Manager of Adult Education

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, PO Box 598, Boylston MA, 01505, (508) 869-6111

Direct Manager: Director of Education

Department/Group: Education Job Category: 

Exempt, Permanent, Full-time

Location: Boylston, MA Travel Required: Yes, local

Salary or Rate Range: $61,000-66,500/year

Apply at: https://nebg.isolvedhire.com/jobs/

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill believes diversity in nature promotes a healthy, vigorous garden. We believe that diversity among our staff promotes a healthy work environment and a vigorous organization. We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. We believe in diversity of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, ability, and all the other traits that make us unique.

New England is an equal opportunity employer.

NEBG at Tower Hill does not require its staff to be vaccinated for Covid-19, but we urge everyone to receive an updated dose as they become available to protect themselves and each other.  

The Manager of Adult Education is expected to carry out the responsibilities of the job in ways that support NEBG at TH’s mission and to its commitment to creating a diverse and welcoming organization.

 Being welcoming to all staff and the public

 Be respectful of staff differences and preferences

 Use gender neutral communication styles

 Respect everyone’s pronouns

 Attend IDEA workshops and training sessions

 Make efforts to support a diverse work force.

 Develop and support a culture within the department that recognizes and supports NEBG at TH’s IDEA initiatives (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).

Position Overview

NEBG’s mission is to create experiences with plants that inspire people and improve the world. Under the direction of the Director of Education, the Manager of Adult Education is charged with attracting and serving a diverse population of new and existing adult audiences through the development and implementation of mission-focused learning opportunities. These opportunities may include interpretative media, virtual programs, drop-in activities, lectures, author talks, workshops, symposia, classes, tours, and trips, focused on topics including horticultural therapy, horticulture, gardening, garden design, nature studies, floral design, art and craft, health and wellness, food and drink, and more. The Manager of Adult Education oversees all aspects of program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. The ideal candidate is strategic, creative, highly organized, detail-oriented, and has experience with adult program planning and logistics.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of the Adult Education Department including symposia, workshops, lectures, traveling programs, free programs, interpretive media, and more. 
• Develop strategies for departmental growth including a vision and a 5-year plan for adult education that aligns with the organization’s mission and strategic plan.
• Plan and carry out a year-round calendar of over 400 fee-based and free adult classes and activities that demonstrably reach new and engage diverse audiences. 
• Coordinate and manage over 40 contract instructors to teach programs on topics including wellness, food and drink, gardening, visual arts, and more. 
• Develop and teach classes for adults.
• Create original interpretive content for an adult audience including videos, handouts, and signage.
• Create and implement an evaluation strategy for new and existing programs and utilize the feedback to alter, strengthen and expand programming. 
• Audit programs to evaluate instructor performance and ensure program quality.
• Continuously update departmental policies and procedures and manage program logistics including scheduling, program setup, instructor contracts and registration pages. 
• Develop new partnerships and utilize existing partnerships with outside organizations to enhance adult learning and reach new audiences. 
• Develop and manage the adult education budget, authorize and track departmental expenditures, and evaluate return on investment for all programming in terms of engagement versus expense.
• Contribute to the development and management of grants affecting the adult education program.
• Pilot new program content and formats, including professional development opportunities focused on climate change, gardening, and horticulture.
• Work collaboratively with exhibitions and public events staff to create engaging tie-ins (workshops, tours, lectures, print or digital resources, etc.) for an adult audience.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Leadership and Interpersonal Relations

• Able to speak and write effectively to ensure functional communication with co-workers, community partners, and program attendees.
• Able to strengthen and build effective working relationships with a diverse community of educators, visitors, students, volunteers, instructors, and staff, demonstrating cultural competence and inclusion.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other departments to fulfill grant requirements, create new programs, and leverage the use of the garden and plant collections for classes.
• Ability to work within and outside of the Education Department to leverage existing community partnerships and identify new ones.
• Ability to work collaboratively on a diverse team to accomplish shared goals.
• Can effectively adapt to change; can shift gears comfortably; is flexible and embraces change with a “can-do” attitude.
• Recognize problems and constructively identify and propose solutions.
• Commitment to New England Botanic Garden’s mission and demonstrated interest in teaching about plants and the natural world.

Supervision and Training

• Supervise, train, and provide professional development opportunities for a part-time Registrar.
• Interview, assess, screen, and identify candidates for part-time positions in the Adult Education department.

• Recruit, manage, and evaluate a corps of contracted instructors with subject matter expertise.
• Foster teamwork and mentor staff members by modeling best practices.
• Empower staff by granting authority and autonomy whenever possible.
• Ability to delegate and oversee the adult education department to deliver results on time and on budget.

Schedule

The Manager of Adult Education is a salaried, full-time position and is exempt from overtime. The standard work schedule for this position is 40 hours per week. This position requires flexibility and the ability to work regular weekends and evenings as needed. Outdoor and limited off-site work will be required.

Education and Experience

• At least five years relevant work experience in adult education programming or a bachelor’s degree in education, museum studies, museum education, environmental studies or related field and three years’ experience in adult education programming.
• At least one year of experience in a management role and the ability to supervise a diverse group of contracted instructors.
• Experience managing budgets and grants.
• Professional experience planning, developing, teaching, marketing, and evaluating classes, resources, or experiences for an adult audience.
• Knowledge of current public garden and/or museum education practices.
• Horticultural content knowledge and experience teaching plant-focused programs a plus.
• Experience working in a non-traditional educational environment such as a museum, nature, center, or botanic garden a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Teams, Google Suite, and web-based registration tools a plus.

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

• Must be able to lift 25 pounds and work outdoors as required.
• Must be able to work with appropriate computer and communications equipment.

Note: Duties described above, other duties and physical demands have been identified as essential functions as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Safety

• Works with an awareness of surroundings and is vigilant to any possible threat to the safety of staff and the public, or NEBG property. Ensures all concerns are reported promptly.
• Reports all accidents and injuries immediately to an immediate supervisor and/or Chief Financial & Operations Officer, or designee.
• Complies with provisions of the current Employee Handbook, all published personnel policies and job description requirements.

In addition to being an Equal Opportunity Employer, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill fosters an inclusive workplace that values each member of our team.