Program Director

Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center; Sandstone (MN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision plan

Dental plan

HSA

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) match

Employee Assistance Program

Paid medical leave

Paid sick leave

Job summary

Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center, located in Sandstone, Minnesota, seeks a senior Program Director to lead and advance its environmental education programs. This role oversees K-12, outreach, youth camps, family programs, and Road Scholar activities, working with the Executive Director and Operations Director to ensure safe, high-quality experiences.

The position requires active management of staff, budgets, grants, and strategic planning, including teaching duties and external

Qualifications

• Preferred: K-12 Science Licensure and K-12 classroom teaching experience
• Preferred: Adventure programming experience
• Preferred: Experience with educational animals
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Experienced leader, supervisor and manager of teams in a professional setting
• Proficiency with Google Suite, Zoom and Microsoft Office
• Human resource management skills and experience, including commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
• Ability to manage budgets and read financial statements
• Experience with risk management and emergency procedures
• Willingness to obtain First Aid and CPR; additional certifications preferred
• Ability to work weekends and have a flexible schedule
• Driver’s license and ability to drive vehicles, including 15 passenger vans with trailers

Responsibilities

• Direct all aspects of Osprey Wilds K-12, Outreach, Youth Camp, Family Camp, Community, Wildlife & Road Scholar programs, maintaining responsibility for appropriate, safe, and effective operations
• Maintain oversight of programs including scheduling, staffing, learning spaces, equipment, etc.
• Work collaboratively with Operations Director to ensure positive customer experiences while also enabling productive staff functioning across departments
• Design, lead and support the professional development of Osprey Wilds educational program staff
• Lead and conduct the education department’s recruitment of staff, hiring, retention, and employee performance evaluations
• Administer program grants, including status updates and necessary reporting requirements Program
• Seek, maintain & strengthen relationships with leaders of K-12 school clients
• Secure school attendance through retention of existing clients and recruitment of new schools
• Support the organization’s executive, operations, and development functions
• Assist with funding opportunities for programs, including grants and donations
• Work with Marketing & Communications Specialist for the effective execution of Osprey Wilds marketing strategies and activities
• Assist in strategic planning for all Osprey Wilds programs
• Represent Osprey Wilds with a wide variety of local, regional and national professional organizations appropriate to the Osprey Wilds mission
• Review financial assistance requests for programs
• Support communication efforts, including but not limited to writing and/or editing of center literature, marketing and related efforts
• Seek out, develop and implement new educational opportunities and programs
• Teach post-secondary courses (Hamline University, J-Term and others)
• Teach Road Scholar® programs as needed
• Periodically teach Osprey Wilds K-12 classes
• Maintain working knowledge of all Osprey Wilds programs & classes
• Coordinate annual ropes courses and climbing wall third party inspections
• Follow up on necessary actions based from report - including course modifications/equipment retirement/equipment ordering
• Maintain ropes logs for high ropes course and climbing wall
• Oversee archery program, maintaining equipment in working order, servicing and ordering equipment as needed
• Oversee paddling program - ensuring canoes are current with registration, canoe, paddles and life vests are in working order and replacing as needed
• Lead entire Osprey Wilds educational program staff
• Lead the design process for, implement, and evaluate organization-wide educational goals, both short and long term, to position Osprey Wilds at the leading edge of environmental education
• Lead, create and implement successful tactics to achieve assigned objectives of the organizational strategic plan
• Develop and manage operating expense budgets for education programs
• Assist in development of revenue budget and fee setting for programs, including appropriate scoping of new and existing programs
• Assist in development and execution of annual budget
• Ensure cost effective, high value and efficient use of financial resources in program delivery
• Ensure that program design and implementation remain clearly aligned to the center’s mission, goals and strategic advancement efforts
• Review and adjust curriculum, resources and staff development in response to changing trends in the industry
• Ensure Osprey Wilds meets all local, state, and federal regulations for safety in education programs
• Direct and oversee complete and timely safety practices for all Osprey wilds activities and facilities including policy, safety and security training for program staff
• Review programs and facilities regularly for safety and security compliance
• Document all safety inspections, incidents, etc. as needed on a timely basis
• Manage Cognia® reaccreditation process and evaluate and improve program based on accreditation process.
• Manage design and implementation of all program-based evaluation activities
• Monitor quality of education delivery, formally and informally through varieties of methods

Skills

K-12 science licensure

Adventure programming

Experience with educational animals

Written and verbal communications

Leadership and management

Google Suite

Zoom

Microsoft Office

JEDI (diversity)

Budget management

Risk management

First Aid & CPR willingness

Weekend availability

Driver’s license

Education

K-12 science licensure

K-12 teaching experience

Tools

Google Suite

Zoom

Microsoft Office

Job description

Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental learning center near Sandstone, MN that provides outdoor educational opportunities to diverse audiences year-round. The Program Director provides leadership, management and execution of the highest quality environmental education programming for a wide variety of audiences. Programs include overnight, day-use and offsite K-12, virtual, college, youth, family, adult, community and senior programs and retreats/conference groups. As a senior-level administrator, this position assists the Executive Director and collaborates with the Operations Director in leadership of Osprey Wilds.

Reports to: Executive Director

Department: Education

Job location: Sandstone, Minnesota

Job Type: Full-time/regular, exempt

PRINCIPLE ACTIVITIES/DUTIES:

Program Management and Administration (30%)

• Direct all aspects of Osprey Wilds K-12, Outreach, Youth Camp, Family Camp, Community, Wildlife & Road Scholar® programs, maintaining responsibility for appropriate, safe, and effective operations
• Maintain oversight of programs including scheduling, staffing, learning spaces, equipment, etc.
• Work collaboratively with Operations Director to ensure positive customer experiences while also enabling productive staff functioning across departments
• Design, lead and support the professional development of Osprey Wilds educational program staff
• Lead and conduct the education department’s recruitment of staff, hiring, retention, and employee performance evaluations
• Administer program grants, including status updates and necessary reporting requirements Program

Development, Promotion and Partnerships (20%)

• Seek, maintain & strengthen relationships with leaders of K-12 school clients
• Secure school attendance through retention of existing clients and recruitment of new schools
• Support the organization’s executive, operations, and development functions
• Assist with funding opportunities for programs, including grants and donations
• Work with Marketing & Communications Specialist for the effective execution of Osprey Wilds marketing strategies and activities
• Assist in strategic planning for all Osprey Wilds programs
• Represent Osprey Wilds with a wide variety of local, regional and national professional organizations appropriate to the Osprey Wilds mission
• Review financial assistance requests for programs
• Support communication efforts, including but not limited to writing and/or editing of center literature, marketing and related efforts
• Seek out, develop and implement new educational opportunities and programs

Teaching (15%)

• Teach post-secondary courses (Hamline University, J-Term and others)
• Teach Road Scholar® programs as needed
• Periodically teach Osprey Wilds K-12 classes
• Maintain working knowledge of all Osprey Wilds programs & classes

Adventure Program (10%)

• Coordinate annual ropes courses and climbing wall third party inspections
• Follow up on necessary actions based from report - including course modifications/equipment retirement/equipment ordering
• Maintain ropes logs for high ropes course and climbing wall
• Oversee archery program, maintaining equipment in working order, servicing and ordering equipment as needed
• Oversee paddling program - ensuring canoes are current with registration, canoe, paddles and life vests are in working order and replacing as needed

Educational Vision and Leadership (5%)

• Lead entire Osprey Wilds educational program staff
• Lead the design process for, implement, and evaluate organization-wide educational goals, both short and long term, to position Osprey Wilds at the leading edge of environmental education
• Lead, create and implement successful tactics to achieve assigned objectives of the organizational strategic plan

Financial and Business Management (5%)

• Develop and manage operating expense budgets for education programs
• Assist in development of revenue budget and fee setting for programs, including appropriate scoping of new and existing programs
• Assist in development and execution of annual budget
• Ensure cost effective, high value and efficient use of financial resources in program delivery

Curriculum and Instructional Design Management (5%)

• Ensure that program design and implementation remain clearly aligned to the center’s mission, goals and strategic advancement efforts
• Review and adjust curriculum, resources and staff development in response to changing trends in the industry
• Ensure Osprey Wilds meets all local, state, and federal regulations for safety in education programs
• Direct and oversee complete and timely safety practices for all Osprey wilds activities and facilities including policy, safety and security training for program staff
• Review programs and facilities regularly for safety and security compliance
• Document all safety inspections, incidents, etc. as needed on a timely basis

Evaluation (5%)

• Manage Cognia® reaccreditation process and evaluate and improve program based on accreditation process.
• Manage design and implementation of all program-based evaluation activities
• Monitor quality of education delivery, formally and informally through varieties of methods

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Preferred: K-12 Science Licensure and K-12 classroom teaching experience
• Preferred: Adventure programming experience
• Preferred: Experience with educational animals
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Experienced leader, supervisor and manager of teams in a professional setting
• Proficiency with Google Suite, Zoom and Microsoft Office
• Human resource management skills and experience, including commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
• Ability to manage budgets and read financial statements
• Experience with risk management and emergency procedures
• Willingness to obtain First Aid and CPR; additional certifications preferred
• Ability to work weekends and have a flexible schedule
• Driver’s license and ability to drive vehicles, including 15 passenger vans with trailers

COMPENSATION:

• Work in a beautiful setting: 780 acres with coniferous and mixed hardwood forest, creek, prairie, and wetland areas, as well as a lake with a beach
• Health (65% premium coverage for employee, 35% for family members), Vision, and Dental Plan options (50% premium coverage for employee and family members)
• HSA with employer contribution
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Simple IRA plan with 3% match
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Access to Safe and Sick Leave
• Access to Paid Medical Leave