Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager

Our client - Port Discovery Childrens Museum - is seeking an Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager.

Position Summary:

Port Discovery is seeking passionate members of the early childhood workforce with extensive experience working with children from birth through six years old. We are looking for professionals who value playful learning and bring diverse perspectives and approaches to early childhood education. Experience with child-centered learning practices is highly valued. We believe children thrive in environments that honor curiosity creativity independence connection and hands-on exploration and we are excited to collaborate with professionals who share this vision.

The Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager is responsible for the planning coordination facilitation and continuous improvement of community engagement programs that support playful learning experiences for young children from birth through age six. This role provides direction to our internal community engagement team and partners closely with families caregivers educators and community organizations to strengthen connections between play learning and child development.

By fostering a culture of collaboration equity belonging and continuous improvement the Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager builds and maintains strong relationships with families educators community partners and internal staff. This position ensures high-quality program implementation through effective scheduling communication facilitation documentation data tracking and ongoing relationship management.

The Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager plays a critical role in supporting the quality impact and operational excellence of the following Port Discovery programs:

• Communities At Play is a six-session community-centered learning experience that supports families caregivers and community partners in understanding and applying the science of play to strengthen playful learning experiences for children from birth through age six.
• Professionals At Play is a professional learning initiative that empowers the early childhood workforce with play-based learning strategies that can be integrated into professional practice to support young children from birth through age six.

Details:

Must have reliable transportation to travel to and from locations and transport materials since this position will assist with program facilitation.

• Position Type: Full-Time
• Reports To: Community Engagement Director
• Location: Port Discovery Childrens Museum & partner community sites
• Salary: $55k to $60k based on relevant experience

Schedule:

• Typical Shifts: 8 hours Monday-Friday
  • Occasional weekends and evenings based on program scheduling

Primary Responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Facilitation

• Participate in professional learning opportunities to build their capacity to facilitate Communities At Play and co-facilitate Professionals At Play sessions;
  • Model play-based interactive relationship-centered facilitation
  • Adapt facilitation strategies to meet the needs of diverse groups
• Support museum staff coaching and development;
• Ensure program quality and fidelity across cohorts;
• Collaborate with Community Engagement Director and Strategic Advisor to assist in the development of Professionals At Play and museum staff training content.

Program Coordination & Logistics

• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for Communities At Play and Professionals At Play;
• Manage participant registration attendance tracking and program documentation;
• Maintain program calendars and timelines;
• Prepare and organize learning materials and supplies;
• Transport materials to/from off-site locations (reliable transportation required);
• Support program evaluation through data collection and feedback.

Relationship Building & Communication

• Serve as a logistical point of contact for participants and community partners
• Build and maintain strong relationships with families educators and partners
• Send confirmations reminders and follow-up communication
• Support the director in fostering a collaborative team culture

Qualifications:

Port Discovery is seeking individuals who are:

• Passionate about playful learning and its impact on families and communities;
• Adept at engaging children between the ages of birth to six and their families in diverse settings including community programs childcare settings schools museums and libraries;
• Skilled in facilitating group activities and communicating effectively with diverse audiences;

Required:

• Bachelors degree in education early childhood or related field;
• 35 years of experience working with families and communities in both formal and information education settings;
• Previous experience as a team leader supervisor or manager;
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines;
• Access to consistent personal transportation and ability to travel within state to different locations;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Asana Canva and/or similar tools;
• Must be 18 years of age and able to pass a background check.

Preferred:

• Masters degree in education or related field;
• Bilingual or multilingual language skills;
• Experience working with diverse communities.

Benefits:

Port Discovery provides you with the opportunity to make a difference in the community and in the lives of children. Additional benefits include: free parking; free admission to the Museum for your family; group medical dental and/or vision insurance options; generous paid vacation personal & sick leave; retirement savings with Museum match after 6 months; and Museum provided life and disability insurance as well as EAP travel assistance and grief counseling support.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

Must be able to meet physical demands of the job to include walking standing climbing bending kneeling. Will occasionally lift / move objects up to 50 pounds for in-Museum and/or outreach programming. Will be required to stand for long periods of time while performing educational programming. Will also frequently sit for administrative meetings and material prep work. This position involves some travel and the need to traverse uneven terrain with bins and outreach supplies. This position predominately interacts with participants-APLI-families community partners educators and co-workers. Work is performed indoors and the noise level is usually moderate to high. Must be comfortable working amongst small groups of children and caregivers.

At Play Institute Mission:

Port Discovery (PD) serves as a critical community resource that offers families and children a safe engaging and welcoming place to play learn and explore enacting this mission the museum serves as a key community resource for providing opportunities that can help strengthen positive growth and developmental outcomes for young children and their families. Fueled by our commitment to diversity inclusion and belonging Port Discovery provides unique opportunities and high-quality experiences that make playful learning accessible educational and fun for all.

Port Discoverys At Play Learning Institute (APLI) represents the museums delivery arm for providing research-based and rigorously evaluated approaches to improving early developmental and learning experiences for young children improving school readiness outcomes and strengthening our states early childhood professional pipeline. APLI positions Port Discovery as a critical multi-generational resource that will empower Marylands families communities and the early childhood workforce to apply playful learning strategies that inspire joy and discovery as young children grow and develop. This new initiative leverages Port Discoverys role as an accessible and welcoming community anchor a play-based learning lab and a teaching museum.

To learn more about Port Discovery Childrens Museum visit Port Discovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Port Discovery Childrens Museum conducts a criminal background check after a conditional job offer.

Required Experience:

Manager