streams to move information smoothly between teams.
• Co-lead community events with the Community Program Director.
• Establish scheduling to ensure branches are staffed during open hours and events.
• Supervise CE Managers and foster a collaborative team environment.
• Oversee CE department and branch budgets.

Skills

Accountability

Engagement

Trust-building

Decision Quality

Adaptability

Resource Management

Strategic Planning

Community Outreach

Team Leadership

Equity & Inclusion

Education

Post-secondary degree

Tools

CRM software

Google Workspace

Job description

Job Title: Community Experience Director

Reports To: SVP of Ecology, Education, Experience

Status: Full-time, exempt (1.0 FTE)

Work Location: Primarily In-Person (90-100% of the time), all 3 UEC Branches

Standard Schedule: Standard Tuesday to Saturday schedule

Position Summary

As the Community Experience Director, you will lead the Community Experience team in achieving all goals and outcomes related to the UEC’s on-site community experience. You will align daily practices guided by our niche in urban foundational nature-based educational experience and ecological revitalization, which includes connection to space, staff, and each other. This role makes sure that the target audience's needs and interests are central to all decision-making and ensures CE organizational goals are aligned with daily operations. You ensure that each team has documented policies and procedures to support their work, and lead annual and ongoing CE planning to ensure continuity in the visitor experience. The Community Experience Director collaborates extensively internally and serves as the primary UEC representative at top priority city-wide associations, partnerships, and networks connected to our CE work.

Primary Responsibilities

Onsite Visitor Experience

• Lead the Community Experience Managers; ensure coordination of annual, quarterly, and monthly plans for the onsite visitor experience
• Provide on-site leadership to facilitate and guide the experience at each branch in coordination with UEC’s department leaders
• Determine public operation hours for all branches based on community needs and feedback
• Collaborate with Ecology and Education Directors and the Marketing & Development team to ensure clear communication and sharing of information between teams that impact the community experience onsite
• Establish organization-wide standards for the onsite experience in terms of intake, messaging, and public space engagements
• Provide leadership to team members during the partner intake process as needed, which may include direct partner follow-up, decision-making, or communication guidance

Community Connections

• Represent the UEC at community meetings, associations, and networking events as it aligns with organizational priorities in Community Experience.
• Share information and connects UEC staff with partners and organizations that align with our goals
• Support the CE Manager and CE Coordinator in determining the appropriate pathway for community members and potential partners to collaborate with the UEC

Internal Collaboration

• Support or lead projects that impact the community experience at branches in partnership with other departments
• Connect other UEC leaders with needs from the community experience as it pertains to their areas
• Support the CE Manager and CE Coordinator in creating work streams that facilitate information moving smoothly and consistently between teams
• Support or co-lead community events in partnership with the Community Program Director

Team Leadership

• Establish and oversee a department-wide scheduling system that ensures that all branches are properly staffed and supported during public open hours and community events
• Supervise the CE Managers and create a team environment for them to work on shared goals and priorities together
• Oversee the development and management of the department and branch budgets

TEAM AND SUPERVISION

• Though all of our teams work together in some capacity, you will most frequently collaborate with the Marketing, Community Programs, Facilities, Facility Rentals, and Environmental Education teams.
• In this role, you will serve on the Safety Circle, and may have the opportunity to join other Circles or Committees as your schedule and interests allow.
• All UEC team members should expect interaction with volunteers, members, and youth participants.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

• All Urban Ecology Center team members work a minimum of 1-2 weekend or evening events each year. Our events are a great way to engage with our communities and see our mission in action; examples include Urban Candlelight Hike and Autumn Celebration. Some roles may have increased responsibility for event leadership.

Skills, Competencies, and Experience

Skills and Competencies

• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Drives Engagement: Creating a culture where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its outcomes
• Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through integrity, consistency, and authenticity
• Decision Quality: Makes sound decisions, even in the absence of complete information
• Situational Adaptability: Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations
• Resourcefulness: Securing and deploying resources effectively and efficiently
• Drives Vision and Purpose: Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action
• Plans and Aligns: planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Interdepartmental Vision: the organizing and developing of systems that serve ALL of the UEC's communities and leveraging assets that multiple departments are investing funds and time into.
• Strategic Management: you can formulate and implement major goals and initiatives, including the management of revenue and expenses, that lead to the organizational achievement of our strategic plan.
• Community activation: you understand the approaches and tools of grassroots community organizing.
• Change leadership: guides individuals and organizations through periods of transformation, including communication, leadership, strategic thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to manage resistance and stakeholders.
• You demonstrate strong cultural competency and are committed to equity, dignity, and justice.
• Affinity to and ability to model the Urban Ecology Center's mission, vision, and values.

Experience, Education, and Certifications

• You have a minimum of 8-10 years of experience in a related field (such as natural resources, museum education, community development, environmental education, non-profit management) which could include attainment of a post-secondary degree or progressive work experience in a community-focused, customer-service oriented, or non-profit organization.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience managing people (staff or volunteers) is required; experience in a collaborative, team-based setting is recommended.
• A background in event coordination, experience design, program development, or relevant work is recommended.
• Experience working with community groups is recommended.
• You must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to meet the requirements of insurability under Urban Ecology Center’s commercial vehicle insurance policy.
• Bilingual Spanish/English skills are highly desired!

Working Conditions, Location, and Other Requirements

• Condition & Location: Open office workspace with an active team atmosphere. Using shared workspaces at all three UEC locations. You rotate between all three branches, with the expectation of at least 1 full day at each branch each week.
• Physical Requirements: Sitting for prolonged periods, typing on a computer keyboard, lifting objects of 25 pounds or less.
• Equipment Used: Computer equipment, CRM software, Google software.
• Schedule: Tuesday thru Saturday, primarily aligned with branch open hours.

The Urban Ecology Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to make all personnel decisions without discriminating on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, physical disability, mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national or ethnic origin, and any other protected status.