The Organization
The James River Association (JRA) is seeking a full time Senior Education Manager to be based at its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.
About the James River Association:
Founded in 1976, the James River Association (JRA) is the oldest and largest river conservation group in Virginia and the only organization solely dedicated to protecting and restoring the James River. JRA has offices in Richmond, Lynchburg, Williamsburg, and Scottsville, as well as the James River Ecology School on Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. JRA pursues its vision of a fully healthy James River that supports thriving communities by protecting the James River and connecting people to it. We work through four program areas based on a model of individual engagement – awareness, appreciation, action, and advocacy. JRA’s core values are: We are optimistic; We are catalysts; Credibility is our currency; and Community drives everything we do.
Position Overview
The James River Association (JRA) is seeking a Senior Education Manager to join our Richmond-based team. Our education program connects youth with river-based learning experiences that inspire confidence, ecological understanding, nature appreciation, and conservation action. JRA provides interdisciplinary learning experiences that are correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning. Activities are largely field-based and use the context of the James River to bring complex concepts to life. We engage students through hands-on experiences and student-directed investigations enhanced by technology and real-world applications and provide professional development opportunities to teachers. Each year, JRA applies for grant funding from many sources to support various education projects. These grants require administration in the form of tracking of expenditures and monitoring grant activity against budget. The successful candidate will perform these and other administrative functions by working collaboratively with the entire education team in all three offices; Lynchburg, Richmond, and Williamsburg. While much work will take place in the field, some work can be done at home remotely. This position will report to the Director of Education and will work closely with the Asst. Director of Grants and various program staff.
Duties and Responsibilities:
● James River Center
o Assist Director of Education with new curriculum development for the James River Center
o Assist with creating new partnership in the Richmond area
o Train and organize staff for many different types of events and projects at the River Center
● Program Management
o Assist with scheduling educational programs across the watershed.
o Assist with grant proposals and grant implementation for both small and large funding opportunities, work with Assistant Director of Grants to create budgets, write proposals, and final reports.
o Work to build relationships with partnering school systems to set up schedules, professional development., in class and field experiences.
● Student Education
o Work in the field to educate students from many different school systems throughout the watershed with a specific focus on Title 1 schools and schools in underserved communities.
o Assist with virtual and in-person education; assist school systems with implementation of MWEEs – Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences.
● Professional Development
o Create dynamic professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers, help bring environmental knowledge to teachers that might not have used it in the classrooms in the past.
o Organize multiple day professional developments that engage and bring a passion for teacher environmental science to K-12 teachers.
o Connect the SOLs (Standards of Learning) for each grade level to the professional development so the teachers can feel confident that what they are teaching will prepare students for their SOL exam.
● Curriculum/Staff Training
o Help develop new outdoor curriculum lessons that correlate to the SOLs.
o Oversee staff training to correlate with VA Standards
Qualifications:
● Masters degree in Education/ Teaching preferred
● At least 2 to 5 years of teaching experience in a public, private or outdoor educational setting
● Skilled in Microsoft office products
● Experience managing projects and staff
● Excellent at problem-solving, following schedules, and communicating with teachers and administration at public schools.
● Ability to coordinate with partners and collaborators – including communicating with and working with diverse audiences.
● Experience with canoeing and kayaking is preferred. Be able to load and unload canoes and kayaks for outdoor field experiences.
● Strong communications, teamwork, integrity, and reliability.
● Valid driver’s license.
Compensation:
JRA offers a dynamic and flexible work environment. This is a full-time, exempt position. A generous and comprehensive benefits package is provided, including 4 weeks of PTO, 11 paid holidays, 4% 401(k) match, fully paid employee only health and dental coverage, Life and LTD insurance. Salary will be commensurate with experience; expected salary range $50-$55k. JRA is an equal opportunity employer..
How To Apply
To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter by email to ndraper@thejamesriver.org or by mail to:
James River Association
Attn: Nat Draper
211 Rocketts Way, Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23231
Resumes will be reviewed as they are received. The position will remain open until filled, but interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates starting March 1st, 2022. Otherwise, no calls or visits, please.