Director of Education And Outreach

The EOD plays a crucial role in the success of the Education Department. They oversee the implementation and execution of the organization’s education strategy and marketing to meet annual revenue and program goals and deliver high-quality programming throughout the service region. The EOD manages Department staff and helps oversee volunteers who operate in the Education Department and organization-wide. The EOD recruits volunteers and oversees staff and volunteer training. The EOD builds community and public engagement within the Education Department to drive paid programming and broader connections to RMRP. The EOD is a vital management team member and has significant input into institutional planning processes.

Responsibilities:

●      LEADERSHIP: Directing all resources of the Education Department to excel in fulfilling the vision and mission of the RMRP.

●      GOALS: Set department and individual goals for each staff member in the department and the volunteer corps.

●      REGULATORY: Oversight to assure Educational Ambassador care, messaging, and reporting meets or exceeds requirements under USDA/APHIS, USFWS, CPW, and any other state and local regulations.

●      PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Create ongoing opportunities for self, department staff, and volunteers to stay current on best practices, develop/improve leadership skills, develop/improve communication skills and public speaking, etc.

●      DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING (DEIB): Continue to support a team and work environment that values Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

●      EDUCATION CURRICULUM: Design, implement, and evolve the RMRP Education curriculum to meet the State of Colorado Education Standards K-12 and the Colorado Alliance of Environmental Education. A collaborative effort with the Education and Outreach Coordinator.

●      PRESENTATIONS/TOURS: Provide all correspondence for presentation inquiries/requests and manage formal education schedules in coordination with the Assistant Director and the master organization calendar. Process presentation correspondence/contracts and payments. Schedule presenters and support presentation delivery when necessary.

●      COMMUNITY BUILDER: Work closely with the Director of Donor Relations to support and build upon existing relationships, create marketing opportunities for program revenue, foster relationships using database tools and social media, and help promote RMRP events and fundraisers.

●      OUTREACH EXHIBITS: Schedule informal exhibit engagements and support the running of the events. Process exhibit correspondence/contracts, payments, or fees, secure any necessary tax licensing, and fulfill any requests for insurance certificates. Schedule exhibit coordinators and/or lead exhibits when necessary. Design, train, and implement training on best practices for exhibit outreach. Develop and implement leadership training for volunteer coordinators. Work with the Merchandise Manager to arrange appropriate sales opportunities at exhibits. Develop marketing handouts and supportive information and test event QR codes.

●      BUDGET: Develop the department's annual budget with the Executive Director. Ensure project/department milestones/goals are met and adhere to approved budgets.

●      DEVELOPMENT: As part of the annual Development Plan, assist with research and grant proposals for corporations, foundations, and individuals.

●      EVENTS: Provides significant leadership/planning with RMRP open houses and donor events.

●      VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT: Recruit and interview potential candidates for volunteerism. Oversee, train, manage, and support the progress-tracking of volunteers.

●      ANIMAL CARE MANAGEMENT: Oversees Education Avian Coordinator to ensure high-quality care of Educational Ambassadors and promotes planning and intradepartmental communication with the Rehabilitation Team for medical support.

OTHER: Other duties as necessary or assigned to ensure the success of the department and the organization.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

●      TIME MANAGEMENT

•      Support and meet timelines, deadlines, and commitments.

•      The ability to plan, create, implement, evaluate, and lead project and department timelines and make corrections/alterations to reach goals and progress.

●      COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

•      Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. English skills – written and oral. Spanish as a secondary language is highly appreciated

•      Strong communication skills, including reading, analyzing, and interpreting documents. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. Actively seeks to close communication loops. Aptitude for understanding when and how to provide effective professional communication. Ability to lead meetings. Strong customer service skills.

●      TEAM LEADERSHIP: 

•      Excellent interpersonal competency and ability to work well with diverse populations from volunteers, staff, donors, consultants, board members, and the public. Practiced skills in DEIB.

•      Ability to inspire and lead a team toward a common goal.

•      Strong knowledge of and ability to train staff and volunteers in presentation techniques and strategies that drive organizational engagement.

●      ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS:

•      Strong organizational skills with an awareness of the big picture and critical details simultaneously. The job entails extensive tracking and timely recording of detailed information and the ability to disseminate information to key stakeholders.

●      CRITICAL THINKING: 

•      Strong reasoning ability. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

•      Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

●      MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

•      Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as program fees and sales tax.

●      DRIVING MOTOR VEHICLE

•      The candidate must have a clean driving record and a valid driver’s license and be able to drive a large passenger van.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

·    BA and two years of experience designing curriculum, leading/delivering interpretive presentations, and education efforts or previous relatable experience.

·    Two years of practical team/staff leadership experience.

·        Functional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams and Google Apps/Drive, and experience with Customer Relationship Management Software

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

·       BA and five+ years of management experience, designing curricula and delivering education programs.

·       Experience in designing and delivering interpretive presentation strategies. CIG certification preferred.

·       A high degree of interest/experience in raptor ecology, natural history, identification, and conservation.

·       Experience in customer service.

·       Three to five years of supervisory experience is greatly preferred.

·       Experience working with volunteers individually and in groups is preferred but not required.

·       Formal education in business and leadership is preferred but not required.

·       Raptor handling experience is preferred but not required.

·       Familiarity with Airtable database, Raptor-Med database, Virtuous database, Sign-up Genius, and   One Cause Auction platform is a plus but not required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF JOB: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, and walk regularly, sometimes standing for several hours at a time and walking on uneven surfaces. The employee often uses hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms, sometimes reaching over the head. Public speaking must be at normal conversational levels, sometimes projecting voice to larger audiences. Must be able to hear voices and surrounding sounds. The employee must be able to work at a computer and communicate via phone. Able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The EOD will have a workstation within the educational department of the RMRP, currently within a warehouse. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, with a high level of activity and competing demands for attention. Additional aspects of the work will be conducted outside in all weather conditions.  Education and outreach programs are often performed at other venues such as schools, private homes (homeschools), religious buildings, community buildings, parks and open spaces, and event spaces indoors and outdoors.