Job: Education Program Manager

An illustrated water droplet with many small objects of different colors suspended within it. Lines touch each object in the drop and connect to sources of plastic illustrated around the droplet, including a T-shit, car tire, water bottle, toy bear, and bottleAt Science Friday, we explore everything from the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies using radio and podcasting, digital and social media, and by creating extraordinary learning experiences for learners around the country and world. We serve as a conduit of science learning and engagement, unapologetically advocating for equity in science and education by making science accessible to all, highlighting injustices, and celebrating the diversity of the human experience in STEM, our workplace, and our programming.

We are looking for an Education Program Manager.

As a member of the Audience Team and reporting to the Director of Audience, the Education Program Manager will be responsible for creating exceptional learning resources, content, and experiences that advance STEM equity in informal, formal, at-home, and at-large learning environments.

The Education Program Manager will endeavor to provide deeper learning opportunities through content and program development, collaborating with external educators, audiences, and institutions, as well as with Science Friday staff on design, delivery, and evaluation. This position will support a variety of new and existing educational partnerships, positioning Science Friday to further STEM education as part of a broader community of practice.

Because this position is highly collaborative with both internal and external stakeholders, excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must. Ideal candidates will grow or possess a habit of using deep empathy, listening, and compassionate facilitation in program design and relationship building. A creative and collaborative mindset along with strong organizational skills and project management experience will also be critical in this role. The ideal candidate will be able to point to past programmatic leadership and achievements for evidence of how they have honed these skills.

Core Responsibilities

  • Inspire hands-on STEM learning online
  • Ensure that new activities, lessons, and invitations for young learners and their adult facilitators to engage more deeply with concepts and ideas are presented to Science Friday’s audience alt-weekly
  • Curate, edit, and publish monthly original and engaging educational resources for educators in formal contexts that incorporate original Science Friday multimedia, data collection, and inquiry in an engaging way
  • Interface directly with multiple professionals, including but not limited to staff, freelance editors, illustrators, digital producers, journalists, evaluators, and other educators to ensure that Science Friday’s education resources are of the highest quality
  • Work directly with Science Friday’s audience team to ensure that Science Friday’s education resources are discoverable, accessible, beautiful, and well-represented across social and digital platforms
  • Work closely with Science Friday’s Director of Audience, Manager of Impact Strategy, and Community Manager to identify audience needs and evaluate the effectiveness of Science Friday’s education content

Create Meaningful STEM Programming For Children and Adults

  • Establish and maintain an inclusive and welcoming culture in all arenas where children, caregivers, and educators interact with Science Friday and its staff and programs through thoughtful moderation, careful messaging, and robust listening,
  • Design, implement, and evaluate live and asynchronous online programming serving children and their caregivers and informal learning providers with engaging STEM learning experiences, working as-needed with other facilitators and institutions for promotion and implementation.
  • Co-create and facilitate professional development trainings for live online and in-person audiences of 10-100 educators in collaboration with Director of Audience and Experiences Manager
  • Facilitate and moderate Science Friday’s online caregiver and educator communities using social media and newsletters in coordination with Community Manager
  • Collect and interpret data on the quality of trainings, content, and programming and use that information to inform programmatic decisions in coordination with Manager of Impact Strategy and Director of Audience

Education, Experience, And Skills:

  • Bachelor’s degree in science or education required, Master’s degree in science or education preferred
  • At least two years of experience leading educational experiences or programming, STEM education experience, and/or K-12 classroom experience preferred
  • Strong communication skills that demonstrate the ability to articulate ideas and issues clearly both verbally and in writing
  • Experience creating and aligning lessons, experiments, and resources to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards
  • Willingness to travel to, and present at national conferences, events, and partner meetings
  • A “people person” with the comfort level to be able to make new connections, cultivate long-term relationships with educators and partners, and serve as an organizational representative
  • A responsive digital communicator with experience managing projects and professional correspondence with multiple stakeholders
  • Familiarity incorporating digital media as tools for learning
  • Proficiency with Google suite applications, social networking platforms
  • Familiarity with audio or image editing software and web content management systems a plus
  • Ability to proofread and fact-check informational text for distribution to large public audience, natural intuition for grade-level appropriateness of multimedia helpful
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in a team-oriented environment and values working with a diverse group of colleagues
  • Proven ability to meet deadlines, take initiative, and work independently

Salary Range

$58,000 – $70,000 based on experience.

Please apply with your resume, cover letter and links to relevant work samples in this online application form.

This is an immediate vacancy. Please submit your application by April 27th at 11:59pm PST, 2022. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates should be prepared to participate in multiple interviews.


Additional Information:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic Science Friday (and this role) is operating in a hybrid capacity where all employees can work remotely or from our Manhattan office. However, this position is not a permanent remote position and is part of the New York City staff. This role is expected to work fully from the New York metropolitan area and office when it is safe to do so.

Commitment To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
Science Friday is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. SciFri operates with the knowledge that both journalism and learning benefit from a broad range of perspectives, from all backgrounds. Diversity is essential to honest, trustworthy, accurate storytelling and promotes a healthier, happier, and more creative atmosphere. Science Friday strives for creating an institution in which all voices are encouraged, valued, and heard.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About Our Workplace:

  • We have a flexible leave policy that easily accommodates religious holidays, travel vacation, personal and parental leave, and sick days. We close our offices twice a year for a week for whole-staff recharge time (mid-year in July and in December for a winter break). We do not work on Thanksgiving or the Friday after.
  • Our building has a secure lobby with a fully handicap accessible entrance and key card elevator service. We have a flexible open office with adjustable standing desks, adjustable chairs, and large external monitors; our office also includes a small recording studio, lounge area, and a handful of flexible separate offices and conference rooms.
  • We use headphones a lot during the work day. We are really into office plants.
  • We provide 401K matching, health, vision, and dental coverage, mental health support, an FSA, and often get great science and scifi books to read for free.
  • We work with lots of other professionals and artists (like Danny Miller who created the above feature image for one of our education resources) to add bonus joy to learning.