Experience Specialist, Youth Development
Overview:
The Youth Development Experience Specialist is primarily responsible for coordinating facets of the Discovery Place Youth Learning Community inclusive of: Club Code, Girls In STEM, and the Youth Development tracks. Serve as a content developer, program facilitator, and community liaison.
Responsibilities:
• Enacts the Discovery Place Service standards by providing uncommon courtesy to all program participants, parents, and partners, exhibits personal excellence in every aspect of their job, and demonstrates teamwork by contributing to a positive team spirit and is objective and open to the views and ideas of others.
• Partners with community organizations, institutions, and corporations to build relationships in order to support the Youth Learning Community through recruitment, sponsorship, and dual programming.
• Assist with the recruitment, application process, on-boarding, and monitoring of Apprentices
• Develop and implement relevant, programming content to ensure YD participants engage in meaningful STEM and work-based learning content.
• Manage YD scheduling and events, must maintain a flexible work schedule to accommodate events, including some nights and weekends.
• Work cross-departmentally to ensure program information is properly disseminated internally and externally for marketing, sponsorship, and other operational purposes.
• Coordinate YD workshops, special events, outreach opportunities, conferences, etc.
• Facilitate workshops focused on coding, robotics, making and tinkering, engineering design, and other STEM-centric topics.
• Collaborate with Manager, Youth Development to establish metrics. Work with an evaluator to assess program impact; monitor programs to ensure metrics are met.
• Along with other Educators, help to maintain and organize teaching materials, equipment, and storage areas.
• Stay current with best practices in STEM and work-based learning content and programming.
• Serve as a liaison between Discovery Place and external partners with the ability to demonstrate strong oral communication skills and professionalism.
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Bachelor’s degree in science, education, or related field and at least 4 years related experience and/or training in an informal education setting; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience with coding, robotics, make and tinkering, and engineering design preferred.
• Certificates and Licenses: Must have a valid drivers’ license and a clean driving record. Prefer North Carolina Teaching Certificate but not required.
Competencies
• Attendance/Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Customer Service – Manage difficult or emotional customer situations; respond promptly to customer needs; solicit customer feedback to improve service; respond to requests for service and assistance; meets commitments.
• Dependability – Follow instructions, responds to management direction; take responsibility for own actions; keep commitments; commit to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; complete tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Informal and Formal Pedagogy – Is well versed in both formal informal science educational methods and is able to apply these methods when interacting with visitors, students, and groups; carries out assigned interactions with content and/or attitude-based teaching objectives in mind.
• Planning/Organizing – Prioritize and plan work activities; uses time efficiently; plan for additional resources; set goals and objectives; organize or schedules other people and their tasks; develop realistic action plans.
• Professionalism – Approach others in a tactful manner; react well under pressure; treat others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accept responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general science publications, elementary and secondary curriculum. Ability to write correspondence, classroom curriculum, and understand policies and procedures. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of visitors, families, kids, and the general public.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite.
Work environment:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment (the museum) is usually moderate.
Physical demands:
The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Supervisory responsibilities:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
Employees of Discovery Place should uphold the mission, vision and values of the organization. We create positive change in our communities through our four core values: (1) science leads us, (2) equity drives us, (3) integrity guides us, and (4) innovation energizes us. We value the diversity of opinions and intellectual thought and encourage an environment where employees can share ideas openly.
The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities of this job. Other duties may be assigned. This job description may be changed to include new responsibilities and tasks or change existing ones as management deems necessary.
