Description:
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Oversee the Learning Center’s adult volunteer program, including directly managing all Public Learning Experiences volunteer programming and a population of 200+ adult volunteers
- Manage the ongoing development and daily execution of the Public Learning Experiences volunteer program and related visitor experiences. This includes leading the creation and advancement of new and existing museum tours, Discovery Squad cart programming, volunteer programming and facilitations, special events and requests, and other experiences that support the Museum’s Mission and the goals of the Learning Center
- Manage the onboarding, training, certification, and coaching of Public Learning Experiences volunteers. Collaborate closely with the Training and Facilitation Specialist to plan, execute, and evaluate each step of the process
- Regular, ongoing collaboration, communication, and coordination with the Training and Facilitation Specialist. This includes overseeing the development of new or temporary exhibition programming, facilitation design, and execution
- Manage and/or participate in the coordination, communication, and collaboration between the Field Museum and select community groups associated with Learning Center Volunteer programming. Examples of current relationships include with the Pawnee Cultural Resources Division and the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Identify and advance formal relationships with additional community groups as appropriate
- Collaborate with the Manager of Volunteers (Human Resources) to: onboard new volunteers; identify opportunities for volunteer recognition; organize and update the volunteer management database; identify, communicate, document, and solve Learning Center volunteer issues or discord
- Collaborate with the Public Learning Experiences Director, the Training and Facilitation Specialist, and/or the Exhibits team to identify and develop new volunteer roles, experiences, and opportunities to complement permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibits
- Train, lead, manage, and evaluate the Learning Center Volunteer Coordinator. Assign projects, delegate tasks, and evaluate outcomes on an ongoing basis
- Manage the physical space of the Volunteer Center, Volunteer Conference Room, and related materials
- Coordinate with the Visitor Services volunteer manager and the Manager of Family Learning Experiences on information sharing and cross-training opportunities
- Actively serve on the Learning Center Leadership Team to develop and execute department-wide initiatives and strategy.
- Assist with general Public Learning Experience needs as recognized and assigned
- This position requires a Tuesday - Saturday schedule on-site at the Field Museum. Occasional schedule shifts may be required based on special events or programming
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in education, the sciences, communications, training, and development, nonprofit management, or a similar field of study is required
- 5-7 years experience in one or a combination of the following: developing and managing tours, educational programming, or exhibits; classroom or informal teaching; supervising and coaching employees and volunteers; developing high-quality learning experiences for informal environments
- Strong communication skills and be facile at successfully managing, training, coaching, and interacting with individuals and large groups of people
- Experience in editing, expanding, evaluating, and leading the development of staff-created programming
- Experience and comfort in formally presenting information to individuals of all ages, large, diverse groups, community members, and team members
- Experience in managing multiple programs and associated staff and volunteers in a fast-paced environment
- Must enjoy working with others and possess the ability to brainstorm, create, research, write, and develop interactive tours, activities, and facilitations that support the mission of the Field Museum. A passion for (or the ability to learn) new topics in natural history, anthropology, or the sciences is required
- Must be able to successfully work both as part of a team and by pursuing self-directed projects and activities that contribute to the larger whole
- Should be creative while able to analyze feedback and understand and negotiate the needs of multiple audiences
- Must be self-directed and flexible with schedule. This position requires occasional in-person evening or weekend assignments