Facility
New York Aquarium
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
Job Description :
Supervises: Live Interpretation Coordinator, Youth Development Coordinator, Visitor Engagement Associates, Adult Volunteers, Wildlife Theater Actors
Workdays: Tuesday – Saturday, with frequent weekends, holidays and evenings to support the team
Who We Are
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a global organization that envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. We actively save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.
The WCS Education Department works across our five parks: Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium. Our mission is to inspire a diverse and inclusive movement of conservation advocates by sparking connection with animals and nature, enhancing scientific literacy through hands-on investigation, and engaging constituents in stewardship and action to conserve wildlife and wild places.
WCS is proud to be an equal opportunity employment workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work and learning environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
The Opportunity
The New York Aquarium (NYA) is seeking a forward-thinking, enthusiastic, creative, and science communicator to manage and support Live Interpretation at NYA. The successful candidate will support a suite of interpretive programming. They will oversee a team of about 40 volunteers and grow this program as they provide and support a variety of on-grounds and classroom-based educational experiences; will support the NYA Youth Development Volunteer Program (Discovery Guides) from both visitor learning and youth engagement perspectives; will oversee Visitor Engagement Associates who support in-park experiences through live interpretation (PlayQuarium Touch Pool & Exhibit Chats); and will support the administration and program development of the NYA Wildlife Theater program.
The Manager of Live Interpretation will oversee Volunteer, Visitor Engagement Associate, and Wildlife Theater Actor recruitment, training, development, evaluation, and general operations while advancing conservation education through the lens of Discover, Inspire & Protect. All NYA educational and interpretive experiences seek to engage with diverse groups of neighborhood and wider New York City residents, to build a connection with WCS in unique, creative, and enduring ways, and to use the NYA resources to address community interests.
You understand best practices in volunteer management, and the ability to meet the needs of individual volunteers while coaching and supporting them to help us meet our conservation education mission. You also understand best practices in part-time employee management for various program needs. Your management style is reciprocal and encouraging, and you enjoy building strong relationships with individual volunteers. You have experience and knowledge incorporating multiple effective teaching and interpretative strategies into programming. You are detail-oriented, creative, and capable of working in a team environment and working independently. You can develop and build on existing and new relationships, both internal and external, to expand the diversity and inclusion of volunteers, staff, and aquarium visitors. You can thrive in a busy, fast-paced environment and be adept at juggling many projects at once by using your strong organizational skills. You are a forward-thinking and patient consensus builder who is an expert at fostering a positive culture in a dynamic environment. You are experienced in managing multiple projects and comfortable working across teams.
Impact
Create the vision and motivate your team to connect with over 750,000 New York Aquarium’s visitors through innovate programming offered by out diverse and talented team of volunteers, interns, and education staff members.
Responsibilities
Responsible for the day-to-day management of 40 adult volunteers, 10 Visitor Engagement Associates, and 8 actors in the Wildlife Theater Program (numbers may vary throughout the year).
Supervision of Youth Development Coordinator who is responsible for supporting youth engagement staff and over 100 youth volunteers and interns.
Work closely with the Assistant Director of Live Interpretation and New York Aquarium Curator of Education to develop a vision for the future of the Aquarium volunteer program. You will work to support and improve a positive, welcoming, and inclusive culture within the volunteer program through ongoing training and evaluation and volunteer appreciation.
Work alongside the WCS Assistant Director of Live Interpretation to creatively develop and implement a live interpretation program (visitor interaction stations, roaming interpretation, live theater, etc.) that engage and inspire visitors.
Cultivate a welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative environment for all volunteers, Visitor Engagement Associates, and Wildlife Theater Actors that upholds the values of WCS and NYA’s Education programs. You will develop and implement new recruitment strategies to increase participation in the volunteer program and increase diversity within the program.
Manage budget and tracking for reporting and expenses.
Responsible for recruitment and organizing training of Live Interpretation staff and volunteers.
Liaise with and among internal WCS departments including Public Affairs, Government and Community Affairs, Business Services, Animal Care, Membership, Guest Relations, etc. to ensure that all volunteer and live interpretation staff are knowledgeable, informed on up-to-date aquarium information and practices, and able to best serve the needs of visitors.
Work closely with colleagues from both within WCS Education and external WCS departments to supply volunteer support effectively and appropriately for programming, tours, and other requests.
Collaborate with WCS Youth Development to set up best practices for youth volunteer and employee programming, tracking, reporting, and evaluation.
Maintain cooperative relationships with industry professionals, members of other cultural institutions, community-based organizations, and other collaborators.
Participate in regular meetings with all WCS Volunteer Coordinators and Managers to effectively communicate, ensure best practices, and streamline policies across all five WCS parks.
Serve as the point of contact for the live interpretation of special exhibition experiences.
Education and Pre-requisites
Qualifications
BS/BA degree in biology, environmental science, conservation, education, or a related field
Three years of supervisory experience managing a team of volunteers or staff
Three years of experience in interpretation at a zoo, museum, park, or other related setting
Some experience with recruiting, training, assessment, and continuing education with volunteers
Some experience in youth development or managing youth programming.
Demonstrated experience cultivating and working with diverse audiences.
Demonstrated ability to develop and support strong internal and external relationships
Compensation and benefits
Salary Range :
$63,000 – $66,000
Benefits and Perks
We value creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and building a culture where everyone is welcomed and can flourish.
We hire great people and give them opportunities to do great work.
We offer the opportunity for professional growth through staff development events, WCS scientist talks, workshops, or conferences. WCS Education also offers a Masters in Biology or Teaching of Biological Sciences degree at low cost to employees that are accepted into the program.
After working for 6 months, you will qualify for up to $3,200 a year for tuition reimbursement.
We supply a computer and access to WCS resources to carry out your work.
We prioritize being a fun and collaborative team.
We offer a competitive salary with a comprehensive medical, dental, and retirement package.
Workplace Conditions and Environment
We value team members and community partners from all backgrounds and cultures with different skills, abilities, and perspectives; we ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute fully to our mission.
Ability to perform light physical activity including occasional extended periods of time spent sitting, walking and standing.
This is a flexible work environment that includes some evenings, weekends, and holiday work. Flex time and earned time, as well as holidays, vacation, and sick time are available.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. EOE/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled
Application instructions
For immediate consideration please apply: bit.ly/3MTHsz5