Director of Education

Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) works to advance understanding of the natural systems that create Earth’s weather and climate by operating a weather station at the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak for nearly one hundred years. The Director of Education reports to the Deputy Director with a focus on providing high quality educational programs and experiences for learners of all ages related to weather, climate, and the heritage of the White Mountain Region.

The Director of Education contributes to and oversees programming and staff that support Kindergarten thru twelfth grade (K-12) student and teacher programs, programming for adult and general audiences, tours of MWOBS’s renowned summit weather station, programming and exhibits within the Extreme Mount Washington museum, and support for the content and operation of the Observatory’s Gladys Brooks Memorial Library.

This role provides opportunities for professional development, working remotely on occasion, and setting flexible hours. To be considered for this full-time, year-round role, applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, three references and one relevant work sample to . Please reference “Director of Education” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. A complete description of job responsibilities can be found below.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the educational aspects of the Observatory’s seasonal Extreme Mount Washington museum atop Mount Washington. Maintain existing and develop new exhibits with staff and/or external contractors that focus broadly on weather, climate, and the mountain environment. The Director of Education also oversees staff who support a volunteer docent program and a seasonal Summit Interpreter position that provide interactive educational experiences for visitors to Mount Washington.
• Operate and manage on-the-mountain programs, including day and overnight trips, special tours and other programs. The Director of Education must craft a seasonal schedule, work with other staff members regarding trip logistics, recruit trip staff, promote the programs with the Director of External Affairs, communicate with trip participants and provide overall program administration. Safety in trip operations is paramount, as is creating an overall trip experience that provides educational value and a positive experience of the organization to participants. The Director of Education is expected to serve as trip leader on an occasional basis.
• Oversight of K-12 student and teacher educational programs with STEM Education Manager that include but are not limited to school day, after school, field trip, virtual, camp, and professional development workshop formats.
• Oversight of adults and general audience programs that include but are not limited to managing the Observatory’s Science in the Mountains lecture series, special workshops, and in-person and virtual presentations.
• Oversight and growth of K-12 education research and curriculum development projects with Deputy Director.
• Promote, book and manage member, public, and group tours of the summit weather station.
• Create, produce, and distribute outreach materials, such as educational and informational brochures on appropriate topics. Respond to informal inquiries on subjects relevant to the Observatory’s mission.
• Oversight and operation of the Observatory’s Gladys Brooks Memorial Library (specializing in books and other materials related to Mount Washington, the White Mountains, and related topics). Oversight of the Library’s Curator and volunteers and their work in managing the historical collection of materials relating to the Observatory, Mount Washington and the White Mountains.
• Collaborate with the Deputy and Executive Directors and/or other Observatory staff to develop corporate, foundation and other grant support for the Observatory’s educational programs. From time to time, serve as the principal investigator on grants and complete all administrative tasks (budgeting, reporting, etc.) that each grant requires.
• Coordinate transportation, facility and equipment usage, and other related matters with other Observatory staff as needed.
• Conduct regular program evaluation and record-keeping.
• Develop and implement an annual departmental budget, along with the creation of program-specific budgets.
• Represent the Observatory in a variety of formats including at fundraising events, in written and recorded media opportunities, public talks, conferences and other venues.

Education and Experience

The Director of Education possesses a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree (Master’s Degree preferred), plus teaching experience in a variety of environments including within K-12 classrooms and nonformal spaces such as museum, science and technology centers, camps, etc. Management and nonprofit experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with meteorology, climatology, environmental science, geology, ecology, and natural history highly recommended.
• Curriculum and activity development skills.
• Deep interest in Mount Washington will be fundamental to this position.
• Strong outdoor skills and comfort working outside at the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather” are also necessary.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to lift boxes or equipment weighing up to forty pounds.
• Excellent communication skills, including public speaking and writing, along with a creative approach to sharing scientific information.
• Digital fluency in basic computer skills in Windows-based systems, and videoconferencing solutions such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. Experience with database tables such as Airtable and booking solutions such as Farerharbor preferred.
• Ability to work independently in developing, researching, and implementing projects.
• Organizational, managerial, and administrative skills, with ability to meet deadlines and to develop and work within a budget.
• Must be able to work productively with a variety of staff members, Observatory members, Observatory senior staff team, partner organizations, and the public at large.
• Good promotional abilities.
• Familiarity with the unique demands of a non-profit organization preferred.

This position is full-time/year-round, based at the MWOBS’s administrative offices in North Conway, New Hampshire. The typical forty-hour work week is 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The Director of Education responsibilities are accomplished in the office and through the teaching of programs at schools, on Mount Washington, and in other locations such as libraries, science fairs, etc. The job requires occasional regional travel along with periodic nights and a few weekends throughout the year. Remote and flexible time is encouraged for this position as responsibilities allow.

Benefits and Compensation

This position qualifies for the standard benefits package for full-time employees. Current employee benefits include generous paid time off, all 12 paid federal holidays, health, vision, and dental insurance, New Hampshire paid family leave, short and long-term disability insurance, a retirement plan after six months of service, complimentary gear from our sponsors and discounts on our retail items, in addition to other benefits. The salary range for this position is $74,300 to $85,000 and is commensurate with experience. Opportunities for professional development exist with this position as well.

This position has hire/fire responsibility.

Accountability

The performance of the Director of Education will be evaluated in part by:

• Safe, successful operation of educational programs
• Quality of programs provided, as evidenced by participant feedback
• Number of programs provided
• Successful development of new programs and new exhibits
• Positive budget performance of educational programs
• Positive performance of programs staff

This position is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). While a standard work week will be five, eight-hour days (Monday through Friday), additional hours or days may be required on a regular basis and the schedule will require flexibility. The Director of Education needs to be sensitive to and generally available for off-hour or weekend events, as well as facility or operational emergencies. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between MWOBS and employee and is subject to change as needs evolve.