FIRST Robotics Team Staff Coordinator

PARK SCHOOL; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 51,500 - 82,500; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

403(b) retirement plan

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

PARK SCHOOL in Baltimore is seeking a FIRST Robotics Team Staff Coordinator to support student engagement and safety during robotics meetings. The ideal candidate will have experience working with high school students and ideally within robotics programs. This role requires supervision, organization, and coordination of meetings and activities while encouraging student ownership and collaboration.

Applicants should possess solid organizational and technical skills and be ready to help nurture students' technical expertise. The position is part-time, with expected hours peaking during the FIRST build season.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising students in hands-on, project-based settings.
• Ability to manage complex projects with deadlines.
• Experience coordinating with parents, mentors, and faculty.

Responsibilities

• Supervise students during FIRST Robotics meetings.
• Support a safe and structured team environment.
• Help students manage time effectively and work towards goals.

Skills

Experience working with high school students

Strong organizational and communication skills

Experience with FIRST Robotics or other robotics programs

Technical background in engineering, computer science, or project management

Tools

3D printers

Mechanical systems

Programming environments

Job description

The FIRST Robotics Team Staff Coordinator supports Park’s FIRST Robotics team by providing adult supervision, organizational structure, safety oversight, and student support during after-school, evening, and weekend team meetings.

The coordinator helps students organize their work, follow safety expectations, communicate effectively, document progress, request support appropriately, and connect with adult mentors who can provide technical expertise in areas such as mechanical design, electrical systems, programming, fabrication, and project management. This position is not expected to serve as the sole technical expert for every aspect of the team.

This is a part-time role that requires regular availability during the FIRST build season, with lighter hours during the fall preparation period.

Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences.

We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education.

We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.

The Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, gender inclusive day school of 803 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self-discipline, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Approximate Schedule

• Fall Preparation Season
• The fall role may include one afternoon per week, likely Tuesdays or Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
• Fall work may include student onboarding, team organization, safety training, equipment inventory, mentor outreach, fundraising support, leadership development, and preparation for the build season.
• Winter and Spring Build Season (January 8-April 1)
• During the FIRST build season, the expected schedule is likely:
  • Thursdays, 3:30-6 p.m.
  • Fridays, 3:30-7 p.m.
  • Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Additional hours may be needed for competitions, mentor coordination, communication, documentation, or special build-season needs, depending on final program expectations and school approval.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Student Supervision and Team Support:

• Supervise students during scheduled FIRST Robotics meetings.
• Support a safe, structured, and productive team environment.
• Help students use meeting time effectively and work toward realistic goals.
• Support student leaders in planning meetings, assigning tasks, tracking progress, and documenting decisions.
• Encourage student ownership while maintaining clear adult oversight.
• Help students reflect on what they are learning through design, fabrication, programming, testing, troubleshooting, and teamwork.

Safety and Equipment Use:

• Complete required school safety training for relevant science department spaces and equipment.
• Ensure that students follow all school safety expectations and equipment-use procedures.
• Monitor student use of tools, materials, robotics equipment, and workspaces.
• Coordinate with science department faculty when students need access to specialized tools, equipment, shop time, or technical support.
• Help ensure that equipment requests are made through the appropriate school procedures.
• Support a culture in which students plan ahead, request help appropriately, and use shared spaces responsibly.
• Work with students to identify, contact, and schedule adult mentors.
• Help maintain a mentor roster, including technical mentors, parent volunteers, and other adult supporters.
• Coordinate mentor attendance so that student work sessions are appropriately supported.
• Help students communicate clearly with mentors about project needs, timelines, and expectations.
• Ensure that mentor involvement aligns with school policies and team safety expectations.

Communication and Documentation:

• Maintain regular communication with the science department supervisor.
• Support communication among students, families, mentors, and school contacts.
• Document team meetings, project progress, major decisions, mentor involvement, safety issues, and equipment needs.
• Work with student leaders to create a simple system for recording meeting notes, task lists, deadlines, and next steps.
• Help ensure that parents and students have accurate information about meetings, expectations, competitions, travel needs, and team responsibilities.

Fall Preparation:

• Support fall activities that prepare students for a successful build season.
• Possible fall responsibilities include: student onboarding, safety training coordination, inventory and repair planning, team leadership development, mentor outreach, fundraising and sponsorship support, skill-building activities, preparation for use of science department spaces and equipment, coordination with 3D Printing Club or open shop opportunities when appropriate.

Competition and Travel Support:

• Support the competition process, up to and including:
  • Attend Battle of Baltimore.
  • Attend regional competitions.
  • Help coordinate student preparation for competitions.
  • Work with parents on travel logistics.
  • Support communication between students, parents, mentors, and school staff.
  • Supervise students during competition-related activities if assigned by the school.

Collaboration with the Science Department

The FIRST Robotics Team Staff Coordinator will be supervised and supported by the science department. The science department will manage access to spaces, approve equipment-use procedures, purchase requested materials through school systems, and train the coordinator on required safety expectations. The coordinator is expected to work collaboratively with science department faculty while respecting that FIRST Robotics is not a science department‑staffed class or club.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working with high school students.
• Experience with FIRST Robotics or another robotics program preferred.
• Engineering, computer science, fabrication, design, physics, project management, or technical background preferred.
• Ability to supervise students in hands‑on, project‑based settings and help students manage complex projects with deadlines.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Experience using or supervising tools, shop equipment, 3D printers, electronics, mechanical systems, or programming environments.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with parents, mentors, faculty, and school administrators.
• Experience with student clubs, competitions, camps, makerspaces, engineering programs, or after‑school programs preferred.

SALARY

Park’s job requirements differ, with some positions requiring no experience, while others require years of expertise. Our salary range is from $51,500 to $82,500 and is based on factors such as years of experience, qualifications, full-or part‑time status, and schedule. If selected for the role, your salary will be determined by your experience and qualifications. Our compensation package also includes a number of benefits.

BENEFITS

Park offers eligible employees a range of benefits, including a 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching contributions; medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their eligible dependents; Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts; disability and parental leave; and paid time off. An Employee Assistance Program and other wellness resources are available to all employees.

This position is expected to be part-time. Benefits eligibility depends on scheduled hours and employment classification. Employees working at or above applicable eligibility thresholds (for example, 0.5 FTE for certain health benefits) may qualify for some of the benefits described above, in accordance with plan terms and school policy.

Certain benefits, including tuition remission, are available only to employees in benefits‑eligible full‑time roles who meet applicable service requirements.

Specific compensation and benefits eligibility will be confirmed at the time of offer based on final schedule, seasonal expectations, competition responsibilities, and any additional planning or travel requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are asked to send a letter of interest, personal statement, résumé, and completed employment application via email or US mail. Please also indicate whether there are any special circumstances that will affect the timing of your search, availability for interviews, and decisions for the coming year.

The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.