Public Programs Manager

Fernbank Museum of Natural History; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta seeks a Public Programs Manager to lead planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of non-school educational experiences for children, teens, families, and adults. You will oversee the public programming portfolio and supervise staff and seasonal camp personnel.

Collaborating across departments, you will help deliver high-quality visitor experiences that support Fernbank's educational mission and manage budgets, records, and content for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in STEAM, education, natural history, or museum studies.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in science education (formal or informal) including program coordination.
• Minimum 2 years' supervisory experience.
• Weekend availability plus some holidays and evenings.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage curriculum, educational activities, schedules, and evaluation methods for programs.
• Oversee year-round public programming and collaborate with departments on events.
• Lead summer and school break camps, including hiring and training staff.
• Hire, train, and supervise part-time staff and interns; support staff development.
• Develop annual operating budget, maintain records, and assist with exhibits content.

Skills

People skills

Flexible

Self-starter

Animal handling

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in STEAM/education/natural history/museum studies

Job description

Job Title

Public Programs Manager

Department

Education

Reports To

Director of Education

Schedule

Tuesday - Saturday

Job Summary

Fernbank's Public Programs Manager oversees the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of non-school group educational experiences that engage children, teens, families, and adult audiences. This position provides oversight for the Museum's public programming portfolio, supervises public program staff and seasonal camp personnel, and collaborates across departments to deliver high-quality visitor experiences that support Fernbank's educational mission.

Major Job Functions

• Develop and manage curriculum, educational activities, schedules, operational procedures, and evaluation methods for assigned programs
• Community Programming
  • Oversee the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of year-round public programming, including birthday party programs, STEAM Lab programs, and daytime drop-in programming
  • Collaborate with other departments to coordinate and implement select Discovery Days and Fernbank After Dark events
• Summer and School Break Camps
  • Lead the planning and execution of annual summer camp sessions, including hiring, training and managing Summer Camp Counselors
  • Lead the planning and execution of school break camps
• Staff Management
  • Hire, train, and manage part-time Exhibit Facilitators
  • Supervise, coach, and support the Public Programs Coordinator
  • Hire and supervise interns to provide mentorship and professional development in assigned program areas
• Other
  • Work with the Director of Education and other members of the Education team to develop an annual operating budget
  • Maintain records and data related to all areas of program oversight
  • Occasionally serve as content lead for Fernbank’s temporary exhibits, including some press appearances and communications as well as auxiliary content creation
  • Other projects and duties, as assigned, to support the goals and mission of the Education Department and the Museum

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a STEAM field, education, natural history, or museum studies
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in science education - formal or informal - including program coordination and development
• Minimum 2 years' supervisory experience
• Weekend availability required plus some holiday and evening work as needed

Skills & Attributes

• Must enjoy working with people, especially children
• Flexible disposition, able to make decisions and solve problems with a positive attitude in quickly changing situations
• Self-starter, able to work independently and see projects through to completion
• Comfortable learning to work with educational animals such as reptiles, amphibians, and some terrestrial invertebrates
• Excellent organization and communication skills, able to manage multiple projects and tasks