[SEMCO] Job Posting: Public Programs Coordinator

[Lisa Maggio]

Public Programs Coordinator
About the Society

The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote
the region's native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse
landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation's oldest plant
conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant
conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society's headquarters,
Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in
Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world.
>From this base, 25 staff and more than 700 volunteers work throughout New
England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and
preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive
species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The
Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western
Massachusetts and has six sanctuaries in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
that are open to the public.


About Public Programs
New England Wild Flower Society has one of the largest programs in native
plant education in the country. The two-person Public Programs Department
offers hundreds of programs throughout New England each year. We contract
with approximately 65 top-notch educators in botany, plant ecology,
horticulture, landscape design, and related fields to offer courses, field
trips, symposia, workshops, online classes, and webinars, in which students
learn about field botany, conservation, gardening, and ecological
horticulture. In addition, we offer certificate programs in native plant
field botany and horticulture and design, which give students a chance to
add breadth and depth to their existing knowledge or to advance their
careers. The Public Programs Department also oversees interpretation, the
volunteer program, informal programming, the Lawrence Newcomb Library,
facility rentals, and guided tours for adults and children at Garden in the
Woods.

Position Summary
The Public Programs Coordinator is a full-time, permanent position that is
responsible for assisting with the development and execution of all public
programs and projects. He/she provides exceptional customer service, takes
the lead role in administering programs, and serves as an ambassador for
the organization. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity
to streamline current department operations and help create a strategic
vision for the Society's public programs. The Public Programs Coordinator
reports to the Director of Public Programs.

*Primary Responsibilities include:*

   - Administer public programs and handle all logistics. Post classes on
   the web site, register students for programs, process registrations in
   Altru database, handle all financial transactions, communicate with
   students and instructors, distribute class materials, schedule hosts for
   weekend and evening classes, set up and break down the classroom, and
   communicate with co-sponsors at offsite properties.
   - Assist with the management of the certificate programs. Cultivate
   prospective students, send regular student updates, maintain student
   records, and advise students about their projects.
   - Supervise the Garden tour program. Process adult tour bookings and
   handle day-of-tour logistics.  Serve as the primary contact for the
   volunteer garden guides who lead adult tours, schedule garden guides to
   lead tours in VolunteerHub, work to foster a sense of community and a
   positive volunteer experience, assist with guide training, and lead tours
   as necessary.
   - Supervise the Garden school programs. Process and schedule program
   bookings. Hire, train, and coordinate the Teacher Naturalists who lead the
   programs. Learn the program curriculum and lead programs as necessary.
   - Help to facilitate special programs such as day-long symposia and
   attendance-generating events for Garden in the Woods.
   - Coordinate facility rentals at the Garden. Schedule rentals, handle
   all financial transactions, schedule hosts to oversee events, manage renter
   contracts, work with renters to obtain proper permits and licenses, and
   oversee day-of logistics.
   - Streamline department procedures, such as volunteer communication,
   program registration, tour bookings, and event rentals.
   - Assist in evaluating all department functions. Record, assess, and
   report on program, volunteer, and tour metrics. Collect, compile, and
   review student evaluations.
   - Be on call to troubleshoot problems during events, rentals, and
   programs. Occasional evening and weekend work required.


Skills and Experience

*The ideal candidate will:*

   - Have experience in public education, public gardens, nonprofits,
   and/or program development.
   - Be proficient in standard business software, such as Microsoft Word,
   Excel, and Google Docs; proficient in social media tools; and, if not
   already proficient, be able to quickly learn Blackbaud’s cultural
   management program Altru and Volunteer Hub.
   - Have demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills,
   including effective oral and written skills, attention to detail, and the
   ability to juggle many tasks simultaneously and stay calm under pressure.
   - Be flexible, willing to adapt to change, and interested in helping
   envision change.
   - Have excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, including
   the ability to deal tactfully and effectively with visitors, students,
   instructors, and staff.
   - Be able to work occasional evenings and weekends, as needed. Including
   working a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends.


*In addition, the position requires:*

   - The ability to lift 50 lbs. and move and set up classroom furnishings.
   - The ability to learn and drive the vehicle that takes visitors on
   tours.


Application Instructions
To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three job references
(with contact information). Please include your full name in the file name
of each document. Applications should be submitted to:


Jessica Pederson, Director of Public Programs
New England Wild Flower Society
180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham, MA 01701-2699
Email: jpederson at newenglandwild.org
Phone: 508-877-7630 Ext. 3302


*We prefer to receive applications by email.

Application Deadline
Applications are *due March 15, 2017* but will continue to be accepted
beyond March 15 until a suitable candidate is found. The position begins
mid-April.


-- 
Best,

Lisa Maggio
Public Programs Coordinator
New England Wild Flower Society
180 Hemenway Road
Framingham, MA 01701

508-877-7630 x3303
lmaggio at newenglandwild.org
newenglandwild.org

*Conserving and promoting New England's native plants to ensure healthy,
biologically diverse landscapes*
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