Supervisory Museum Program Specialist – Gallery Programming

Directorate, National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Smithsonian Institution (SI) and reports to a Deputy Director position, who reports to an Associate Director position. The mission of NASM is to commemorate, educate and inspire.  Learning at the National Air and Space Museum sparks curiosity and empowers learners to imagine the possibilities of our future.  The museum collects, preserves and displays aeronautical and spaceflight artifacts of historical significance.

The purpose of this position is to oversee the Museum’s gallery programming. The foundational elements of this effort include the Explainer Program and the Discovery Stations. The Explainer Program hires high school and college students to help visitors better understand the Museum’s artifacts and exhibitions through direct interaction and hands-on activities on the Museum floor. Discovery Stations are themed carts and materials used by the Explainers in their work to connect audiences with artifacts, STEAM principles, and stories about science, technology, and innovation.

Responsibilities associated with the Explainers Program include directing the programming and leading the team managing the Museum’s Explainers at both the National Mall building in Washington, DC and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. The Discovery Stations are used by the Explainers and a corps of Volunteers to engage audiences on the Museum floor. The employee is responsible for planning and organizing the work with staff, coordinating with Education leadership, and ensuring all components of the program are successful as defined by the program’s objectives and goals.

Position requires ability to experiment with new learning techniques and technologies, and to seize new opportunities for enhancing learning. It requires advanced knowledge of instructional design, educational technology, training design and development, adult learning and education in museums or other non-formal settings. Requires skill in working with school structures, curriculum, teaching standards and classroom principles. Requires the ability to apply educational principles, practices and methods to develop and implement museum education programs for culturally diverse audiences.

The employee is responsible for planning and organizing the work, directing and coordinating with staff and management, and conducting all phases of projects, and frequently involves the definitive interpretation of regulations, laws, and study procedures, and the initial application of new methods.  Completed projects, evaluations, reports, or recommendations are reviewed by the supervisor for compatibility with organizational goals, guidelines, effectiveness in achieving intended objectives.

Guidelines consist of Federal administration policies, laws, and regulation, as well as the overall policies and procedures of NASM and the Smithsonian Institution for conducting interactive programming. The educational principles and practices that apply to the development of the educational museum programs for diverse audiences, with national education standards, also providing as guidance.

Guidelines do not go into detail as to the methods used to accomplish the work; therefore, the employee must use judgment and initiative to refine or develop more specific guidelines such as implementing policy and/or regulations, methods, techniques, and procedures for the measurement and improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of NASM virtual and hybrid programs. Completed projects, evaluations, reports, or recommendations are reviewed by the supervisor for compatibility with organizational goals, guidelines, effectiveness in achieving intended objectives.

The incumbent’s work involves gathering information, identifying and analyzing issues, and developing recommendations to resolve substantive problems of effectiveness and efficiency of NASM programs. Assignments require the incumbent to apply qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques that frequently require modification to fit a wider range of variables, and issues that are not always resolved by direct analysis. Incumbent manages both staff and volunteers and addresses management and staffing issues, providing guidance to a diverse staff of educators, program managers, museum specialists, part time intermittent staff, and interns in different aspects of the Museum.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Education Program Operations