Director of Community Science

About the Academy

The Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1812 for "the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences". Since then, it has sponsored global expeditions, conducted pioneering environmental and systematics research, and amassed remarkable collections containing more than 18 million specimens from around the world and a peerless library and archive. Since 2011 its academic enterprise has been further strengthened through its affiliation with nearby Drexel University – a leading private non-profit research institution that focusses on innovation and entrepreneurship and provides a unique cooperative education program for its undergraduate and graduate degree students.

Today the Academy is one of the most important natural science institutions in the world. However, the world is changing fast and the Academy – directed by its Strategic Plan 2019-24 - is changing with it. Over the next five years the Academy will become a “force for nature” and advance its mission: “to understand the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it”. In so doing the Academy will build on its fundamental belief that diversity and inclusion generates better ideas, inspires creativity, and is essential to building a positive workplace so that in time it can become an institution that is of, by and for all Philadelphians.

Job Summary

The Director of Community Science is responsible for the direction and strategic expansion of the department, which facilitates the creation and support of local community-based projects to provide hands-on, accessible activities and opportunities for learning, data collection, and exploration of the natural world. The Director of Community Science is a member of the Community Learning Division leadership team, working with the Vice President and the other program directors to establish and achieve CLD’s strategic vision. Additionally, The Director is responsible for the onboarding, training, and deployment of the Academy's volunteers, and interns that work directly with community partners to plan, manage, and evaluate community engagement activities. In collaboration with the Community Learning Leadership team, The Director also conducts and publishes research on the key outcomes and findings of engagements, leads efforts to acquire local and national funding for its programs, and amplifies the work of community science as a signature activity the Academy.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the primary collaborator for CL with The Environmental Collaboratory (TEC) and community-based partners, local and regional government stakeholders to identify and address environmentally based challenges
• Work with TEC staff to develop partnerships with and serve as liaison with all external stakeholders throughout the region
• In collaboration with the Center for STEAM equity, conduct and publish research and significant outcome based on collaborative work of the department
• Lead in efforts to acquire local and national funding for the program
• Co-develop and manage community-informed research projects with The Patrick Center of Environmental Research and other Academy-related investigators
• Collaborate with The Academy’s division of Experience and Engagement to develop and execute public programming
• Work with the VP of the Community Learning Division, and the other directors to establish and achieve the Academy’s strategic vision
• Foster a culture of open communication and collaboration
• Create and oversee programs and projects that further the strategic goals of Community Science and CLD
• Manage the creation and spending of budgets, grants, endowments, and gifts
• Identify and pursue opportunities for earned and contributed revenue
• Identify, recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate staff members, interns, Drexel co-ops, and volunteers
• Develops position documents, as well as summary and overview reports, to define and explain ongoing work
• Presents to work of the division at appropriate conferences, public programs an among key stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 7 years work experience in and out of school time or informal education or 10 years of work experience
• Program management expertise
• The ability to develop and maintain budgets
• Superior written and verbal skills in science and education
• Proven management expertise
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Excel, and Teams
• Comfort working in a hybrid environment
• Ability to pivot in an actively changing environment
• Ability to work in a team-centered environment
• Demonstrated grant writing ability from public and private sources

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Education, Environmental Science, or a related field

Physical Demands

• Typically sitting at a desk/table

Location

Center City – Philadelphia, PA

Additional Information

This position is classified as exempt with a salary grade of L. For more information regarding Drexel’s Professional Staff salary structure, https://drexel.edu/hr/career/ducomp/salstructure/

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

Review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.

Advertised:Oct 17 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:Nov 30 2022 Eastern Standard Time