Manager of Children's Discovery Museum Job Description

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	Innovation Station Supervisor	Posted: September 7, 2019
	Children's Discovery Museum, Town of Normal	College degree preferred
	Normal, Illinois, USA	Up to 20 hours/wk ($11 per hour)

	The Innovation Station: Lab and MakerSpace is a platform to engage children and families in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) through innovative, hands-on learning experiences. It is a space where families create, make, discover, investigate and invent. The space gives children a chance to apply problem-solving skills, test and revise their ideas, experiment, collaborate, and just have fun. The MakerSpace allows children and families to use real tools and different materials to design, make, tinker and create projects on their own while concentrating on the process not the product. This is a space where we encourage learning, prototyping, sharing of ideas, productive failure, thinking and collaboration. The Lab offers STEAM curriculum on subjects like, chemistry, biology, engineering, nanotechnology & physics on Saturday mornings and have STEAM based leave out activities throughout the month. The Innovation Station is open from 10am to 12pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and from 2pm to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Children's Discovery Museum The Children’s Discovery Museum operates as a Division of the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department. The mission of the Museum is to inspire the love of learning through the power of play. Through programming, hands-on exhibits and positive interaction, the Museum builds confidence and fosters creativity in today’s youth, enhances critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills in tomorrow’s workforce, and inspires a more innovative approach for educating the future. The Museum is a destination not only for local families but for visitors throughout the country! Adjacent to Amtrak and Illinois State University, the Museum offers a unique opportunity for travelers, students, educators and community visitors. Please visit the website for additional information about the museum. Parks and Recreation Department The Parks and Recreation Department is one of the most active departments in the Town of Normal. Programs and facilities managed by the Department are of the highest quality. In addition to the Children’s Discovery Museum, the Department also manages the historic Normal Theater, Ironwood Golf Course, 17 parks encompassing over 700 acres of parkland, the Community Activity Center, outdoor aquatic centers, a 10 field softball complex, and a multi-use recreational trail. This department also provides a well-rounded selection of programs and classes for youth, adults and special populations. DUTIES/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: • Plans and manages the business operations of the Children’s Discovery Museum. Screens, interviews and recommends applicants for positions. • Prioritizes and assigns, monitors and controls the work of the museum staff. Selects and recommends staff training, supervises, reviews and conducts training as needed. • Conducts performance evaluations on staff and performs all duties associated with supervising professional, skilled and semi-skilled staff. • Supervises the development and construction of museum exhibits and educational programming. • Develops and submits division budget, monitors and controls budget expenditures. • Facilitates long and short range planning for the Museum operation. • Reviews and recommends revenue strategies, business operation strategies and expenses to ensure sustainable operations, working closely with the Assistant Director of Business Operations and Recreation. • Assists with coordinating the fundraising activities defined by the Museum Foundation and Town that support the museum operations. Writes, seeks out, lobbies for, and administers, private, state and federal grants. • Promotes the museum through planned advertising, mailings, community appearances, presentations, and other media as appropriate. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITIES: Collaborate with other professional educators to provide quality STEAM learning opportunities Decide, create, prepare, and implement Lab and MakerSpace activities Set up, clean up, and maintenance of activities in the Innovation Station as well as descriptions of how the space should be maintained by floor staff Purchase and manage supply needs, manage relationships for donations of supplies Manage supply budget Design and implement Free Floor programming Design and implement family programs Design and implement STEAM related programing for special events at the museum and assist with Community Events Train experience crew, volunteers, and interns on how to maintain the Innovation Station Creating and maintaining relationships with community partners to assist in offering quality programing in the Innovation Station Maintain communication with Education Manager of ongoing progress of the program including statistical information and assessment Assist with grant applications Additional tasks as assigned DESIRABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: Must have previous experience working with children Ability to work up to 20 hrs per week including Saturdays and Sundays, with occasional afternoons and evenings for scheduled events Graduation from college or university with a degree preferred or classroom hours in Science Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Child Development, or a related major supplemented by relevant work experience; Or any other schooling, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Must have a firm grasp of a variety of STEAM concepts and be able to convey them in a way that is accessible to all children Must be comfortable using tools such as hand drills, saws, screw drivers, etc. and be comfortable teaching guests how to use the properly and safely Experience with hands-on, interactive curriculum delivery methods Ability to maintain respectful program environment, Classroom management skills Must be comfortable with having a role of responsibility Solid oral, written, and computer communication skills and collaborative work ethic required Must be well organized and be able to handle multiple tasks at the same time with little supervision Fully versed in Microsoft Office Ability to learn, understand, and leverage the museum operating system, Altru Ability to learn, understand, and explain content related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math Attend museum staff meetings as designated Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relations with Town officials and employees, ISU professors and students, and museum staff Must pass a criminal background and reference check SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS: Availability on most Thursdays, Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays, schedule has some flexibility for hours outside of regularly scheduled programing, occasional evenings Application Instructions: Please send Resume and application to Rachel Carpenter, Education Manager at rcarpenter@normal.org The Town of Normal is an equal opportunity employer.
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