Early Childhood and Family Programs Manager

Position Summary:

The Early Childhood and Family Programs Manager leads the development and implementation of innovative education programs that engage families, youth groups, and early childhood audiences in the museum environment, ensuring that learning is accessible and that everyone can see themselves in local history. This position oversees the History Clubhouse gallery space, maintaining a safe and welcoming environment that fosters learning through play.

Essential Functions:

Leadership

• Leads the creation of programmatic goals in advance of implementation that ensure mission and strategic alignment through creative and experiential learning.
• Recruits, supervises, and trains Early Childhood and Family Programs Coordinator, Museum Educators, and volunteers who work in the History Clubhouse and facilitate programs.
• Works with staff throughout the Missouri Historical Society and external facilitators to offer professional development for the team.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with community organizations, coalitions, and initiatives and actively serve on boards and committees that promote early childhood well-being, education, and literacy readiness within the St. Louis community (including but not limited to Ready Readers, Beyond Housing's 5 by Age 5 Initiative, STL Regional Early Childhood Commission).
• Leads sessions at local and national educator and museum conferences representing the Missouri Historical Society's work.

Programmatic Expectations

• Ensures delivery of relevant, engaging, accessible, diverse and inclusive mission-based experiences, educational programs and activities aimed at early childhood and family audiences. This includes supervising the development and facilitation of Early Childhood Group Programs, Early Childhood Outreach, Storytelling programs, Cuentos en Espanol, Museum Babies, Parent & Me Programs, Summer Family Fun Series, Scout programs, make-and-take workshops, family nights and family field trips.
• Develops Cuentos en Espanol programming with outside contractors who are native Spanish speakers and work with translation companies to create content for marketing and publishing.
• Develops programming that is creative and participatory, and unique to St. Louis and the Missouri Historical Society.
• Develops family guides to be used in permanent and temporary exhibitions.
• Actively promotes current menu of museum programs to families, early childhood centers, and Scout groups in the region through direct contact.
• Contributes to exhibit development by participating in exhibit teams or by reviewing materials when requested.
• Collaborates with the Community Engagement team by providing staff support in preparation for and during family-friendly large scale events such as the MLK Community Celebration, Winter Getaway, Dia de los Muertos Festival, and others.
• Must have weekend and evening availability. Will be required to work 2-6 weekend or evening shifts each month.
• Local travel required for outreach program delivery.

Management

• Manages a team of eight part-time staff and one coordinator.
• Manages collaborations with community partners for program development and delivery.
• Collaborates with Development team to apply for funding and provides details for follow-up reporting to funders.
• Collaborates with Development team on programming and benefits for member families.
• Tracks department budget and total staffing hours.
• Tracks Exhibits and Research budget for History Clubhouse consumable supplies (fake food, costumes, craft supplies, puzzles, games, books, etc.).
• Regularly reports program attendance, audience feedback, and progress from programs and History Clubhouse.
• Collaborates with Marketing and Communications team to publish text and promote Early Childhood and Family Programs and the History Clubhouse.
• Collaborates with the Exhibitions team to maintain the History Clubhouse space regularly.
• Represents the History Clubhouse and Early Childhood and Family Programs in TV, radio, and print interviews.
• Holds regular update meetings with direct reports.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Early Childhood Development, Human Environmental Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, Museum Education, Museum Studies, Social Work, Public History, or related field required. Advanced degree preferred.
• 3-5 years of professional experience developing and delivering programs targeted toward families and early childhood audiences. Experience working with children ranging from early childhood to early adolescence required; experience working with all ability levels preferred.
• 2 or more years of professional experience in a museum, cultural institution, or related informal education setting.
• 2 or more years of project management experience.
• 2 or more years of management or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated passion for St. Louis regional history and willingness to engage in complex issues facing the region through dialogue around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Must have weekend and evening availability. Will be required to work 2-6 weekend or evening shifts each month.
• Local travel required for outreach program delivery.
• Must be able to stand and walk for long periods of time during day-long programs.
• Must be able to bend, kneel, crawl, reach, and carry up to 20 pounds.

Skills:

• Thorough knowledge of educational pedagogy, educational trends and the needs of early childhood educators, families, and youth groups. Background in museum interpretation is a plus.
• Familiarity with Reggio approach and/or constructivist approach to learning highly preferred.
• Must be exceptionally well organized and able to work in a fast-paced museum environment with multiple projects.
• Strong ability to make sound, on-the-spot decisions that reflect changing or unexpected needs of the museum's visitors.
• Ability to lead change, build cooperation, and help advance the goals of the Missouri Historical Society.
• Ability to develop and implement programs from start to finish.
• Excellent listening and clear, concise communication skills, both written and verbal, both internally and with external collaborators, sponsors, and audiences.
• Ability to facilitate trainings and collaborate with external partners to lead trainings.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Comfortable speaking publicly in large and small group settings.
• Strong ability to work as a member of a team.
• Ability to budget accurately and track spending.
• Word processing, database management, desktop publishing skills, e-newsletter experience.

Deadline to Apply: Position open until filled.

Please upload cover letter and resume when applying.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Current Openings for Early Childhood and Family Programs Manager Jobs at Missouri History Museum