Job Summary
This position is intended to support the Zoo-wide conservation education by developing, implementing, and analyzing audience research and program evaluation efforts to ensure educational programs and guest experiences achieve maximum mission-related outcomes. Work with the Education Director and program coordinators to plan and conduct internal evaluation projects for new and existing programs, including developing evaluation plans, designing evaluation tools, coordinating data collection, conducting analysis, making recommendations, and writing reports. Create and coordinate opportunities for evaluation capacity-building within the education and interpretation staff, collaborates with other departments as well as external institutions to conduct audience research to ensure zoo conservation messaging is both unified and effectively mission-aligned. This position is also responsible for promoting the importance of conservation and the Minnesota Zoo’s mission of connecting people, animals and the natural world to save wildlife.
This is a temporary full-time position for up to 3 years from the date of hire. It is a benefits eligible position.

Minimum Qualifications:
• Graduate degree in education, evaluation, museum studies, social sciences, or a related field
• 2 years of experience as an evaluation practitioner focused on education programs and related behavioral research with at least one year of this experience in an informal learning environment or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative learning and behavioral research and evaluation methods, experimental design and sampling techniques, and data collection tools
• Demonstrated knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data analysis methodology, including descriptive and inferential statistics
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with techniques for facilitating and making decisions using evidence
• Knowledge of age-appropriate formal and informal education methodology and child development, including familiarity with state and national educational standards
• Knowledge of environmental education, including awareness of, sensitivity towards, and empathy with animals, their needs and their purpose on the earth
• Superior interpersonal skills sufficient to work effectively with children, adults and persons with diverse needs and backgrounds, among mixed-age crowds, and with individuals, small and large groups of children, adults, and family groups
• Oral and written communication skills sufficient to prepare and deliver reports and presentations for both practitioner and lay audiences
• Excellent teaching and presentation skills, practices and processes sufficient to develop and deliver capacity-building opportunities for staff
• Proficiency in office and evaluation software including word processing, spreadsheets, database management, statistical analysis, presentation software, and electronic data collection applications and hardware tools
• Ability to work independently as well as in teams
• Flexible availability including weekdays, weekends, evenings, early mornings and overnights
• Holds a valid driver’s license

Preferred Qualifications:
• Doctorate in related field
• Knowledge of trends and research in informal/non-formal science education, evaluation, and conservation psychology
• Experience developing and delivering science educational programming to children and/or families in an informal learning environment (zoo, museum, experiential learning facility, etc.)
• Experience performing theoretical, hypothesis-driven, or empirical research sufficient to coordinate projects with external research partners

Physical Requirements
• Ability to stand for long periods of time and walk long distances on uneven terrain
• Ability to carry and use two-way portable radios to communicate with all zoo staff
• Ability to sit at a desk and operate a computer for 6-8 hours per day
• Ability to work in an environment that includes both indoor and outdoor work spaces year round, with moderate noise generated by office and air handling equipment
• Ability to travel both locally and nationally via air travel with overnight stays