Program Officer for High School Outreach and Professional Development

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) advances the discovery and sharing of scientific knowledge to benefit us all. As a biomedical research organization and philanthropy, HHMI supports a vibrant community of academic researchers, educators, students, and professionals. Together, we're unlocking the fundamentals of biology and building an open, inclusive future for science.

HHMI's Science and Educational Media Group works to engage and inspire people everywhere with stories about scientists and the powerful promise that science holds. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, our award-winning Tangled Bank Studios, BioInteractive program, and key journalism partnerships promote greater understanding of the living world and our role in sustaining it.

Summary:

As part of HHMI's BioInteractive program, you will collaborate with a dedicated team of educators, scientists, and media developers to advance life science education for millions of students by providing educators with a broad range of classroom resources, professional development opportunities, and community.

The Program Officer will work to strengthen our growing Ambassador community. This growing community is comprised of approximately 100 educators from across the country. The Program Officer will coordinate professional development for Ambassador community members, support Ambassadors in their work with BioInteractive, and engage Ambassadors in building a community of science educators who are empowered to be leaders in their local contexts and on a national scale.

This role will report in person to our headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD several days each week.

What we provide:

• A role that is uniquely positioned to have an impact across the education landscape because of its direct connection to the work and people who are impacted.

• Opportunities to use your talents toward the critical work of equity and inclusion while being an integral member of a group that is mission driven and passionate about the work they do.

• A team that believes in continuous learning and cultivates an environment where all members of the group help each other.

• A competitive compensation package that includes a 10% employer contribution to your retirement, up to $10,000 in educational reimbursement each year, and a significant budget for professional development.

What you'll do:

Broaden Access to High Quality Professional Learning

• Support a growing group of expert educators - BioInteractive's Ambassadors - to design and deliver professional development experiences at different scales for thousands of high school educators both in-person and online.

• Identify and cultivate new partnerships to expand the reach and impact of our work into educator audiences that may be underserved or marginalized.

Build Leadership Capacity in Science Educators

• Collaborate with the Higher Ed Program Officer to plan and conduct professional development for members of our Ambassador community, including various online and in-person opportunities.

• Identify and pursue new opportunities to engage and empower all of our Ambassadors in science education leadership at various scales, from local to national.

Foster Professional Educator Communities

• Use the new BioInteractive Online Community platform to organize and facilitate groups of educators to connect with each other and grow their instructional and leadership practices.

• Collaborate with fellow outreach Program Officers to plan and conduct community building events for the BioInteractive Ambassadors.

Additional Responsibilities

• Work closely with the team of event coordinators to manage the logistics of professional development workshops for high school science educators at venues ranging from in-depth multi-day professional development experiences for 20-100 educators to large conferences with over 10,000 attendees.

• Add to the development and implementation of processes that support the effective planning and tracking of outreach and professional development activities.

• Develop and refine systems to collect, synthesize, and track data from outreach activities in consultation with the Director for Evaluation.

• Represent the Science and Educational Media Group at science education meetings and conferences.

What you bring:

• M.S. degree or equivalent in a natural science, science education, or related field

• Minimum three years of experience instructing science at the high school level

• Minimum two years of experience designing, organizing, and conducting teacher professional development activities.

• Knowledge of and experience with the U.S. high school science education landscape with a particular emphasis on NGSS, evidence-based instructional practices, and accessibility for all learners.

• High degree of emotional intelligence as exhibited through excellent interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and the ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and partners.

• Experience building and managing vibrant professional or social communities a plus.

• Expert use of Zoom and other online tools that facilitate person-to-person interaction and collaborative work.

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to plan and prioritize multiple tasks with limited supervision and ability to meet deadlines in a timely manner.

• Synergetic and interactive work style; able to work independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to travel to multi-day in-person events and conduct meetings and professional development activities outside of core working hours, including evenings and weekends.

• A consistent record of participating in education-focused professional networks or groups (e.g., membership in education committees of professional societies, formal or informal educator professional development networks)

• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Application Instructions:

To apply, please submit a resume/CV and a brief, one-page cover letter (required) stating how your qualifications and experience match the requirements and how your experience will support HHMI in its mission.

Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective in many ways for their contributions to our mission, including competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans, time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit our site to learn more.

Compensation Range

Pay Type:

HHMI's salary structure is developed based on relevant job market data. HHMI considers a candidate's education, previous experiences, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity when making job offers. Typically, a new hire for this position in this location is compensated between the minimum and the midpoint of the salary range.