Director of Education and Engagement

Director of Education and Engagement

REPORTS TO: Chief Impact Officer
     
BASIC FUNCTION: Provides strategic leadership and oversight for Brandywine’s education and programs team. Advances excellence in art education, conservation education, and the intersection between the two. Leads the creation of innovative educational activities for youth and adults in a variety of formats, with a focus on museum education, conservation education, and art and nature programming. Supervises education staff and trains Museum docents and interpreters for the Museum’s historic properties, including the Andrew Wyeth Studio, N.C. Wyeth House and Studio, and Kuerner Farm. 

POSITION RELATIONSHIPS: Reports to the Chief Impact Officer. Supervises Education team, including three full-time staff and part-time interpreters. Collaborates with the engagement team, including Volunteer & Events, the Campus Gardens and Preserve team, and Penguin Court to elevate Brandywine’s mission to a variety of audiences. Works cross-departmentally with the Museum, Conservancy, visitor services, marketing and communications, development, information technology, finance, and security staff to accomplish Brandywine’s educational and engagement goals. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:    

  1. Develops and manages arts-related public programs and events with the Museum in conjunction with temporary exhibitions and permanent collection displays. 
  2. Develops and manages conservation-related public programs and events with the Conservancy to elevate the Conservancy’s work and message to broader audiences. 
  3. Collaborates with Museum, Conservancy, and Penguin Court staff to develop programming that supports the organization’s integrated art and nature mission. 
  4. Collaborates with Volunteers & Events and the Campus Gardens and Preserve team on engagement opportunities. 
  5. Oversees the development of community partnerships to strengthen audience engagement and expand Brandywine’s presence in the greater Philadelphia region. Develops programs to support accessibility to the Museum and campus in collaboration with community organizations, ensuring that Brandywine is a value resource to local communities.
  6. Hires, trains and schedules interpreters that provide tours of the Museum’s three historic properties.
  7. Develops and manages the Education department’s annual budget, ensuring strategic and sustainable allocation of resources.
  8. Collaborates closely with the Development department to identify and pursue funding opportunities, including grants, donations, and other revenue-generating avenues, to support budgetary goals.  
  9. Creates print, digital, and hands-on interpretive materials in collaboration with the curatorial and marketing teams.
  10. Conducts research as necessary for program development.                             
  11. Cultivates and maintains relationships with local and national art  and conservation educators, keeping abreast of emerging trends in the Museum and Conservation Education space.

 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:    

  1. Minimum of five years progressive experience in art museum education. Additional experience in environmental or conservation education is a plus.
  2. Proven track record of engaging a wide range of audience groups through a robust slate of educational programs and activities.
  3. Advanced degree in art history, museum education/studies, or studio art; an emphasis on American art is preferred. 
  4. Excellent writing and public speaking skills.
  5. Ability to mentor and inspire education staff.
  6. Demonstrated experience in and commitment to advancing accessibility in Museums, including for underserved audiences.
  7. Ability to work in a fast-paced, creative environment with attention to detail and strong project management skills. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
  8. Reliable transportation to and from the workplace and to and from other sites as necessary.
  9. Flexible availability; due to the schedule of programs and activities, the role includes evening and weekend hours.
  10. Ability to lift up to 30 pounds.


Salary: $70,000-$75,000

Please send cover letter and resume to [email protected]


Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art is an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 


ABOUT BRANDYWINE CONSERVANCY AND MUSEUM OF ART

Established in 1971, the Brandywine Museum of Art is one of the two programs of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. Brandywine is situated in a beautiful setting on the banks of the Brandywine River on a 15-acre campus in the greater Philadelphia region. The Museum presents a wide scope of American art through an active program of temporary exhibitions. Strength of the collection includes work by artists who have lived and worked in the Brandywine valley—most notably three generations of the Wyeth family—landscape and still-life paintings, and American illustration. Three nearby National Historic Landmark sites are owned by Brandywine and open to the public seasonally: the N. C. Wyeth House and Studio, the Andrew Wyeth Studio and nearby Kuerner Farm, a major source of inspiration to Andrew Wyeth for five decades. 

Brandywine is in an exciting period of change with plans being made for new and improved facilities as well as a reimagining of the campus on which the Museum is located to create richer connections to the landscape. Considering audience impact is essential in every step of this process. Building connections between art and the environment is integral to Brandywine’s mission, as an organization that contains both an art museum and a land trust. Exhibitions and programming often integrate this theme and the education team collaborates with the Museum and the Conservancy to offer a rich array of multidisciplinary programs to advance excellence in art education, conservation education, and the intersection between the two.