Senior Coordinator of Education

About the Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.

Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way.

The Position

The Adler Planetarium is seeking a Senior Coordinator of Education to join our dynamic team located on Chicago’s Museum Campus. Staff in this role shape the day-to-day implementation and overall portfolio of engagement programs and serve as mentors and role models to the team of Education Specialists. They work closely with other Senior Coordinators of Education and the Senior Manager of Facilitation to develop meaningful opportunities for learning and engagement related to museum exhibitions, artifacts, and educational initiatives. From hands-on activities to gallery activations, they take an audience-first approach to experience making and learning design and are comfortable adapting and revising their approach and planned activities.

This individual will also be responsible for:

Providing day-to-day supervision of floor programming.

Making real-time operational and customer service decisions to ensure a great guest experience
Adjusting schedules and daily assignments for the Education Specialist team, including program offerings, breaks, lunches, and rotations
Leading daily team meetings, such as morning huddles, check-ins, and debriefs
Connecting and communicating with other floor teams on daily operations
Training and mentoring Education Specialists on facilitation, content, and customer service.

Practicing regular observation of floor interactions and conducting a real-time assessment of Education Specialists’ performance to ensure individual behaviors or practices reflect department and organizational standards of the visitor experience.
Training and modeling new programs and providing daily coaching on facilitation techniques and presentation skills
Managing all program supplies and materials. Ordering necessary supplies with budget guidance. Maintaining organization of department storage spaces
Assist in coordinating and leading ongoing training and development sessions, supporting the learning and growth of all team members.
Implementing educational programs and initiatives. This includes delivering high-level facilitation on the floor, to ensure fresh and polished facilitation skills.
Developing interpretive experiences and materials for adult, family, and school audiences.

Interpretive program development (R&D, drafting concept documents and training plans, and collaborating with department leadership)
Prototyping, analyzing, and evaluating programs and the visitor experience
Continual development as an informal learning professional in areas such as content knowledge, audience research, experience trends, and museum education

The typical work hours for this position are 35 hours per week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday onsite (8:00 AM-5:00 PM) with 3 WFH hours on Mondays (9:00 AM-12:00 PM). Occasional shifted days or extended Wednesday evening shifts are expected based on team needs. Select holidays are required (MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day). Availability is expected before and after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The schedule may change based on operational needs.

The planned start date for this position is August 26, 2024.

*** Cover Letter & Resume is Required for Application Submission***

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Range: $21.65 – $23.81 hourly

Work-Life Balance

35-hour workweek
3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
7 Adler paid holidays
4 Personal Holidays (Prorated for new hires starting after January 1st)
Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
Eligible to accrue up to 15 days vacation days per year to start
Flexible work arrangements
Competitive Health Coverage

Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance
Healthcare, Dependent Care & Commuter flexible spending accounts
Adler Paid Short-Term Disability insurance
Retirement Savings Plan

403B plan with Adler match
Adler match is 100% vested immediately.
Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire
Network of Support through our EAP programs

Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services
Free subscription to the Calm Premium app
Discounted Onsite Parking Passes

Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

The Person

This person has strong communication, time management, and organizational skills with an interest in and desire to learn more about visitor motivations, needs, expectations, and behaviors. They are competent facilitators and collaborators who can efficiently work with others to deliver high-quality education programs and initiatives. They encourage and guide other team members to improve their practice and the overall guest experience. Staff in this role work a flexible schedule including weekends and select holidays (MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day) to best serve our audiences on peak attendance days.

Required Qualifications:

High levels of emotional intelligence, adaptability, and professional maturity.
Demonstrated cultural competency and ability to design experiences for, and work well with a diverse array of people.
Comfort working independently and flexible with ambiguity.
Three or more years of experience working in informal or formal learning environments or nonprofit direct service.
Experience developing and delivering participatory programs in museums, educational settings, nonprofits, or cultural organizations.
Experience scheduling or coordinating groups.
Experience facilitating meetings or training sessions with staff or volunteers.
Bachelor’s Degree or five or more years of professional work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience as a team leader. Time spent coordinating or mentoring staff or volunteers.
Experience creating interdisciplinary learner-centered experiences and resources for families, adults, or students.
Familiarity with survey design, visitor studies, or audience research.
Experience with facilitation, interpretation, or out-of-school time learning. Experience in museum education including coordinating and developing programs, leading tours, clarifying goals, evaluating outcomes, etc.
Writing skills, including the ability to tailor language and style to the needs of specific audiences; e.g., students, teachers, families, and the general public.
Demonstrated commitment to learning as an active, lifelong process.
Prior knowledge or willingness to learn basic astronomy and space science concepts.
Knowledge of trends and practices involving object-based learning, interpretive tools, or gallery facilitation.
Bachelor’s Degree or higher with a specialization in museums, education, or STEAM.

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its obligations as an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact Jenean Featherson by email at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.