Bears Ears Education Center Manager

Job Title: Bears Ears Education Center Manager 

Salary: $40,000-$45,000 – commensurate with experience 

Benefits: Health insurance, retirement match, 5+ weeks paid leave 

Manager: Education Director 

Classification: Exempt 

Location: Bluff, UT 

Allocation: 90% program, 10% administrative 

About the Organization 

Bears Ears Partnership (BEP) works to protect and build respect for the cultural and natural landscapes of the greater Bears Ears region. BEP has been an essential local voice for protecting the culturally rich, publicly managed lands of southeast Utah since 2010. 

BEP accomplishes its mission through six primary focus areas: 

• Indigenous Connections: Supporting Indigenous collaborative management through technical expertise, local knowledge, visitation to cultural sites, and advocacy
• Field Work: Carrying out tangible on-the-ground projects to protect resources and improve the visitor experience in a way that blends archaeology with cultural heritage
• Stewardship: Monitoring land uses and visitor impacts to identify and mitigate threats to cultural sites, wilderness values, and natural resources
• Education: Changing visitor behavior by inspiring appreciation and teaching “Visit with Respect” principles, both at the Bears Ears Education Center and out on the landscape
• Advocacy: Working collaboratively with partners to create robust protections and prevent damage through harmful policies
• Research: Enhancing knowledge of cultural and natural resources through documentation, partnerships, fiscal sponsorship, and volunteer support of research projects

Bears Ears Partnership is committed to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all of our work. We strive to support Indigenous leadership in our work and achieve our mission through collaboration and partnerships. 

We believe diversity makes us stronger and a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences will be successful in this position.  We encourage all interested candidates to apply , even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined in the job description. Our ideal candidate will be someone who is willing to learn in a team environment, expand their skills and support our growing education program.

Job Description

Bears Ears Education Center Manager tendersglobal.net Full-time Position, Seasonal 10 month, February-November 2025

The Bears Ears Education Center Manager will have the overall responsibilities of maximizing the impact of the Center through visitor engagement and efficient day-to-day operations. The Manager will be the driver in designing and providing a positive experience to visitors, volunteers, and donors. The work will involve the administration of the Education Center; oversight of merchandising; setup for special educational, social, and cultural events; organizing volunteers and/or staff, creating and presenting programs and attending to the needs of daily visitors. There will be considerable room for other projects, as needed, and applicants should expect to spend a significant portion of their time (up to 40% annually) assisting staff in furthering the mission and work of Bears Ears Partnership. 

Responsibilities: 

• Interview, recruit, assign and train volunteers for the Education Center
• Schedules Education Center Hosts into shift work based on organizational needs
• Contacts Hosts to confirm shifts and duties while volunteering
• Works to keep Hosts properly informed through orientation meetings, group sessions, manuals, emails, and phone calls
• Ensures background check or other appropriate due diligence is performed when recruiting and training Hosts
• Schedule and staff opening hours
• Plan and direct the setup for Center events
• Update trainings and operations protocols
• Manage the operation of the retail shop including buying and inventorying merchandise
• Daily and weekly remittance of collected funds
• Create a friendly, open, safe, and inclusive space for visitors, BEP staff & volunteers, and all guests
• Supports the creation and implementation of a facility management schedule to help ensure Education Center and organizational grounds are maintained
• Work with the Communications Manager to implement a robust marketing plan
• Work with the Visit with Respect Director to align volunteer training and materials with the Visit with Respect program
• Develop and present interpretive programming as needed
• Assist Education Director with development of educational material and new programs
• Sustain existing relationships with regional education partners
• Work with other staff to coordinate special events
• Track volunteer hours
• Assist other staff in other projects and programs as needed

Qualifications

The Education Center Manager must be committed to Bears Ears Partnership’s mission. All candidates should have proven organizational and computer skills.

Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include: 

• Bachelor’s degree in natural resource management, anthropology, education, sociology, or other related field with experience working with diverse groups in an outdoor setting; equivalent professional experience related to this work may substitute for degree requirements.
• Patient, clear, and friendly communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Candidate should have a high level of cultural sensitivity
• A passion for interacting with and educating visitors, volunteers, and students
• Considerable knowledge of business management practices and principles, particularly retail sales
• An attention to detail and organization
• Experience supervising the work of others
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office platform and a demonstrated ability to learn new online platforms and databases, specifically Square and Salesforce
• Ability to work positively and efficiently with a team in a hard-working environment
• Flexibility in working independently and collaboratively
• Reside within 45 minutes of Bluff, UT, a small, rural town with limited amenities
• Willingness and ability to develop skills in establishing and maintaining positive, effective working relationships with government officials, Tribal partners and the general public
• Ability to diplomatically engage with opposing and diverse perspectives

Work Environment

This position is based out of the Bears Ears Education Center in Bluff, Utah. The employee is expected to work weekends during the spring, summer, and fall, with occasional evening duties. This position is expected to maintain a presence in the Center during open hours and will be supported by other staff so as not to exceed 40 hours on-site weekly. This role expects communication with staff and partners via in-person meetings, phone, video conferencing, and email. This position requires frequent travel into Bears Ears National Monument and occasional travel to other locations for training, fundraising, and meetings.

Learn more at bearsearspartnership.org