Cover letter required with application. The Community Learning and Research Associate advances a portfolio of work that includes leading the collaborative conceptual development and implementation of grant proposals, projects, collaborations, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) learning experiences that serve diverse public and professional communities. They also develop and steward community partnerships that collectively deepen OMSI's impact and advance the museum's strategic vision. They focus their work on leadership of large and complex initiatives, including facilitating STEAM support for community priorities, and often collaboratively lead the development of several types of learning experience deliverables within a project. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Under the guidance and supervision of the ER&A Leadership team, they lead and contribute to the conceptual development, scoping, and implementation of large and complex Engagement Research and Advancement (ER&A) projects, with community empowerment as a priority:
- Designs and facilitates collaborative, creative, and project processes that align to and advance OMSI equity and strategic goals and initiatives;
- Develops content for and/or acts as lead writer for grant proposals, including complex proposals to federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS);
- Develops and manages projects, project strands and components, work plans, and timelines;
- Collaborates with cross-functional project team members, community members, and STEAM professionals on projects, and provides mentorship, oversight, and leadership for project team members, as appropriate;
- Collaborates with Volunteer Engagement staff to coordinate appropriate staffing needs and training/supervisory practices for interns and volunteers, and subsequently provides supervision;
- Negotiates and manages contracts with external consultants, sub-awardees, and advisors/partners;
- Leads and supports timely grant reporting on project deliverables and processes.
- Leads and contributes to the development of informal STEAM learning experiences with community empowerment and co-development as priorities:
- Works collaboratively to generate inquiry-rich, experiential, hands-on concepts for learning experiences that support defined outcomes and project goals-often with several types of deliverables, such as in-person and digital programs, teacher guides, professional development, exhibits, and emerging experiences;
- Ensures that OMSI learning experiences meet high standards of scientific accuracy, educational integrity, and audience accessibility;
- Conducts content research, synthesization, and literature review for proposals and experiences;
- Applies innovation principles including iterative prototyping and revising;
- Defines and realizes project and initiative strategies, deliverables, and learning outcomes with team members, advisors, and partners.
- Develops and fosters partnership relationships with community organizations, content collaborators, ISE organizations, and networks:
- Identifies, cultivates, and stewards opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships to support initiatives, departments, projects across OMSI;
- Facilitates community conversations to support their STEAM goals and priorities;
- Facilitates connections between community members and STEAM professionals to support community goals and priorities;
- Ensures collaborative projects are designed with clear expectations and responsibilities for each party, as well as developing and maintaining accurate records of partnership activity.
- Leads and contributes to delivery and implementation of STEM communications with community empowerment and co-development as priorities:
- Leads or supports delivery and facilitation of STEM communications with many different groups across ages, community affiliations, and professions. Communications will be in existing and emerging formats that are in-person, digital, published, one-time, and ongoing.
- Applies communication skills to copy writing, participant materials, and facilitation of programs to a diverse range of audiences in a culturally responsive and engaging manner;
- Procures or creates project media, materials, and objects, including obtaining licenses and permissions, as appropriate;
- Documents learning experiences (e.g. goals, program curriculums, staff training guides, exhibit records) in support of transparency, collaboration, evaluation, succession planning, and dissemination.
- Serves as a team member of OMSI divisions, projects, and committees as assigned; liaisons with other divisions, community members, and professionals in a cross-functional and interdepartmental capacity in support of OMSI goals;
Working Conditions:
- This position is exempt, paid salaried;
- This position is regular full-time scheduled for 40 hours/week;
- Requires working onsite at the museum location;
- Requires occasional travel around and outside of the Portland Metro area.
- Physical Demands: 80% sitting, 15% standing, 5% lifting/carrying/pushing 20 lbs.;
- Vision Demands include:
- Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches of less)
- Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
- Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left or right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
- Depth and perception (three dimensional vision, ability to judge distance and spatial relationships)
- Ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eyes to bring an object into sharp focus)
- Environmental Demands include:
- Outdoor Weather Conditions
- Work in a variety of indoor light environments
- Noise Levels include:
- Quiet (examples: library, private office)
- Moderate (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)
Secondary Responsibilities Secondary responsibilities include-but are not limited to-the following:
- Collaborates to support on strategic direction of programs within department;
- Supports the management of basic expenses, purchases, and other purchases for program needs.
Knowledge and Skills: REQUIREMENTS:
- Business Practices:
- Ability to work with and interface effectively with staff, participants, and partners of diverse backgrounds and talents in professional, education, research, development, and evaluation settings;
- Developed organizational and project management skills that encourage collaboration, team-building, and accountability to meet individual, departmental, and organizational deadlines and deliver measurable results;
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with an emphasis on exercising initiative and good judgment while adhering to confidentiality, protocol, and community agreements;
- Demonstrated and excellent interpersonal, written, presentation, and verbal communication and customer service skills, with some emphasis on proposal writing and science communication skills;
- Demonstrated ability to effectively pivot between individual and team-based work on multiple, simultaneous, and diverse tasks;
- Effective time management skills, with an emphasis on managing and tracking multiple projects, with a high degree of accuracy-often with overlapping and time-sensitive deadlines;
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel, and Google suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.).
- Principles and Practices of Informal Learning Environments and Participant Behavior:
- Broad and functional understanding of learning styles and ways of knowing;
- Demonstrated ability in conducting high quality STEAM content research;
- Demonstrated and excellent skills interfacing with fellow paid and unpaid staff, participants, and partners in professional, education, learning, research, and evaluation settings;
- Demonstrated skills and/or ability to learn writing projects and funding proposals in an OMSI context.
- Community Engagement Skills:
- Public first / collaboration / service oriented skills; must be comfortable with STEAM content and interacting with professionals, academics, and funders;
- Broad and functional knowledge, experience, and commitment to the values of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in service of OMSI's Equity Action Framework;
- Excellent facilitation skills in a variety of formats in hands-on, fun, digital, conference, meeting, popular education, and training contexts;
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain relationships with community members and partner organizations.
PREFERENCES:
- Advanced Spanish-language proficiency (written/oral/reading comprehension): optional evaluation conducted by the Engagement Research, and Evaluation (ER&A) division during the hiring and selection process.
Education & Work Experiences: REQUIREMENTS:
- A Bachelor's educational degree in Social Sciences, Museum Studies, Education, Communications, or related fields, or 3 years of equivalent non-academic work experience, with the following:
- Demonstrated experience advocating for the accessibility, inclusion, and safety of educational experiences, including examples of working with and serving underrepresented populations;
- Demonstrated experience in relationship stewardship with public and professional community members, and experience working with the public in formal and informal settings;
- Examples of research and writing skills that demonstrate ability to synthesize multiple data sources and complex concepts into clear, concise, and accurate essays, presentations, reports, etc for a variety of audiences (professional, research, informal education, and more);
- Examples of leading or contributing to complex, multi-stakeholder projects in service of an organization's mission and DEIA goals;
- Examples of STEAM content communications that are accessible and clear.
PREFERENCES:
- An advanced degree as described above;
- Experience in museum research and evaluation;
- Prior experience in formal or informal science education;
- Experience in bilingual educational approaches;
- Experience working with and/or supervising volunteers.
Additional Requirements/Preferences; Including Licenses and Certifications: REQUIREMENTS:
- Pre-employment checks, such as criminal background checks and reference checks.
PREFERENCES:
- IRB-approved Ethics Training from an educational institution;
- Valid driver's license.
Benefits and Perks at OMSI
- Multiple health plans (OMSI pays 86% of employee premiums)
- 403(b) retirement with employer match eligibility
- 2 weeks of vacation per year
- 2 weeks of sick time per year
- 12 personal / cultural days (PTO) per year
- Free annual OMSI Family Membership
- Reciprocal Employee Attractions Pass (REAP)
- Inclusion-centered professional development opportunities
- Employee-led rewards and recognition program
- Discounts on summer programs for employee's children