Position Summary
About the Science Center
For 60 years, the West Philadelphia-based Science Center has been a leader and partner in innovation-driven regional economic development. Located at the heart of the uCity Square campus, home to over 200 businesses, the Science Center operates at the intersection of startups, healthcare, and community to drive inclusive growth across Greater Philadelphia and beyond.
About FirstHand™
The Science Center launched FirstHand in 2014 to provide equitable, high-quality STEM experiences to Philadelphia students in middle and high school. FirstHand offers a suite of free, industry-informed STEM curricula with no tests, grades, or homework through which students engage in the same hands-on tasks as professionals. Middle school students participate as a cohort and travel twice a week, during school hours, for ten weeks (20 hours) to the FirstHand lab with a school chaperone. High school students participate in 8-week(16-hour), targeted career-exposure programs called “Sprints” that are co-developed and co-delivered by STEM professionals, and students are paid achievement-based stipends. All FirstHand cohorts are 16 students or less.
The Senior Director of STEM Education Initiatives oversees the administration and management of the Science Center’s STEM (“STEM” refers to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education activities, with a focus on the Science Center’s current middle school and high school programs. The Senior Director is responsible for drafting and executing the strategy for the Science Center’s STEM education initiatives, integrating insights from other programs and activities to ensure the students we serve are exposed to and prepared for future career opportunities. The Senior Director guides the evaluation strategy to ensure appropriate outcomes are tracked and inform future programmatic efforts.
The Senior Director oversees administration and management of FirstHand (FH) operations and will work with staff to ensure that programs are developed and delivered in accordance with grants and the Science Center’s budget and strategic plan. This position develops the FH budgets and is responsible for ensuring that budgetary goals are met. This position oversees implementation of all FH programming. This position collaborates with the Science Center’s Development, Marketing, Legal and Government Relations/External Affairs teams on grant research, grant writing/editing, marketing, fundraising, and public relations efforts for the FH programs and operations.
The Senior Director has operational responsibility of and will set performance expectations for FH staff, co-op students and interns. The Senior Director will be responsible for evaluating team growth opportunities and staff professional development needs. The Senior Director will be responsible for fostering a welcoming environment that supports growth and learning, while also modeling a professional, structured, and accountable team culture. that the program’s practices and policies into the Science Center’s operating framework. Additionally, the Senior Director will be responsible for identifying opportunities for program integration and collaboration across other Science Center programs in collaboration with the Chief Program Officer. This includes developing and modifying curricula based on industry needs and program learnings.
The Senior Director will lead the Science Center’s efforts to scale the scope and impact of FH programs based on trends and local/regional needs in partnership with and under the guidance of the Chief Program Officer. Additionally, the Senior Director will guide efforts to facilitate the creation of similar programs and operations, at other locations regionally and nationally, that are modeled on FH’s programming and operating model. This will include: monitoring and responding to industry trends, establishing strategic partnerships, and evaluating curricula for updates or new opportunities. Additionally, the Senior Director will research, evaluate, and support development of a STEM education pathway to work.
The Senior Director will represent the Science Center in the STEM community – including but not limited to schools, institutions of higher education, teachers, parent organizations, science museums and, along with the FH Program Managers, develop and maintain relationships and partnerships that advance the Science Center’s role in STEM education and programming.
The Senior Director has internal contacts with the entire administrative staff and external contact with the larger STEM communities, regionally, nationally and internationally. This position has access to sensitive UCSC information and is expected to handle such information with integrity and professionalism. This position has regular contact with members of the community and is expected to represent the UCSC in a professional manner.
The Senior Director of STEM Education will report to the Chief Program Officer and participate in department activities and other STEM-related activities as appropriate. The Senior Director will lead the FirstHand staff and will directly supervise 1-3 program managers.
Essential Functions
- Lead the Science Center’s engagement in youth education strategy, and youth-facing community outreach.
- Oversee administration, operation, strategy and management of FH programming with input from and collaboration with staff.
- Provide strong leadership to the members of the FH team; cultivate the culture of the team and provide appropriate professional development and growth opportunities for the members of the FH team.
- Oversee management of strategic partnerships with school district officials, school leaders, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment and access to sustainable STEM programming. Oversee development and maintenance of school partnerships and continue recruiting new schools as FH growth allows.
- Oversee external evaluation of FH data collection and analysis, including longitudinal outcomes evaluation. Collaboratively design and implement survey measures to assess student outcomes and contribute to broader research in the field. Work with evaluation consultants as needed and appropriate.
- Oversee development and implementation of STEM mentor training protocol to develop strong mentor experiences for students and companies through lab visits, internships and mentor appreciation events.
- Work with FH staff to develop and manage accurate project and program budgets.
- Work with staff to ensure the successful development and delivery of programs which FH leads or is involved in.
- Serve as operational liaison between FH and other Science Center enhancing projects.
- Responsible for FH support of fundraising activities including defining the fundraising strategy with Science Center’s External Affairs and Advancement teams, researching funding opportunities and meeting with potential funders, as well as oversight of grant writing by FH staff.
- Work with appropriate Science Center staff to develop and support relevant grant reports.
- Explore the development of teacher Professional Development opportunities to extend the impact and reach of FH
- Lead the Science Center’s efforts to participate in appropriate collaborations and partnerships with other STEM education providers to facilitate the growth of FH and regional STEM networks
- Lead the efforts to align FH with potential workforce opportunities.
- Oversee program to develop and cultivate alumni relations.
- Lead the Science Center’s efforts to scale the scope and impact of FH, with guidance from internal and external partners, including overseeing efforts to facilitate the creation of similar programs and operations, at other locations regionally and nationally; Develop models, budgets, and business plans for potential and new opportunities to scale FirstHand.
- Stay current with emergent trends in community engagement, STEM, OST education, and technology through a variety of sources to include reading various blogs, magazines, periodicals, books, and by attending conferences, exhibitions, and symposia as necessary.
- Build and maintain an active public profile as a leader and key member of the regional and national STEM community, including participating in STEM conferences, developing journal articles and identifying efforts to expand FirstHand’s regional and national presence.
- Collaborate with Marketing to promote FH and the Science Center’s engagement with STEM education, to the community and the media.
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