Director Of Programs (Outdoor Education)

Slide Ranch seeks an energetic and talented Program Director who will lead efforts to grow our 53-year legacy of planting kids in nature to uphold Slide Ranch as a model environmental education center. This person will direct new and continuing programs including our school/community group visits, summer camp, and our family programs. We are looking for a seasoned team leader who can drive impact and innovate with a smart business and education mindset. This person has a great attitude and will implement best practices into our curriculum, organizational development, service delivery, customer service and all facets of our work.

Slide Ranch Background

Slide Ranch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to planting kids in nature. Through our farm-based environmental education for Bay Area youth and families, we connect children to nature to cultivate healthy bodies and minds and foster future generations of environmental stewards. By cooking, gardening, caring for animals and exploring wilderness and the coast, visitors of all ages see the connection between their own health, a healthy food system and a healthy, resilient environment. Slide Ranch serves more than 10,000 program participants a year, with a special emphasis on low-income, urban populations who have limited opportunities for nature-based learning.

Our educational farm and environmental preserve is located on the rugged Marin County coast just 30 minutes north of San Francisco, both isolated from and accessible to the urban Bay Area. The Slide Ranch nonprofit organization was established in 1970, and in 1975, Slide Ranch became one of the first Park Partners in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Position Summary

Slide Ranch seeks a Program Director to lead the Educational Program Department. The three main programs that the Director of Education oversees include (1) School and Community Group Program day and overnight field trips, (2) weekend Family Programs, and (3) Summer Camp.

The Director of Education

• With the Executive Director, represents Slide Ranch regionally in coalition, alliance and partner groups
• Oversees the schedule of all programs, working with dozens of external partners to execute over 10,000 visits annually,
• Is responsible for hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating all program staff, including a Program Manager, Program Coordinator and all Outdoor Instructors
• Reports directly to the Executive Director and is part of the Senior Management Team
• Leads all marketing, outreach and recruitment for all programs
• Collaborates closely with the ranch, operations, and development teams
• Is responsible for driving all programmatic outcomes, including units of service, quality of service, expense and income,
• Is accountable for ensuring Slide Ranch meets and exceeds all best practice standards in its programs and their delivery, and evolves its curriculum and program design to align with emerging methodology and community needs,

We are looking for:

• Someone with a high degree of emotional intelligence
• A person oriented toward the greater good of the organization and the natural environment
• A highly competent team player who finds enjoyment in the work place, and who is honest, open and balanced.
• Someone with a respectful and accessible leadership style, self-assured and comfortable with situations of ambiguity, and able to easily relate to a wide range of constituencies.
• A visionary and entrepreneurial spirit, someone who will not only lead our programs, but continue to grow, improve and refine our educational models, strategies and program design
• A warm leader who exudes confidence and care for others, and who builds enduring relationships. A thought leader and strategic thinker

Requirements

Program Management

• Collaborate with all external partners prior to schedule; price programs; and establish logistical guidelines.
• Oversee the hiring committee for Outdoor Instructors
• Plan, calendar, staff and direct all logistics of our three main programs: 1) school/community groups, 2) summer camp, and 3) family programs
• For the Outdoor Instructors:
• Supervise the Program Manager and Program coordinator
• Plan and create staff development workshops
• Organize and conduct training for seasonal OIs 3 times a year, as well as ongoing training

Program Curriculum

• Revise, renew, and exceed the present high standard of quality education at Slide Ranch.
• Increase our pre-visit and post-visit engagement
• Implement Youth Program Quality Assessment and similar tools
• Align our curriculum to Next Generation Science Standards
• Devise metrics to measure our impact
• Ensure quality of post-program evaluation sessions among teaching staff

Program Expansion and Entrepreneurialism

• Devise ways to increase the depth and breadth of our impact
• Look for new ways to capture earned revenue through programs

External Relations

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with schools, community organizations and other groups to raise Slide Ranch profile and develop new partnerships
• Work with the various national park, environmental and educational partners
• With the Executive Director, represent Slide Ranch at educational forums

Administration

• Recruit, hire, train and supervise all program staff
• Work with the Executive Director to prepare and monitor annual budget, develop forecasts, and prepare regular board programing reports
• Review and summarize participant evaluation feedback, and make appropriate program improvements
• Participate in staff meetings
• Oversee granting of scholarship subsides for program fees and transportation
• Assist in producing special events and programs
• Supervise accurate collection of daily program statistics
• Market programs to schools and the public to ensure full registration
• Provide new employee orientation and training, and oversee department-specific training
• Develop annual job performance objectives with staff.
• Oversees program fee deposits, invoicing and collection process
• Attend weekly meetings to coordinate activities with the operations department
• Maintain accurate programmatic records through File Maker
• Other duties as assigned
• Work with development to help them apply and update grantors

Qualifications

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and oral
• Flexibility to work at several special weekend and weeknight programs
• Computer proficiency with Google suite
• Experience managing a budget
• Experience in hiring, training, managing and mentoring staff
• Awareness of environmental justice issues in under served, urban communities
• Previous experience with education planning, program scheduling, program evaluation, curriculum development, partnership building, database entry, and public speaking
• Prior experience training and mentoring interns, especially with a variety of learning styles or experience levels
• Enthusiasm for working in a rural and rustic ranch environment with nontraditional offices.
• A passionate commitment to equity, environmental education and sustainable agriculture.
• 7+ years of experience in educational program management, staff supervision, nonprofit work environments and mentorship.
• Demonstrated ability to function well as a team member.
• Bachelor's degree and progressively responsible work experience in related field.
• Ability to create a clear sense of direction, to inspire trust, to organize a complex plan, and to bring people from various interests together to work effectively toward a common purpose.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills

Direct Reports

• Outdoor Instructors
• Program Manager

Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience. Platinum health, dental benefits, 401k and life insurance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Slide Ranch provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Slide Ranch complies with all applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.