School Programs Manager

Wild Whatcom is an outdoor education non-profit organization based in Bellingham, Washington, serving people of all ages throughout Whatcom County with a focus on school-aged youth. Programs are offered year round, including school day and after school programs, weekend outings, summer camps, community outings, and much more! Visit our website to learn more about all of our program offerings: www.wildwhatcom.org.

The School Programs Manager oversees and leads all school based programs: EdVentures, SEED, in-school field trips, and Neighborhood Nature. This role is primarily responsible for the development, tracking, evaluation, and quality of all school programs. Applicants are encouraged to review these programs on the Wild Whatcom website and speak to the experience and skills they bring to those individual programs in their cover letter and resume. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program and Staff Management

• Work with the Program Director and Management team to build schedules for in-school programs; collaborate with existing staff and assist in hiring new staff to ensure all programs are staffed as consistently as possible.
• Supervise and support two school programs coordinators in successful coordination, development, and delivery of all school programs.
• During the academic year, participate in the manager on-call system 3-4 days a week, answering phone calls pertaining to issues arising in the field, weather concerns and staff call-outs.
• Participate in organizational team meetings as needed to communicate program successes and learnings; work with other program managers and coordinators to ensure consistency for field staff.
• Provide direct program support as needed including  subbing or additional support (e.g. during new programs, outings with high attendance),  making cancellation decisions in tandem with the Program Director, and supporting program coordinators with time sensitive family/parent communication
• Sustain positive staff morale and support a team of field mentors through trainings, staff evaluations, and ongoing feedback.

Program Development

• Continue to develop curriculum based on research-based best practices in alignment with the Next Gen Science Standards, the Environmental Literacy Standards, and the Schools Out Washington Standards.
• Continue to build, nurture, and expand relationships with local school districts and community partners
• Work with the Program Director and Executive Director to financially manage school programs through creating annual budgets, developing outreach and promotion plans, and supporting partnership development.
• Work with the Executive Director and Operations Director to draft partnership contracts as needed.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director on grant applications as requested and support in the tracking of metrics, feedback, etc. for grant reports.
• Continue to develop the process for gathering feedback from teachers, school administrators, as well as parents and participants.
• Schedule and participate in team meetings for the continued development of curriculum and program planning across all Wild Whatcom programs.
• Integrate, maintain, and monitor necessary risk management practices for all schools programs, and ensure staff follow these practices.
• Work with administrative staff to develop outreach strategies, produce and distribute general outreach materials, participate in community outreach events, and maintain digital communications regarding programming, including website and registration content.
• Lead the development of new programs and partnerships in coordination with the Program Director, Executive Director and other stakeholders such as school administrators, teachers, and parents. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in youth development and outdoor/environmental education
• 2+ years experience in a leadership role, preferably within the environmental/outdoor education field
• Experience working and communicating with families, teachers, and community partners 
• Experience effectively prioritizing and handling multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
• Experience developing and managing program schedules for multiple staff members
• Effective interpersonal and written communications skills
• Evidence of professional work habits (punctuality, responsiveness, organization, and attention to detail)
• Experience expanding equity and inclusion to ensure broader program access to diverse populations for example English language learners, students with disabilities, students of color.
• Understanding of current schools-based standards and/or best practices for inclusionary instructional strategies

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Multilingual, strong preference for Spanish fluency
• Familiarity with Since Time Immemorial curriculum
• Experience with risk management in outdoor programs. Wilderness First Aid certification, or willingness to acquire certification within the first 6 months of employment (subsidized by Wild Whatcom)
• Naturalist Skills: plant and tree ID, local history and placemaking, local geology, bird ID, seasonal adaptations, and basic tracking
• Knowledge in trauma informed care and familiarity with best practices in behavior management
• Competency with Google systems

Position Description, Compensation and Benefits:

This is a permanent, full-time, non-exempt position with a salary range of $44,000-$48,000 (dependent on experience). Position will remain open until filled.

Benefits

• Health benefits (medical, dental, and vision). Employee cost 25% of premium, employer covers the remaining 75%.
• 13 days of paid federal holidays, including New Years, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day + the following Friday, and Christmas Day + one day.  In addition, you will accrue 2 hrs of paid vacation time off (PTO) for every 40 hours worked (2.6 weeks/year), and 1 hour of paid sick time off for every 40 hours worked (1.3 weeks/year). 
• Personal gear stipend to be used how you’d like to support your time spent outdoors ($150 paid in October)
• Flexible schedule and location for most computer-based work. 
• Free annual Discover Pass to access all WA state parks for free (for personal or work use)
• Use of our loaner gear as needed (for work or personal use) such as tents, backpacks, backpacking stoves and more
• Subsidized or paid professional development training through external workshops and seminars in addition to a $100 annual professional development “bank” available to staff for any external professional training 

Working Environment:

We expect the School Programs Manager will live in or near Western Whatcom County with easy access to the Bellingham office. The position will involve a mix of computer-based work, meetings, in-field supervision, and in-person stakeholder meetings. We offer a flexible work environment that includes a regular presence in our open floor-plan office and several days working remotely.