Education Specialist

Position Description:

The Education Department at Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS) is currently accepting applications for a full-time Education Specialist. The Education Specialist will work as part of FOS’s Education team to carry out daily educational programming for visitors to the FOS Coastal Center. This position involves considerable public speaking. The Education Specialist will conduct formal educational presentations in front of large audiences, as well as informal educational lessons at our invertebrate touch tank, sea turtle pavilion, gamefish lagoon aquarium, butterfly garden, and inside of our nature center. The Education Specialist will oversee Florida Oceanographic Society’s field trip and birthday party programs, including trip development, scheduling, and bookkeeping. Additionally, the Education Specialist will help lead field trips, group visits, outreach education programming, summer camp sessions, and sea turtle walks. Work direction and priorities are given by the Director of Education and Exhibits as direct supervisor.

Florida Oceanographic Society is an environmentally focused nonprofit organization founded in 1964. Our mission is to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through education, research, and advocacy. We operate the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, a 57-acre educational nature center located on South Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida. The Coastal Center provides an interactive educational experience for guests of all ages, and includes a 10,000 gallon stingray touch tank, an invertebrate touch tank, a mile-long nature trail, and a 750,000 gallon outdoor gamefish aquarium that is home to hundreds of native fishes and four permanently disabled non-releasable sea turtles. More than 55,000 guests visited the Coastal Center last year, including 4,000 students on educational field trips. Our Education and Research departments are perfectly integrated to create hands-on environmental learning experiences for children and adults. We also run a wide variety of outreach programs, including nighttime sea turtle nesting walks, morning beach walks, youth fishing clinics, summer camps, habitat restoration projects, school visits, and a community lecture series. Visit www.floridaocean.org for more information.

Position Responsibilities:

1. Lead daily public educational programs in front of audiences of up to 100+ guests

2. Lead informal educational programs around the Coastal Center

3. Supervise guest-animal interactions at the ray and invertebrate touch tanks

4. Run field trip program – including planning, coordinating, and scheduling all in-person and virtual field trips

5. Teach educational lessons during school field trips

6. Lead guided group visits for children and adults

7. Lead seining activities in the Indian River Lagoon and other local bodies of water

8. Lead multiple, week-long marine science summer camp sessions under supervision of Camp Director

9. Create, plan, promote, implement, update, and evaluate education programming, signage, and exhibits

10. Help train and supervise volunteers and interns

11. Assist with educational nighttime sea turtle nesting walks

12. Conduct educational outreach programs throughout the community

13. Assist with all Education Department special events and activities

14. Maintain a professional relationship with guests, staff, and volunteers

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in biology, marine biology, ecology, conservation, environmental science, or science education

2. Minimum of 4 months of science teaching experience in a formal (classroom) or informal (zoo, aquarium, nature center) setting

3. Exceptionally strong and dynamic public speaker

4. Comfortable teaching adults and children of all ages

5. Comfortable interacting with the public on a daily basis

6. Comfortable working in the water (e.g., seining or snorkeling)

7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills

8. Previous experience working with children

9. Meticulous attention to detail with recordkeeping, scheduling, emails, and phone calls

10. Able to work outdoors in Florida’s unpredictable weather, stand for up to 3 hours, and lift 50 pounds

11. Strong customer service skills and a professional attitude

12. Ability to work weekends and occasional evenings

13. Self motivated, able to work independently or as part of a team

14. Charismatic, enthusiastic, energetic, upbeat, and pleasant personality

15. Hard working, dedicated, prompt and timely

16. Passion for marine conservation

17. Ability to coordinate and organize multiple projects, make decisions, and react effectively under pressure

18. Strong desire for personal growth and increased knowledge

19. Strong computer skills, including an advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

20. Artistic or graphic design background and a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher desirable

To Apply:

Send completed application, detailed letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three professional or academic references to zjud@floridaocean.org or by mail to: Dr. Zack Jud, Director of Education and Exhibits, Florida Oceanographic Society, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, FL 34996