Nature Center Co-Director

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM GROUP

The Children’s Museum main campus has recently moved across town to a new temporary location at 180 Mohegan Drive in West Hartford CT.  For 96 years, we have offered hands-on fun with STEM/STEAM exploration for children and families, school and community groups, and home schooled children. At the Museum, Nature Center, Museum Preschool and in classrooms throughout Connecticut, we encourage children to become creative thinkers and lifelong learners. All the while, supporting families and the community in their role in our children’s advancement.  The Children engage in our interactive labs, workshops, multi-sensory exhibits and demonstrations, a live wildlife sanctuary, vacation camps, birthday parties, scout activities, and special events. Our unique Children’s Museum Preschool, co-located within our West Hartford Museum, integrates science experiences into early childhood learning and a play based curriculum. Our Roaring Brook Nature Center in nearby Canton offers environmental exhibits, nature programs and acres of outdoor hiking, bird watching, and winter cross-country skiing, alongside a wildlife rehabilitation clinic and animal sanctuary.

Roaring Brook Nature Center details:

Roaring Brook Nature Center was founded in 1948 by Canton resident Una Storrs Riddle, and was originally known as the Canton Children’s Nature Museum. In 1964, as a result of a bequest to the State of Connecticut, the adjacent 100-acre Werner Farm became available to the Nature Center as a wildlife sanctuary and outdoor classroom. A new building in 1966 provided larger exhibit space and allowed for expanded programming opportunities. In 1973, the Nature Center became affiliated with The Children’s Museum (formerly the Science Center of Connecticut) providing members with a wider range of programs and services for all ages. A major renovation in 2018 further expanded the facilities educational and rehabilitation clinic space. The present facility houses walk-through dioramas that highlight how our landscape and wildlife have changed over time.  Indoors, a small collection of  live animals offer our visitors additional opportunities for learning. Outdoors, visitors can observe a variety of birds of prey, pollinator gardens and turtle pond. A small nature store features a selection of nature-related books and gift items. The nature center maintains five miles of trails on the adjacent State-owned Werner’s Woods property. In addition to its educational focus, the nature center supports the rehabilitation, release or rehoming of injured wildlife.

Nature Center Co-Director:

This new positon will work alongside the current nature center director and under the direction of the Children’s Museum Group Inc., Executive Director and Director of Operations.  The current nature center director, of almost 50 years, is stepping back to a reduced roll, and will focus on maintaining the relationships with the center’s long time contributed revenue base.  In addition, the current director will continue to reside in a home onsite and will be available to maintain security and access to the center in the evenings or for building emergencies.  The current director will also support the nature center education team by leading a reduced number of educational programs/hikes, which would benefit from their years of knowledge and experience, and by engaging in special projects that provide benefit to the Nature Center.

The incoming new co-director will take on the daily operational responsibilities of managing the staff, programs, facility, land management and related administrative functions, supporting the strategic framework and mission of The Children’s Museum Group and the sub-mission of the Nature Center. This new co-director will work towards ongoing improvements in the visitor experience, program opportunities and administrative processes. As a key manager within the Museum Group, the co-director will work closely with all museum lead staff to effectively and efficiently build a strong bridge between the museum groups multiple locations. A gradual reduction in responsibilities for the current director is expected to occur over the next two to three years, allowing the incoming co-director to further expand their role and responsibilities. 

Essential Functions:

• Direct the nature center’s administrative, operations, marketing, customer service, events management, facilities maintenance, safety and security functions.
• Directly coordinate, supervise and mentor nature center staff and volunteers.
• Work with the museum group’s education director to coordinate the educational program initiatives utilizing nature center resources.
• Participate in leading engaging programs both indoors and out of doors at the nature center and through outreach programming at schools, and at other community locations throughout Connecticut and across borders of neighboring states.
• Work closely with the Director of Operations to develop and manage the budgets that support nature center functions and activities.
• Participate in dialogue with other co-director and with the museum group’s development director to promote and support increased contributed revenue.
• Identify programs and or capital investments that require grant support. Work alongside the development director and grant coordinator to identify potential funders, develop narratives, track implementation of grant deliverables, accurate financial tracking, evaluation and reporting.
• Guide the nature center’s supporting non-profit, 501(3) (b) auxiliary in knowledge about the museum group and nature center’s strategic direction and priority support needs.
• Attend local functions and professional development opportunities that will support increased positive visibility for the nature center and the parent museum group organization.
• Maintain a flexible schedule to support the staff in covering an operation that functions seven days a week and over holidays.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• The ability to quickly immerse oneself in the organization’s culture and mission, and demonstrate an understanding of the overall business and organizational objectives of the museum group and nature center.
• Three to five years’ experience in a leadership role, preferably with not-for profit experience.
• Proven supervisory skills in recruiting, hiring and mentoring staffs and volunteers.
• Ability to foster a team approach and work collaboratively to move agenda.
• Recognize the need to work interdepartmentally and support operational functions of the museum group as needed.
• Must possess strong networking skills and be comfortable in dialoging with visitors and supporters via e-mail, phone, written correspondence and through attendance at community events and in-person meetings.
• Must be a dynamic presenter with experience leading educational programming for both children and adults.
• Demonstrates strong, positive communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to prioritize projects, meet deadlines and produce quality results within appropriate time frames.
• Must be articulate with proven writing proficiency.
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of successful business processes and financial management.
• Experience in the development and monitoring of budgets.
• Must show excellent computer skills with all Microsoft office programs including word and Excel.
• Must offer a working knowledge of basic database functions with a willingness to learn and track information through Blackbaud’s Altru software program, currently used by the Museum Group.
• A demonstrated knowledge and passion for environmental studies, nature, sustainability and conservation.
• A degree from an accredited institution with coursework in environmental science, biology, conservation or related fields.
• This role requires the ability to traverse the nature center both inside and out of doors, and in all weather conditions.