The annual salary range for this exempt position starts at $106,500.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to our Mission to explore the critically important world of plants, collaborate to discover the role they play in our cultural and natural environments, and engage people to conserve nature and improve the human experience.

As part of the Botanic Garden Team, you will collaborate with and learn from other passionate individuals who enjoy a workplace immersed in the beauty of nature. Our employees enjoy a positive workplace culture that serves our community, brings joy to children and families, and demonstrates the core values of respect, integrity, and collaboration in our day-to-day interactions with each other. All full-time employees have access to outstanding medical benefits and exceptional paid time off and many positions are able to take advantage of scheduling flexibility and hybrid work options. FWBG gives employees many opportunities to actively participate in conversations and decisions that impact their jobs and work environment. In return, our employees are making it possible for FWBG to expand our botanical research and biodiversity conservation programs, engage with a large and diverse audience, create exceptional gardens to inspire and serve our guests, and change lives through our education programs.

The overall purpose of the Vice President of Learning & Engagement role is to develop and oversee implementation of education and outreach programs that align with the garden's mission and strategic goals, ensuring they cater to diverse audiences, including districts, families, and the general public. This role requires a blend of educational expertise, leadership skills, and a passion for botany, environmental STEM and conservation. You will have the skills to successfully fulfill the key responsibilities of the position and enhance our programs and teams with the years of experience you bring the Garden.

Key Responsibilities

Accountability:

• Program development through designing, evaluating, and enhancing educational initiatives, workshops, and programs that promote botany, conservation, and environmental awareness through STEM initiatives.
• Implementing metrics to assess the effectiveness of educational and volunteer programs, regularly reviewing programs to ensure accurate program data is gathered, using findings to make data-driven decisions, and delivering timely program results and accurate reports.
• Strategically collaborate with the City of Fort Worth, educational entities, community organizations, teacher associations, and FWBG stakeholders to create partnerships that enhance educational offerings and outreach efforts in support of the mission and vision.

People Management/Interactions:

• Leading a high performing and engaged team, supporting professional growth to enhance employee knowledge and competencies, and guiding team development to create innovative programming to attract a diverse local, state, and national audience.
• Partnering with finance to develop the budget for education and volunteer programs, and managing the budget to ensure financial sustainability of the programs and alignment with funding and other resources.
• Building relationships, joining committees, and attending conferences with top education and garden leaders to create a strong professional learning network and keep up with top trends to ensure engaging programs and exhibitions of the highest standards are created.
• Collaborating with the advancement team to identify funding opportunities, cultivate donor relationships, and write grants to support educational initiatives and volunteer programs.
• Collaborating with research team to develop educational content that reflects current botanical science and conservation practices, ensuring programs are scientifically accurate and relevant and make use of the library and herbarium resources.

Communication:

• Facilitating Education Advisory Meetings to connect the board members, community members and corporations to the organizations mission and vision, and holding regular team meetings/trainings to utilize team strengths and increase program efficiency.
• Promote living the organizations core values through words, actions, and initiatives and contribute to building a strong organizational culture and positive working environment.
• Representing the organization in community events and forums, advocating for environmental education and conservation, and promoting public awareness of the mission.

Knowledge and Skills required:

• Experience with predicting educational trends, best practices in formal education, and understanding of the importance of informal education supporting the needs of formal education.
• Knowledge of building educational programs based on the Texas Essential Knowledge of Skills and best practices to create learning opportunities for both students and teachers.
• Organized and focused on best practices to actively recruit volunteers and engage them in the organizations mission and strategic plan.
• Understanding of a sustainable system and how plants play a role in that system.
• Training in building professional learning networks to create stronger connections with educators and community members.
• Strong leadership skills with knowledge of supporting team development and building trust.
• Ability to support and participate in FWBG public exhibitions and events.

Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the job.

To Apply

Thank you for your interest! To learn more about working at FWBG's visit our website at https://fwbg.org/about-us/careers/ and click the link to view current job openings to apply online. Review of completed applications will begin by the end of October. Qualified candidates whose skills and experience best match the needs of the position will be contacted for interviews. The anticipated start date is January 6, 2025.