Manager, IDEAL Center

Science Museum of Minnesota | SMM
120 West Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul, MN 55102, USA

The Manager role leads the IDEAL Center within the Center for STEM Education (CSE). The IDEAL Center employs a shared leadership model to deliver client-facing work to advance equity and systems change in workplace, school, and community settings. Reporting to the Director of the Center for STEM Education, this position sustains a compelling and principled vision for diversity, inclusion, access, and equity, both with external clients and within SMM;

grows relationships with clients and institutional program participants across sectors; maintains and grows business sustainability for the IDEAL Center; ensures grant-funded work complies with funder policies and guidelines; and provides oversight of IDEAL programs, services, curricula, and staff. This role collaborates with CSE’s Learning & Instruction and Learning Evaluation departments to align IDEAL’s equity-centered facilitation expertise with CSE’s broader portfolio of STEM learning, research, and professional development.

The Manager also partners with Lifelong Learning leadership to advance equity and inclusion across Kitty Anderson Youth Science Center (KAYSC) and Department of Learning Operations (DLO) programming.

Direct supervisor for Senior IDEAL Project Leader and IDEAL Project Leaders. Provide leadership and professional development for staff in learning, collaboration, and equity.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Partner with CSE and Lifelong Learning Leadership to develop and implement strategic and annual plans for the IDEAL Center. Provide leadership and modeling to incorporate best practices in equity and access for IDEAL Center, Lifelong Learning, and SMM staff and audiences.
• Supervise, evaluate, coach, and develop IDEAL Center staff to achieve a high level of individual and team performance by providing challenging, engaging, and meaningful assignments; monitoring progress; and providing timely feedback. Advocate and build support networks and pathways for youth or seasonal positions across Lifelong Learning.
• Develop, nurture, and grow critical museum relationships with external partners and clients for IDEAL Center, Lifelong Learning, and SMM audiences.
• Expand the IDEAL client base including multi-year, six-figure contracts and repeat business in a variety of sectors (K-12 education, higher education, informal education, non-profits, government agencies and/or corporate entities) and with a variety of constituents (including senior leadership teams, administrators, faculty and staff, trustees, STEM professionals).
• Lead IDEAL Center capacity building and program development to sustain a reputation of excellence while continuing to expand IDEAL’s potential client base.
• Participate in the planning, direct facilitation, and post-program evaluation of both client- and grant-funded professional development programming, working in close coordination with IDEAL Center staff.
• Serve as Principal Investigator, Project Director, or Segment Manager for major IDEAL projects and grants. Lead development and contribute to grant and development proposals across Lifelong Learning.
• Coordination with the Department of Learning Operations to oversee contract development, execution, and monitoring systems. Leverage shared resources to evolve and grow capacity and reach of the IDEAL Center. Develop and refine contract fee structures and processes for IDEAL Center programs.
• Develop and coordinate audience research and evaluation efforts to inform strategic planning and program/project management. Advise on, contribute to, and support research and evaluation efforts to maintain data-driven decisions that will improve STEM equity at SMM.
• Nurture and sustain…