Senior Education Specialist – Elementary Educator Programs (Bilingual)

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission.  We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

Job Summary:

Under limited supervision, manage all aspects of multiple Education programs and/or projects, with a focus on professional development programs for PreK-2 elementary educators; delegate tasks to the program staff; coach and review their work; provide expert advice to internal and external stakeholders; draft articles and papers for publication; stay informed as to the latest science, opinions, strategies, and standards with respect to formal and informal STEM education and programming as well as our target audiences; teach programs, in both English and Spanish, to PreK-12 students; manage special projects as they arise and represent the Education Division both internally across divisions and in the community as needed; perform other duties as assigned.

Core Activities:

• Program Delivery: Lead existing training sessions for professional educators and lead existing educational sessions for PK-12 students, in both short-term and long-term programs, including:
  • Develop a full understanding of and expertise in the topic
  • Gather necessary learning tools, props, documents, and/or presentation slides
  • Identify and implement modifications to existing learning tools, props, documents, and/or presentation slides based on the needs of the specific audience and the latest research
  • Facilitate in-person and online sessions, assessing and adjusting as-needed during the sessions based on the developmental and learning needs of the specific audience
  • Build and maintain a positive, culturally responsive program environment that encourages strong relationships among and between program participants, volunteers, and staff
• Program Development: Lead colleagues to create, test, and iterate short- and long-term programs, including:
  • Front-end audience evaluation and research to understand the needs of the specific audience
  • Identify existing and needed curriculum for the program to meet stated learning goals
  • Create program agendas with estimated timing, materials, and facilitators
  • Identify and implement modifications to program agendas based on evaluation results and the latest educational research
  • Ensure programs utilize culturally responsive education strategies
• Curriculum Development: Create, test, and iterate NGSS-aligned, inquiry-based curriculum for PK-12 students, including hands-on activities, interactive presentations, and digital products such as online courses and educational videos. In creating curriculum, allow for learners’ diverse needs, developmental stages, and conservation readiness; and integrate culturally responsive teaching practices.
• Stay informed on the latest science, research, opinions, strategies, and academic standards with respect to formal and informal STEM education and programming and the needs of our target audiences.
• Train, mentor, and coach program staff in leading existing educational sessions to PK-12 students and/or educators, adjusting as-needed based on the needs of the specific audience prior to and during the session. Provide performance feedback to staff and management, as needed.
• Supervise part-time staff, seasonal staff, and/or volunteers, helping them work toward professional goals while they plan and deliver parts of short-term and long-term Education programs.
• Manage work plans for assigned programs and projects, including outlining necessary tasks for project completion, assigning select logistical and operational tasks to program team members, and monitoring to ensure task completion. Report milestone progress to management.
• Collaborate with management to build program budgets and manage to the approved budget.
• Manage all aspects of equitable program recruitment, including:
  • Engage with community members connected to the target audience
  • Collaborate with Marketing to create and edit recruitment tools such as websites, flyers, and emails
  • Create applications
  • Oversee the application review and acceptance process, with a focus on equity
  • Communicate directly with program applicants
• Design new or improve existing evaluation tools and methods to measure program outcomes in collaboration with Education Division leadership and outside consultants.
• Implement existing evaluation tools, analyze the resulting data, and report progress toward achieving target program outcomes.
• Contribute to the peer-reviewed publication of educational research findings through academic writing and editing.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with program participants, community members, other educators, and leaders in the field of equitable environmental STEM education.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in natural science, formal or informal education, curriculum, youth or educator development; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Advanced education combined with 4-5 years formal and/or informal teaching experience
• Elementary or early childhood education experience
• Demonstrated success teaching marine science content and utilizing integrated STEM educational practices
• Strong experience with national and state standards, teaching methods and professional and/or youth development strategies
• Experience teaching learners from a diversity of backgrounds, developmental stages, and abilities
• Commitment to and experience with culturally responsive education
• Demonstrated success overseeing projects and leading project teams
• Demonstrated success building and maintaining positive learning environments with a diversity of program participants, including strong team building skills
• Able to write clearly, concisely, and fluently in English
• Strong speaking skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong time management skills with the ability to oversee multiple simultaneous projects
• Flexible with changes in work priorities
• Familiarity with Monterey Bay natural history, as well as marine and basic science
• Experience and comfort in the use of technology as an educational tool with students and adults, including but not limited to iPad apps, Google Suite, and web-based educational tools
• Ability to work within, and maintain Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Core Values
• Based on program focus, may prefer added qualifications:
  • Teaching credential
  • Fluent Spanish speaking and writing skills
  • Extensive formal classroom experience and knowledge in PreK-2 elementary education
• Must possess, or be able to obtain within the first 3 months of employment, a valid California driver’s license in order to operate Monterey Bay Aquarium vehicles

Physical Requirements to Perform Essential Job Functions:

• Drive a standard vehicle, including large vans and pick-up trucks; utilize a laptop computer, tablet, cell phone, VR headset, and other hand-held technologies; present in classrooms (Bechtel Center for Ocean Education and Leadership, Aquarium labs, etc.) and in the field (on beaches, wetlands, forests, parks, etc.);  comfort in the water to be able to accompany students on water events, such as tide pooling, snorkeling, and boogie boarding.
• Standing to present for much of the day; regularly walking and hiking indoors and outdoors; some pushing carts of materials
• Occasional unassisted lifting up to 50 lbs
• Typical office environment, field work (beach and coastal shoreline), ocean

Annual Compensation Range:

$65,700-$80,000 USD annually. Starting rate will vary based on previous experience and relevant skills/knowledge set.