Educator

~ The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, located 20 miles south of Wilmington, NC, in Kure Beach, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear river. ~

A living collection of over 2,700 animals in 93,000 ft2 of exhibit space attracts and engages over 440,000 visitors each year. The Aquarium is surrounded by protected woodland, marsh and beach. Visitors often plan to stop at sites adjacent to the Aquarium - Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and historic Fort Fisher Civil War museum. Fort Fisher Aquarium is a unique place to visit, and work.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the Education Curator, this position (Educator) is responsible for developing, presenting, coordinating and evaluating in-house educational programs for the public and aquarium visitors, school groups and special interest groups, on marine science topics, multiple times daily.

This position will coordinate public program scheduling, including special event programming, and will work with other education team members to develop, review, implement, coordinate and evaluate programs based on current program content and learning standards. This position will serve at the Teen Volunteer Coordinator, and will be responsible for the development and management of the teen volunteer summer and year-round programs.

Responsibilities

Primary job duties include:

• Preparing and giving public programs using live animals;
• Designing, coordinating and evaluating programs and special events for the public;
• Designing, coordinating, and evaluating teen volunteers, teen programs, and teen orientations, and training;
• Preparing, presenting and evaluating age-appropriate curriculum specific to school programs;
• Facilitating public talks using biofacts and live animals;
• Serving as a resource for staff, teachers, community members;
• Evaluating and analyzing education programs and content for effectiveness; and
• Training, supervising and evaluating interns, volunteers, and seasonal education staff. 

Additionally:

• This position works cooperatively with other departments to achieve the overall mission of the Aquarium. 
• Weekend, evening and holiday work required. 
• Occasional travel is required for Aquarium meetings.

Qualifications

**To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form.  Any information omitted from the application form will not be considered for qualifying credit**
 
In order to qualify for this position you must meet ALL the following KSA's listed below: 

• Experience in developing,presenting, and managing effective and engaging public programs in an informal setting in a zoo, aquarium, park, nature center, or museum setting.
• Experience presenting live animals and responding to questions from large audiences.
• Experience in management of volunteers.
• Experience developing programming for teen audiences.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Art History, Biology, Botany Conservation, Education, History or Zoology from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of museum or related work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must meet DNCR Fleet Safety Guidelines and have ability to obtain and maintain a valid driver's license.
• If selected for hire, prior to first day of work a background check will be completed.
• A skills assessment may be conducted during the interviewing process for this position.

~ The Department of Natural & Cultural Resources' (DNCR) selects applicants for employment based on required education and experience and job-related knowledge, skills and abilities without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation or political influence. ~