ABOUT THE POSITION

The Associate Director of Education is an experienced education professional that provides strategic leadership, oversight, and vision for the PAWS Education team. This position is responsible for developing and expanding innovative educational programming that advances the PAWS mission. Working in collaboration with cross-functional teams, the Associate Director ensures the delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and effective education programs that serve diverse communities. This position plays a critical part in securing funding, evaluating program effectiveness, and advocating for education as a core component of PAWS’ long-term mission success.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

In accordance with organizational policies, duties include, but are not limited to:

· Develop and lead the vision for PAWS Education programs, aligning departmental goals and plans with the organization’s strategic priorities.

· Collaborate with the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Outreach in developing the annual Education budget.

· Track expenses, manage vendor contracts, and ensure appropriate systems and procedures are in place to achieve programmatic goals, financial compliance, budget success, and support the scalability of programs.

· Prepare and deliver regular reports on revenue, expenses, and program outcomes to the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Outreach.

· Oversee and lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of all education programs.

· Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and training of Education program staff and interns.

· Drive the development of culturally responsive and experiential education models.

· Develop annual work plans with the education staff team, and support staff in delivering high quality, relevant work.

· Teach education programs when needed and serve as back-up instructor for Education staff, ensuring successful delivery of scheduled activities.

· Serve as a primary ambassador of PAWS Education programs both internally within the organization and externally, representing PAWS at public events, conferences, and within educational networks.

· Engage in community outreach activities to grow the program to reach new and diverse audiences.

· With support from the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Outreach, lead the development and implementation of the PAWS Pet Food Pantry program plan.

· Build relationships internally with PAWS animal care teams that enhance education programming.

· Work with the PAWS Communications team to develop and implement a marketing plan and supporting collateral materials for Education programs and events.

· Provide educational content for the PAWS website and publications, in coordination with PAWS Communications staff.

· Partner with the Philanthropy team to identify and secure grants, sponsorships, and donations.

Additional Responsibilities include the following:

· Stay up to date on Washington State and national educational standards as well as trends and best practices in youth education to ensure the relevancy of programs and determine annual goals and quantifiable outcomes.

· Represent PAWS professionally in the community, including media opportunities and various outreach and education events.

· Support and assist with PAWS’ signature fundraising events, PAWS Wild Night and PAWSwalk.

· Attend board meetings, committee meetings, PAWS events or conferences as assigned.

· Provide Education staff with professional growth opportunities through mentorship, support, and access to professional development training and resources.

· Other related duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION:

· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. Masters’ Degree or equivalent experience is valued. Preferred fields of study: Education, Biology, Environmental Education, or a related field.

RELATED EXPERIENCE:

· A minimum of five (5) years’ successful experience planning and facilitating formal or informal education programs for diverse community members.

· A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in staff supervision.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, OR REGISTRATIONS:

· A valid Washington State driver’s license with no major or repeated minor traffic offenses; ability to drive to variety of locations. Must be able to provide reliable transportation and required insurance coverage. Must be able to transport outreach equipment and materials.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES:

· Demonstrated success in delivering educational programs. Experience in animal welfare, health, or conservation/environmental education field is preferred.

· Strong organizational and project management skills with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects on competing deadlines. Experience with scheduling, budgeting, and long-range educational planning desired.

· Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills and ability to create a positive working environment and motivate and inspire a high level of performance from staff.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills.

· Creative, collaborative, self-motivated, and capable of maintaining a high level of professional diplomacy and confidentiality where required.

· Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with a diverse community.

· Must have ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and to serve as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic ambassador for PAWS.

· Ideal candidates embrace and embody the five core values of the organization: commitment, compassion, respect, kindness, and trust.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of:

· Project management techniques and software such as Asana, AirTable, Trello, or Monday.

· File management best practices and tools like SharePoint and Dropbox.

· Scheduling and appointment management tools like Acuity.

· Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

· Basic survey and reporting tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey for program evaluation.

· Learning and presentation tools such as Google Classroom, Canva, and Kahoot!.

· Familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) systems for managing education contacts and outreach is preferred.

SCHEDULE:

Typical work schedule is Monday through Friday but is subject to change based on programming schedule. Occasional evening and weekend work will be required to support PAWS events or represent the organization at community outreach opportunities. This position is based at the PAWS location in Lynnwood, and frequent off-site work will be required for program delivery.

TRAVEL:

Regular local travel required for program delivery and to participate in community outreach events.

VACCINATIONS:

N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee is regularly required to sit or stand for long periods of time; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; balance; and bend and reach with hands and arms. Employee will regularly be required to talk and hear on the phone, on video conferences, and in crowded and noisy environments.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The main PAWS location in Lynnwood is a dog-friendly campus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly come into contact with domestic and wild animals and wild animal biofacts. Employee will occasionally perform work outdoors when supporting PAWS events and may be exposed to adverse weather conditions.

When working remotely, employee must ensure they have reliable and consistent access to the internet.

SCOPE OF SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee and guide the work of the Education Coordinator and Educators. Prepare annual evaluations.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this document is provided for guidance purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel.