The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority seeks an Educational Program Coordinator to deliver high quality programming and nature experiences for the public, connecting them to the mission of the Authority.
Our mission is to conserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations. Since 1993 the Open Space Authority has protected almost 30,000 acres of natural and working lands across the Santa Clara Valley. Our agency manages and conserves a network of open space lands and natural resources, while providing compatible opportunities for hiking, biking, and equestrian uses, with a focus on increasing equity of access to the outdoors for all our constituents.
We know our continued success depends on our employees and the work they do. We are committed to providing a collaborative and inclusive work environment that encourages growth and development; and acknowledges individual and team achievements.
The Ideal Candidate
With a passion for environmental education, you come to the Educational Program Coordinator role ready to provide logistical and facilitative support for our environmental education and interpretive programs and special events. The Authority plans and delivers engaging and informational outdoor and virtual activities, participates in community events, and hosts special events for members of our diverse community, you are excited to engage with the community through these dynamic opportunities.
You balance a healthy dose of creativity with a solid grounding in organizational skills and will use those skills to plan for educational programs, maintain event statistics and databases, and build relationships with volunteer Docents and Preserve Stewards As a natural problem solver, you will be able to make recommendations for process improvements as needed.
You are a clear communicator with the skills to prepare written content for the Authority’s educational programs. With experience presenting to groups, you will be able to confidently deliver effective educational programming to audiences from diverse backgrounds. You have a customer service mindset and are able to consider the audience to ensure that information is delivered to the public in engaging and educational ways while ensuring that the public have a positive experience with the Authority.
The Authority has a robust pool of volunteer Docents who support the environmental education and interpretation programs and Preserve Stewards who support special events and activities in preserves. As a natural ‘people person’ you will successfully build relationships with the Docents and Preserve Stewards to understand what brings them to the Authority and how to create meaningful opportunities for their continued support and engagement.
Please review the complete position classification here: https://bit.ly/3XnjFN0
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
- The completion of the twelfth (12th) grade, with college level coursework in environmental science, cultural history, or related fields;
- Passion for environmental education and telling the story of conservation in the Santa Clara Valley;
- Excellent customer service and public speaking skills;
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including nights and weekends;
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License by time of appointment;
- This position requires the willingness and ability to work outdoors in rugged terrain, leading hikes, walking over rough, hilly, uneven or unpaved ground and with exposure to natural elements;
- Must possess the ability to lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 pounds;
Note: This position is required to take and pass a pre-employment background check.
If you are excited by the opportunities and challenges offered in this position, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience is non-typical or if you are not sure you meet every one of the qualifications described.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this full-time, non-exempt position is $35.69 to $43.38 hourly, depending on experience and qualifications. To complement this salary, we offer a robust benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents – we cover 100% of the cost for these premiums. We participate in CalPERS retirement programs as well as offering a separate 457 Plan for tax deferred retirement savings. A basic life insurance policy is provided to all eligible employees with the option to purchase additional personal insurance benefits. The Authority supports a hybrid work place and this position may be afforded opportunities for remote work.
Application and Selection
All application materials must be received prior to October 7, 2024, at 5:00 PM. To be considered for this opportunity, submit your application materials including cover letter and a self-prepared resume at the application link provided below. The Open Space Authority utilizes a robust process that will ask qualified candidates to engage in multiple steps leading up to a final panel interview. We encourage applicants to closely monitor email communication from the Authority’s hiring team.
Go here to apply for the job: https://bit.ly/3B4f0s4
Workplace Culture Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
The staff of the Open Space Authority are passionate about conservation and driven to make an impact in the community through their work. Everyone brings a unique skillset to their role and the creative collaboration of all staff maximizes talent to realize the Authority's mission. We have established values and defined supporting behaviors that are shared and demonstrated by every employee at the Authority. Together all of these reflect the culture that makes the Authority the high performing agency that it is. We are Intentional, Respectful, Accountable, Empowering, Innovative, Collaborative, and Inclusive. You can learn more about the staff of the Authority and how everyone works together on our website here.
The Open Space Authority envisions the Santa Clara Valley as a region dense with beautiful natural areas, where a vibrant network of interconnected open spaces, trails, wildlife habitats, and thriving agricultural lands enrich our communities. Learn more about the Authority tackles these goals.
The Authority values Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access in our work to preserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature:
- We have Accessible, Collaborative, and Accountable processes to engage the diverse communities we serve in our programs, projects, careers, and governance opportunities.
- We have Respect for the land and all people in our community.
- We are Inclusive and acknowledge current and historic land stewards.
- We Empower future generations of conservation leaders.
- We invite everyone to join and connect to nature with us.
The Authority is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are earnest in our efforts to comply with all state and federal laws providing Equal Employment Opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or physical disability. We are committed to creating a safe environment where people are treated with respect and appreciated for their unique differences, where issues are promptly raised and resolved and where communication flows across all levels of the agency.
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