POSITION SUMMARY:

The Education and Outreach Manager leads The Elephant Sanctuary’s education, outreach, and volunteer initiatives. This role integrates program development, volunteer management, and community engagement to advance conservation education and strengthen connections with diverse audiences. Key responsibilities include overseeing education and volunteer staff, managing the Elephant Discovery Center, developing innovative outreach and volunteer programs, coordinating events, and expanding training opportunities to position The Elephant Sanctuary as a premier resource in conservation and elephant welfare.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication and Leadership

• Positions the Elephant Discovery Center as a local and national resource for learning about elephants and conservation.
• Develops long-term education and outreach goals aligned with the Sanctuary’s mission, and with the CEO.
• Ensures the Sanctuary’s education programs reach target audiences effectively.
• Serves as spokesperson for the Sanctuary’s educational programs, as appropriate.
• Represents the organization at conferences and community events.
• Recruits, onboards, schedules, develops, and supervises education and volunteer staff.
• Measures and reports on the effectiveness and reach of all education, outreach, and volunteer initiatives to inform future strategy.

Outreach and Volunteer Program Management

• Directs the Sanctuary Volunteer Program and supports the Volunteer Coordinator as needed.
• Leads the expansion of the Volunteer program
• Represents the Sanctuary in community organizations and city-sponsored events.
• Identifies and pursues outreach opportunities within the local and broader Tennessee community.
• Collaborates with Communications and Development teams to cultivate partnerships and support fundraising initiatives.

Elephant Discovery Center

• Ensures the Elephant Discover Center operates efficiently and effectively.
• Leads the research and development of targeted educational materials and curricula tailored to specific audiences.
• Ensures content of educational materials remain current, accurate, and aligned with the Sanctuary’s mission, Next Generation Science standards, and academic requirements.
• Assists with developing protocols for learning assessments and program effectiveness using data-driven approaches
• Oversees the development of the Sanctuary’s Elephant Discovery Center exhibits, learning lab, public spaces, and associated educational resources, with CEO.
• Manages and delivers the Distance Learning program with the Education team.
• Manages group visits and meetings at the Discovery Center and supports the Education team as needed.
• Oversees the EleCams daily/seasonal public presentation, aligned with the organization’s education and communication objectives.

Resource Development

• Assists the CEO and Development team with education resource development for organizational growth.
• Develops and implements annual and long-term education budgets.
• Assists with grant applications and manages budgets for education and outreach programs.
• Supports the identification and submission of education grant proposals.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND PREREQUISITES:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, Non-Profit Management, Wildlife Management, or related field (Master’s Preferred).
• 3-5 years of leadership experience
• 5+ years of experience in education and outreach programming, including volunteer management.
• Exceptional communication skills
• Demonstrated experience with communication technology and relevant software (Zoom, Teams, etc.).
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite to include Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Bilingual (Spanish) ideal but not required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Must be on-site in Hohenwald, TN, 5 days per week; includes weekends and occasional evenings.
• Primarily sedentary work. Must be able to sit / stand for eight hours.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, with occasional work outdoors in varied weather, and walk on uneven terrain.
• Walking, bending, light lifting.