Associate Director of Interpretive Programs

Associate Director of Interpretive Programs

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Employers By State in 2021.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn's vaccine requirements and the use of Penn Open Pass, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information.

Posted Job Title
Associate Director of Interpretive Programs

Job Profile Title
Associate Director C

Job Description Summary
Open to all, the Museum is home to remarkable objects and powerful stories that emerge from its extraordinary expeditions across the world. Discover the cultures of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean, from the very first cities of the Middle East to the kings of ancient Egypt; from prehistoric Mexico to the lives of Native American communities today. Experience the mystery of the ancient past, gain an understanding of our shared humanity, and find your own place in the arc of human history.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of Learning and Community Engagement, the Associate Director of Interpretive Programs will oversee and implement the daily Learning Programs at the Museum including K12 gallery tours and workshop programs, docent-led tours for adults, and Global Guide tours and other interpretative programs. This role oversees a dynamic teaching team and leads the development of innovative and engaging interpretive programs that are visitor-centered incorporating strategies that are inclusive and make best use of the Museum's collection and resources. This role supervises the School Visit Manager, Global Education Manager, Docent volunteer and Global Guides teams to reach adult groups and K12 students not reached by the Unpacking the Past program for Philadelphia middle school students. This role works closely with the Assistant Director, Virtual Programs, Associate Director of Group Sales, to coordinate the logistics of using the teaching team to teach both in-person and virtual programs for a variety of audiences.

This role oversees the coordination of daily program logistics, provides initial and ongoing training for teaching team members, as well as evaluate teaching to ensure high quality delivery of programs and reporting of outcomes. Working closely with the Director, this role develops programs that use inclusive teaching methods such as anti-racist and universal design for learning strategies. In coordination with the Associate Director of Unpacking the Past, this role designs interactive gallery tours and workshops to meet curricular standards and respond to teacher and student needs and interests.

He/she/they helps to oversee department staff, particularly for daily functions and in longer-term planning for the department. The Associate Director of Interpretive Programs is responsible for developing new tours and in-gallery activities, as well as modifying and improving existing ones as guided by evaluations, audiences, and new gallery installations and exhibitions. This person develops and trains interpretive staff, including docents, summer camp teachers, Graduate Guides, and Global Guides. The Associate Director ensures that content provided by docents, tour guides, and educators is vetted for accuracy and connects with developmental levels and curriculum standards. The person in this position maintains the docent/guide procedures manual and associated training program. Working with the School Visit Manager, the Associate Director of Interpretive Programs hosts an annual volunteer recognition event.

The Associate Director is also key to training and maintaining the Global Guides program, He/she/they review program evaluations to provide feedback for volunteers and staff. The Associate Director uses Altru to track relevant departmental statistics and communicate success and challenges. He/she/they assist with related program grant delivery and reports for the Global Guides and Access programs as needed.

As part of his/her/their work to oversee the Global Education Manager, the Associate Director gives feedback in the development of International Classroom programs and speakers. The International Classroom program trains people with lived experience in other countries to give interactive workshops to K-12 and adult audiences; the Global Guides also participate in this program.

The Associate Director oversees the School Visit Manager and School Visit Coordinator roles in the scheduling and clear communications about daily groups within the department, for volunteers, and across the Museum. This role works closely with the School Visit Manager to develop K12 tours, homeschool programs, teacher workshops, and resources to ensure they respond to curricular standards. He/she/they help works with the Associate Director of Unpacking the Past to allocate staff and room resources appropriately.

This position requires knowledge of learning strategies all ages, as the teaching team interprets for a wide variety of museum audiences, including K-12 school children, adults such as college students and senior citizens, and families. This position should have experience in providing guided tours and in training volunteers and/or staff in providing tours. The position requires collaboration with Visitor Services, Public Programs, Academic Engagement, Exhibitions, Building Operations, Curatorial Departments, and outside partners as needed.

This person will be expected to be trained on and deliver K-12 programs and K-12/adult tours as needed to support Learning and Community Engagement. This position requires a flexible work schedule, as evening and weekend work is sometimes required.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in education, museum education, museum studies required. Master's degree is preferred. Three to five years of work experience is required, or equivalent combination of education and museum experience coordinating interpretive programs, preferably with volunteer management experience. Knowledge of and experience with volunteer management concepts and best practices, along with basic management skills. Desire to work with all ages, especially K12 students. Commitment to equitable and visitor-centered learning programs, Interest in working with diverse communities and with persons with special needs. Highly organized, able to organize details and schedules. Self-starter works well independently. Excellent communication skills, including interpersonal and written skills required. Able to interact professionally and appropriately with staff, volunteers, and the public. Schedule involves a five-day work week with some evenings and weekends as needed. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Outlook calendaring required, knowledge of Altru database helpful but not required.

Application Requirement:

A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Pay Range is commensurate with education and experience.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
University Museum

Pay Range
$51,824.00 - $78,096.00

Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits
  • Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  • Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  • Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
  • Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
  • Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
  • Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
  • Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
  • University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
  • Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
  • Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
  • Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
  • Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.



To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/University-Museum/Associate-Director-of-Interpretive-Programs_JR00055019-2

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