Overview

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization that inspires an ethical relationship between people and nature. The foundation’s initiatives grow awareness and encourage our audiences to learn more and take actions that better communities and land.

Location: Leopold Center, E13701 Levee Road, Baraboo, WI 53913

Job Summary:

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is seeking a dynamic individual to bring their energy, creativity, and leadership to our successful public education offerings, including Leopold Shack tours, world-class exhibits, sandhill crane migration viewing, phenology calendar, and Leopold Week. These proven programs have tremendous growth potential and leave lots of space for creativity to maximize our foundation’s strategic priorities. This position supervises two, 12-month, limited term fellows that represent eager program support and whose advancement, through your mentorship, contribute to a growing network of conservation leaders. This position is supported through numerous colleagues responsible for facilities and land, visitor services, bookstore, webstore, website, communications, marketing, promotions, evaluation, fundraising, strategic planning, and administration. You will be joining an experienced, highlymotivated, and collaborative staff that thrives on shared success.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range: $38,000-$42,000 annually depending on education and/or years of related work experience, with benefits including health, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and short-term disability insurance, Simple IRA retirement plan (when eligible), Health Savings Account, and paid time off (vacation, floating holidays, and sick leave).

Hours and Schedule: Full-time; Exempt; M-F; Some Saturdays may be required

Position Reports to: Program Director

Organizational Overview

The mission of the Aldo Leopold Foundation is to foster the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold. Based in Baraboo, Wisconsin, we manage, interpret, and preserve the renowned Leopold Shack and Farm, a National Historic Landmark, visited by thousands each year. We continue the Leopold family tradition of caring for the land and demonstrating on-the-ground conservation relevance for the 21st Century. Offsite, too, we reach regional, national, and international audiences through a variety of education and land stewardship programs. We inspire Leopold’s land ethic as described in A Sand County Almanac—the book for which Leopold is most widely known—through engaging educators, citizens, natural resource professionals, and landowners to improve land health in their own communities.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation headquarters is in an idyllic setting surrounded by 600 acres of foundation-owned property and an additional 12,000 acres managed collaboratively as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The Leopold Center, constructed in 2007, is a LEED Certified Platinum building that is home to the foundation’s office space and visitor center.

Impact Statement

The Education Coordinator plans, creates, delivers, supports, and evaluates educational programming that utilizes the foundation’s various assets of people, place and products to improve understanding of Aldo Leopold, the land ethic, and land health with conservation-minded citizens and professionals across the Upper Midwest.

Diversity Statement

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes that just as a healthy ecosystem depends on biodiversity, a healthy human society depends on cultural and social diversity. We are committed to expanding the conversation on land ethics by acting to achieve a rich diversity of staff, board, volunteers, members, supporters, and those we seek to engage with our programming. Please let us know in your application materials how you will help advance our values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Position Summary

The Education Coordinator is responsible for the planning and delivery of all public programming at the Leopold Center, including tours, special events, and classes. Leopold Center programs engage a wide variety of audiences, including conservation-minded citizens, natural resource professionals, and college students. The Education Coordinator is an educator who can apply creativity within established programming while growing program participation. The Education Coordinator hires and supervises two Leopold Fellows each year that represent education program capacity and, through our rich curriculum, future leaders for conservation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (75%):

  • Plan annual, on-site education programs for the foundation; work closely with other program staff to develop and schedule program offerings to match the foundation’s mission, budget, and strategic plan goals.
  • Hire, train, mentor, supervise, and evaluate education program Leopold Fellow(s) and work closely with the Leopold Fellows project team to implement the conservation leadership curriculum.
  • Ensure the success of key program initiatives, including Leopold Shack tours, sandhill crane migration viewing, phenology calendar, and Leopold Week.
  • Work closely with the Marketing and Communications Manager to promote education offerings.
  • Work closely with the program staff to develop grant concepts and to secure income and funding for educational initiatives.
  • Work closely with the Evaluation Coordinator to design and administer program evaluation for continuous improvement.
  • Work closely with the Visitor and Business Services Assistant to seamlessly coordinate front-of-house functions and public interactions.
  • Develop relationships with other staff, partners, and experts that assist with the development, delivery and promotion of education programs.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for contracted per diem tour guides, workshop leaders, and education program volunteers.
  • Work on-site the majority of the time, especially during active programming and initial Leopold Fellow onboarding. There is the potential for limited, remote work arrangements during the off-season.

Additional Key Responsibilities (25%):

  • Utilize graphic design skills to create, update, and maintain the foundation’s inventory of educational resources and literature.
  • Create and maintain program documentation, including tour guide training materials, visual aids for tours, event planning timelines, curricula, and other supporting materials for education programs.
  • With support from the education Leopold Fellow(s), manage all logistics and scheduling for the organization’s on-site education programming. This includes reserving spaces, confirming dates and details with guests, booking or serving as support staff for groups, setup/cleanup of program spaces, and staffing plan for Saturday visitation schedule.
  • Build relationships with board members and donors to highlight the value of education programs.
  • Represent the Aldo Leopold Foundation at outreach events and conferences.
  • Regularly create content for all of the foundation’s communication channels to share compelling stories about education programs.
  • Represent the organization in a professional manner in both internal and external communications.
  • Track and report on education program success as it relates to the foundation’s budgetary and strategic plan goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in environmental education, natural sciences, parks and recreation, outdoor recreation, or related field required.
  • 1-2 years environmental and recreational program experience or relevant master’s degree.
  • High-energy, creative, self-starter with excellent time management and organizational skills; proven ability to meet deadlines and maintain flexibility.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact and communicate with a variety of public and private interests, partners, and constituents.
  • Strong computer proficiency and office skills.
  • Willingness to work nights and weekends as needed.
  • A valid driver’s license and willingness to use a personal vehicle when necessary (with mileage reimbursement).
  • Ability to exercise independent judgement, discretion, and decision-making.
  • Maintain confidentiality and professional work standards and ethics.
  • Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to work effectively, positively, and collaboratively as part of our dynamic team.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk and must be able lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Application Instructions

Please send a cover letter and resume to janstett@aldoleopold.org. Use the subject line “Education Coordinator.”

Please include references. Application deadline is Sunday, May 2. We have a goal of filling the position by June 1, 2021.