Senior Director of Education

Greenacres Foundation (GAF):

Greenacres Foundation offers a variety of experiences for everyone. Our campuses are living classrooms, where programming can explore the natural environment, horsemanship, the arts, and generative agriculture. Whether it's an educational field trip, fun summer camps, farm-fresh products or events which blend learning and celebration, a quality experience awaits every guest. Our team at Greenacres is passionate and dedicated to our Mission and brings inspiration to all our endeavors.

Our unwavering commitment shines through in how we embrace our values - Grace, Generative, Giving, Good Neighbor Policy, and Green. Our team always aims for excellence, prioritizing Quality, Quality, Quality (QQQ) in every endeavor. We thrive in a collaborative environment where teamwork leads to achievements. More than a workplace, Greenacres is a career, a lifestyle and a place to wholeheartedly embrace the Mission and Values set forth by our visionary Founders, Louis and Louise Nippert.

Here, dedication isn't just a requirement; it's a way of life.

Summary

We're seeking a visionary Senior Director of Education to lead and elevate mission-driven, experiential learning experiences rooted in agriculture, equine studies, the arts, and environmental education. This leader will oversee Education Managers who guide talented teams of informal educators in designing immersive, hands-on programs that connect people to land, animals, creativity, and the natural world. The ideal candidate brings a demonstrated understanding of K-12 education systems, including the dynamics of partnering effectively with schools and administrators.

They will collaborate thoughtfully with education leaders to understand district and school priorities, ensuring programs are aligned, responsive, and impactful.

The Senior Director of Education is a visionary and strategic leader and collaborates with the Leadership Team on key strategic and operational decisions. This role is responsible for developing and implementing plans, processes, and goals aligned with Greenacres' Mission, Vision, and Values, while optimizing resources and striving for excellence. Reporting to the President, the Senior Director leads personnel, manages budgets, and strengthens community connections across multiple sites.

The position also fosters transparency, integrity, and professional growth while advancing staff expertise and program quality.

Responsibilities:

Staff Management

• Provide decisive, visible leadership to teams with varying levels of engagement, accountability, and collaboration.
• Motivate, align, and lead teams with direction, clear expectations, and reliable follow-through.
• Address interpersonal challenges and change management with confidence, empathy, and accountability.
• Ensure curriculum development aligns with the organization's mission and educational model across all programs.
• Support the Education leaders to hire, supervise, train, evaluate, develop, build and guide staff.
• Foster collaboration across all education departments, guiding staff to work cohesively as a team while empowering everyone to excel in their role.
• Optimize resources to maximize program impact and sustainability.

Budget

• Support, collaborate interdepartmentally and guide preparation of the annual budget for each education site for approval and incorporate in the total budget.
• Partner with Finance to ensure education budgets vs actuals are on track, and ensure each site has the resources they need to efficiently monitor budgets.

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborate with relevant regional and national organizations to provide volunteer and staff development opportunities.
• Embrace opportunities for developing new programs, expanding to new locations, and supporting the infrastructure to achieve the goals, while committing to Quality, Quality, Quality (QQQ) in all aspects of activities.
• Develop and implement strategies for optimizing connections within local communities across multiple Education sites and campuses.
• Work directly with the Agriculture, Arts, Equine and Environment Education leaders as well as the Education Operations team to collect, document, and evaluate program attendance and create plans to maximize programming at all education sites.
• Support education department with substitute teaching when needed.
• Be an active representative of Greenacres in internal and public settings, including presenting to the Board of Trustees on department plans and achievements as well as attending and presenting at appropriate local, regional and national association meetings.
• Build strong partnerships with department leaders across Greenacres to fulfill the mission including Research, Agriculture, Finance, IT, HR, Marketing, Events, Facilities, Estate, and Operations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Graduate degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 10 years of strong leadership experience within an educational or related field.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities, including…