Education Specialist Empathy Programs

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee (the Society) is seeking an Empathy Programs Education Specialist to join a fun and talented team of professionals in supporting one of the most cherished community assets the Milwaukee County Zoo. This position serves as the primary educator and resource for conservation action focused programs that currently use empathy for wildlife as a foundation during the school year and in the summer. This role works closely with the Manager of Innovation and Community Engagement in support of the Zoological Society of Milwaukees (ZSM) mission to educate people about the importance of wildlife and animals and support the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Conservation Education departments vision to inspire and empower all members of our community to take conservation action.

This is a fulltime position eligible for a competitive benefits package including health insurance complimentary dental vision life STD and LTD coverage 401k with up to a 5 match PTO paid holidays and a complimentary zoo pass up to the family level.

Anticipated start date: August 5

RESPONSIBILITIES

Educator:

• Serve as educator for conservationaction oriented programs and write new and/or improve existing curricula plan and setup classroom spaces implement programming and engage with members of the public.
  • Work with partner organizations and West AllisWest Milwaukee and Waukesha School District to schedule programs and solicit feedback to enhance programs.
  • Teach programs serving school partners such as Milwaukee Public Schools and for grantfunded initiatives throughout the Milwaukee Area.
  • Work with evaluator to assist in evaluation of programs databased changes and support grant reporting as required.
  • Oversee the ordering distribution and upkeep of program supplies/materials and track materials and expenses as required. This includes ordering transportation and managing registrations for field trips.
• Help with and write additional programs processes and teaching opportunities in order to support the education department and staff such as summer camps.
• Participate in training including animal handling training to ensure a safe and engaging Zoo education experience for participants.

Empathy for Wildlife Resource:

• Assist with empathy for wildlife related training and resource development for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
• Communicate with and provide training for teams working on empathy initiatives across the Zoo.
• Revise developmentally and culturally appropriate curricula with the whole child in mindincorporating different strategies and skill sets such as SocialEmotional Learning Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) skills Conservation Education and/or projectbased learning.

Community Engagement:

• Assist with community events and represent the Society and the Education Department on and off Zoo grounds and in community events.
• Employ strong customer service and interpersonal skills to connect to and relate with a variety of participants family members and volunteers ranging in age and diversity.
• Attend staff department meetings and contribute ideas for improvements changes and new program ideas in relation to the Conservation Education Department and the Zoological Societys mission.
• Facilitate and support positive internal communications and organizational culture.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associates or bachelors degree in education (formal informal environmental etc. or related field (e.g. conservation wildlife biology zoology etc..
• One year of experience teaching youth in an informal or formal education setting required.
• Experience with socioemotional learning standards and concepts a plus.
• Proven experience writing environmental and/or STEAM curriculum.
• Proven ability to work independently and in teams.
• Demonstration of excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills; Spanish or second language fluency beneficial.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; proficiency in additional collaboration platforms CRMs (experience with Tessitura a plus) and resource scheduling tools preferred.
• Ability to become CPR/1st Aid certified within 6 months of employment; biannual recertification required.
• Ability to work flexible hours including 23 weekend days or evenings per month.
• Ability to travel to program sites work meetings and professional development opportunities. Possession of a valid drivers license and adequate car insurance with the ability to frequently travel to program sites. Must have reliable transportation to the Milwaukee County Zoo and program sites.

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee believes diversity equity access and inclusion (DEAI) are the hallmarks of a robust vibrant community and have adopted DEAI as foundational to our organizations priorities and values. A successful candidate will embrace these values and incorporate a similar commitment within their scope of work to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity which is demonstrated through actions and words.

The Society provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in all its services. If you need accommodation in the application or interview process please contact our Human Resources department at .