EDUCATION SPECIALIST

Applications will be accepted through September 7, 2025. Initial review of applications will begin on August 25th.

The Mission of MIM: The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) enriches our world by collecting, preserving, and making accessible an astonishing variety of musical instruments and performance videos from every country in the world. MIM offers guests a welcoming and fun experience, incomparable interactive technology, dynamic programming, and exceptional musical performances. MIM fosters appreciation of the world's diverse cultures by showing how we innovate, adapt, and learn from each other to create music-the language of the soul.

Core Values: Our four core values represent the standards by which each team member is expected to contribute towards the excellence of the MIM experience. MIM's culture of high energy, innovation, questioning, and problem solving ensures we will overcome challenges and establish new paradigms for museums everywhere.

1. Guest-Friendly: MIM provides a welcoming, engaging, and accessible experience for each guest.
2. High-Performing: MIM team consistently exceeds expectations.
3. Ever-Changing: MIM is in constant evolution as it strives to improve continually.
4. Sustainable: MIM is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the organization for generations to come.

Position Summary: MIM seeks an energetic and enthusiastic individual to join the Education Department as Education Specialist. The Education Specialist will focus on the development, oversight, and delivery of educational content for public-facing programs using best practices in museum education and world music pedagogy. This person will create and deliver developmentally appropriate content in a variety of formats (small and large lecture-style classes, hands-on music making sessions, gallery tours, and other educational activities and presentations) to diverse audiences (children, teachers, MIM volunteers, and adults). An active member of the education team, this position will also perform administrative duties.

Responsibilities/Essential Duties:

Training:

• Lead and manage various educational workshops, trainings, and sessions including volunteer Museum Guide training, teacher professional development sessions, and more
• Assist with recruitment efforts and administrative management of volunteer Museum Guides, primarily during training
• Actively participate in ongoing evaluation and feedback of Museum Guides

Content Development:

• Update, refresh, and/or develop content and resources for educational programs in alignment with state standards, teacher needs, and MIM's brand
• Identify opportunities to enhance and strengthen educational content and propose related ideas and strategies
• Develop content for adult tours and classes, as needed
• Develop and enhance innovative music-based STEM programming, as needed

Administrative and Departmental Support

• Work within Outlook, Volgistics, Patron Manager, and other systems to schedule education trainings, coordinate guide-in-training tours, request educator event resources, and more
• Regularly support day-of field trips and group tours (excluding periods of Museum Guide training and/or other primary obligations)
• Maintain accurate tracking records for grant reporting, board reports, and departmental plans

General Expectations:

• Maintain regular attendance and punctuality
• Follow all policies and procedures
• Cultivate inclusive and respectful working relationships that support a sense of belonging for all team members, volunteer team members, and guests
• Perform other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements:

• Post-secondary education in ethnomusicology, music, education, museum studies, or related field preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in formal and/or informal educational settings, working with diverse ages (early childhood, elementary, middle- and high-school, adults, seniors)
• A strong knowledge and interest in musical cultures from around the world; excited by a diverse range of musical styles, genres, and practices
• A demonstrated understanding of acoustics and the science of sound
• Experience leading diverse participatory music-making experiences and a variety of other educational activities including but not limited to lecture-style classes and trainings, workshops, small group coaching, guided tours, etc.
• Experience developing preK-12^th grade arts-integrated curriculum, lesson plans, and activities
• Willingness to obtain an Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent written and oral communication
• Dynamic and engaging presentation and teaching skills for both adults and children
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Windows-based computer applications; ability to learn new software programs
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work in a fast-paced environment
• Comfort working both independently and as part of a team
• Openness to constructive feedback, comfort giving and receiving critique, and ability to thrive in a collaborative environment where ideas are shared and refined together
• Pride in efficient and accurate administrative work

Other Information

Salary and Schedule:

• Salary is commensurate with education and experience; starting pay anticipated at approximately $55,000 annually
• Work schedule is typically M-F, 9am to 5pm, but some additional work hours may be required during training weeks
• Some weekend and evening work required

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions of this position.

• The position occasionally requires the team member to lift 40 pounds and carry, push, pull, and otherwise move objects and materials as typical for a classroom and workshop setup.
• The position frequently requires standing for extended periods, such as when leading a training class or observing a tour.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that the team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions of this position.

• The work environment is generally indoors in an office environment and in other museum spaces including classrooms and galleries.