Learning Experience Developer

Description

Minnesota Children's Museum is dedicated to creating immersive experiences that inspire, educate, and bring joy. The museum is a dynamic and engaging space where children and adults explore, learn, and play together. It provides interactive, hands-on exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. The museum fosters an environment of informal learning, allowing children to discover and learn through play.

The Learning Experience Developer plays a pivotal role in shaping engaging, educational, and developmentally appropriate experiences for children and families. This position advises on exhibit concepts, supports program development, ensuring educational content aligns with best practices, and works with the communications team to amplify the importance of play in early childhood development.

REPORTS TO: Director of Experiences

SALARY: $70,000.00 annually

SCHEDULE: Full-time, Exempt; Hybrid Eligible.

Much of the work of this position happens on-site, and you are expected to be at the museum as needed for project meetings, trainings, programs or evaluation work.  This position is expected to be on-site at least three days per week.  More time will be on-site at the beginning for on-boarding.

Provide early childhood expertise and evaluation support for design and development of museum experiences. 

• Collaborate with the experience and exhibit design team to develop and refine exhibit concepts that align with learning goals and are engaging for children.
• Provide expertise on age-appropriate content, learning outcomes, and interactive elements for exhibits and programs.
• Evaluate and ensure that museum experiences, including exhibits and programs, are developmentally appropriate for different age groups and abilities, and align with best practices in early childhood education.
• Assist in the creation and enhancement of educational programs, workshops, and special events that support the museum's mission and goals.
• Assist in training program staff, modeling age-appropriate interactions that scaffold learning.
• Develop curriculum materials, activity guides, and educational resources for use in exhibits, traveling exhibits, and programs as needed.
• Evaluate effectiveness of exhibits and programs in meeting learning goals.

Act as early childhood education subject matter expert.

• Stay current with educational standards and child development theories to inform exhibit and program design.
• Conduct research into specific topics for exhibit, communications or grant needs.
• Provide and assist with training and support to museum staff and volunteers on educational best practices and exhibit content.
• Provide input on museum learning goals and frameworks.

Collaborate with the external relations and development departments.

• Partner with the communications team to articulate and promote the importance of play and its impact on learning and development.
• Advise on and contribute to the creation of content aimed at promoting playful parenting strategies and activities.
• Work with the marketing and communications team to disseminate parenting tips and activities through various channels.
• Provide resources and expertise related to playful learning to the development department to assist with fundraising efforts, grant applications and impact reports.
• Provide information to staff who are preparing for media interviews related to playful learning.

• Master’s degree in early childhood education, elementary education, child development, or related degree.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in an early childhood setting, preferably in an informal or play-based learning environment (up to one year could be in a volunteer setting).
• Proven success applying education or learning standards to a program, curriculum or other interactive learning activity outside of a formal classroom.
• Experience developing or running programs for children and families, including drop-in programs.

• Experience creating and implementing evaluation tools, and reporting on findings.

• Strong understanding of child development principles and best practices in early childhood education.
• Knowledge of culturally inclusive learning practices and ability to apply them to informal learning experiences.
• Ability to apply education standards and expectations to an interactive, open-ended play environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively to different audiences, articulate learning concepts clearly and relate them to interactive experiences.
• Ability to thoroughly research learning topics and distill information for multiple audiences.

SELECTION PROCESS

Research shows that women and underrepresented groups apply only if they meet 100% of the requirements outlined in the posting. One of the museum's priorities is producing equitable outcomes when it comes to the workplace. We encourage women, black, indigenous, people of color, those in the LGBTQ communities, and Veterans to apply even if you do not check all the boxes.

The on-site interviews will give candidates the opportunity to see both the mission in action and our workplace environment. Interview questions will be provided prior to each round for candidates to prepare as you wish.

• Screening via online questionnaire.
• 1st ROUND: In-person interview with Director of Experiences, VP of Museum Experiences, and an Experience Developer (90 minutes - interview and tour).
• 2nd ROUND: In-person interview with Director of Experiences, Director of Marketing & Communications, and an Experience Developer.

BENEFITS

• Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) for Health Insurance
• Employer paid: Basic Life Insurance, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Long Term Disability
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• 403B and Roth Retirement savings plans with employer match
• Pre-tax options for: health spending, dependent care, and transportation
• PTO & Floating Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Free family admission to museum

ABOUT MINNESOCA CHILDREN’S MUSUEM

Minnesota Children’s Museum’s mission is sparking children’s learning through play. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion is integral to fulfilling our mission. As a community resource for thousands of families, Minnesota Children’s Museum is dedicated to providing children with a fun, hands-on and stimulating environment to explore and discover.

Located in downtown St. Paul, MN, we employ 55 full-time and 55 part-time employees and engage a variety of volunteers and interns. The workplace values that guide how we work together are: Play, Include, Grow, Serve, and Strive.

We are dedicated to growing a diverse and culturally competent team of highly engaged staff and volunteers to reflect and equitably serve the vibrant community around us. We embrace differences in age, ability, color, ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. We strongly encourage the application of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to: Black, Indigenous, and people of color; immigrants and refugees; LBGTQIA individuals; people with disabilities; religious minorities; and the elderly.

MINNESOTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM SAFE PLAN

Minnesota Children’s Museum is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees and volunteers. We have developed the SAFE Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every leader, manager, employee and volunteer are responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplace, and that requires full cooperation.

The museum believes COVID vaccinations are a vital tool in protecting yourself and others. We do not mandate a vaccination at this time and encourage our staff to take preventative steps to slow the spread of COVID by staying home when you are sick, testing when sick or exposed, and masking when sick or exposed.
 

Minnesota Children’s Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse work.

Salary : $70,000