Manager of Education and Public Interpretation

Reports to: Director of Public History

Department: Planning and Research

Status:  Full-Time, Exempt

 

 

About Central Park and the Central Park Conservancy

Central Park is one of the world's most famous and beloved public spaces. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858, the 843-acre Park was the country's first purpose-built public park and is a National Historic Landmark and a New York Scenic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Since then, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of over $1.6 billion in the restoration of the Park, which now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.

 

The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life. The City of New York has formally entrusted the management of the Park to the Conservancy, which is responsible for every aspect of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. The Conservancy employs roughly 400 people and has an annual operating budget of over $120 million. The Conservancy is one of the City’s largest and most successful public private partnerships and is considered a major civic institution given its impact on the health of the Park and the vibrancy of the City.

 

The Position

The Manager of Education and Public Interpretation is responsible for overseeing the creation, development, and implementation of interpretive programming that tells the story of Central Park and the Conservancy’s, past, present, and future in a compelling, relevant, and publicly accessible way.

 

Working under the direction of the Director of Public History, the Manager of Education and Public Interpretation oversees an initial team of three Central Park Guides to provide a range of programmatic offerings, including walking tours, school field trips, digital experiences (i.e., audio and web), exhibitions, public and member talks and programming, as well as internal programming and content development. This individual will design and implement comprehensive interpretive strategies, manage multiple projects simultaneously, nurture external partnerships, and form productive and collaborative relationships across the Conservancy’s departments and staff, particularly the Philanthropy and Communications teams.

 

Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and implementation of interpretative content and programming related to Central Park’s history, environment, and cultural significance, both in-person and virtual, for a variety of audiences, including adults, children, school and/or accessibility groups.
• Lead the creation of an interpretive plan for park facilities in collaboration with the Public Programs, Visitor Experience, and Communications teams to interpret and share the Park and Conservancy’s history, alongside its priority initiatives.
• Develop and oversee a strategy for public tours that aligns with the Conservancy’s mission and balances the demands of New York City residents and out-of-town visitors.
• Work alongside the Director of Public History to build the school field trip tour program, including content development, community outreach, and relationship building with NYC schools.
• Work with the Director of Public History and the Associate Director of Institutional Archives to establish a unified structure and approach to archival and documentary research, analysis, and interpretation, to create a well-sourced, accurate, and organized reference collection for educational and interpretive content development and digital file management.
• Lead the development and implementation of internal programming that provides a baseline understanding of the history and importance of Central Park and the Conservancy for staff and volunteers, decentralizing and integrating this knowledge into the Conservancy’s day-to-day practice.
• Oversee the production of audio and digital educational and interpretive content, reviewing existing material and curating new content and experiences.
• Collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders to facilitate program partnerships and knowledge building.

 

Team Leadership

• Provide leadership and support to a team of Central Park Guides to produce high quality educational and interpretive programs.
• Set goals, delegate tasks, and provide performance oversight to team members.
• Develop staff capacity and skills, identifying and disseminating best practices for program delivery, audience engagement and project management to department staff.
• Foster a team culture that is collaborative and mission-focused while providing steady coaching and feedback.
• Oversee team’s annual budget and provide expense control.

 

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or MA in history or related field, education, museum studies, or a similar field.
• A minimum of 5-7 years' collective experience creating and delivering interpretive programming for a variety of audiences, including adults, children, school and/or accessibility groups in a cultural and/or outdoor setting.
• Extensive experience conducting scholarly research (both in-person and online), including utilizing archives and special collections, libraries, catalogs and databases to locate source material and citation information.
• Knowledge of best practices around public program delivery, including place-based learning and visual thinking strategies.
• Strong communication skills, both written and spoken, with exceptional writing and editing skills.
• Experience managing, coaching, and training staff.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize competing responsibilities.
• Digital fluency, both in creating and delivering virtual programs, using content management systems (CMS’s), and ArcGIS StoryMaps, or other interpretive applications and mediums.
• Knowledge of NYC and Central Park history a plus.
• Written fluency in additional language(s) a plus.
• Ability to work some evenings, weekends and holidays, as needed for program delivery.
• Valid driver’s license preferred.

 

 

 

Salary range:  $89K - $115,400 (based on level of experience)

 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

The Central Park Conservancy’s work is guided by the belief that Central Park, and all public parks, must be managed and actively protected as an inclusive and democratic space for all.

 

Working closely with our New York City partners, we will always strive towards creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for all visitors and advocating for equitable and accessible public use of the Park.

 

In service of this belief, we are committed to fostering a workforce and organizational culture that is as diverse as Central Park itself and the dynamic city it serves.

 

Safety Requirements:

Establishment and maintenance of a safe work environment is the shared responsibility of this organization and employees at every level. The Conservancy will make every effort to assure a safe environment and follow federal, state, and local safety regulations. Employees are expected to obey safety rules and to exercise caution in all their work activities. Accordingly, employees should be aware of any hazards, which could cause an injury or accident (e.g., spills, obstacles in walkways, etc.). If an employee discovers a potentially dangerous condition, he/she should alert other employees and notify his/her supervisor immediately.

 

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.