School & Family Engagement Coordinator (Bilingual Spanish)

School & Family Engagement Coordinator (Bilingual Spanish)

Full Time

About the Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.

Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors annually and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach efforts. With Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities, ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way.

The Position

The Adler Planetarium seeks a School & Family Engagement Coordinator (Bilingual Spanish) to join our dynamic team on Chicago's Museum Campus. The School & Family Engagement Coordinator coordinates logistics for, supports the development of, and is the primary implementer of virtual learning experiences for K–12 school groups and the Park Voyagers outreach program at Chicago Park District sites serving K-5 youth.

In collaboration with cross-departmental teams, they create content for formal educators, such as the online educator hub, and work to develop and implement additional school and family programs.

This individual will be responsible for:

• Implementing Adler’s virtual learning experiences and Park Voyagers, an outreach program through Museums in the Parks, in English and Spanish.
• Coordinating and assisting in the evaluation of virtual learning experiences and park programming
• Contributing to the development of school and family programming and resources, including the Educator Hub
• Supporting broader institutional initiatives

The Work Schedule

The typical work schedule for this position is 35 hours per week, from 9 AM to 5 PM, with flextime and telecommuting options. Three to four evenings per week will be required during Park Voyagers implementation (approximately five weeks), as well as occasional weekends and evenings throughout the year as programming requires.

The Compensation & Benefits

Base Pay: $25.00-$27.55/hr

Work-Life Balance

• 35-hour workweek
• Eligible to accrue up to 12 vacation days per year to start
• 3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
• 7 Adler paid holidays
• 4 Personal Holidays (Prorated for new hires starting after January 1st)
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
• Paid Parental Leave

Competitive Health Coverage

• Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance
• Healthcare, Dependent Care & Commuter flexible spending accounts
• Adler Paid Short-Term Disability insurance

Retirement Savings Plan

• 403B plan with Adler match
• Adler match is 100% vested immediately
• Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire

Network of Support through our EAP programs

• Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
• Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services
• Free subscription to the Calm Premium app

Employee Loan Program

Discounted Onsite Parking Program

Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

The Person

The School and Family Engagement Coordinator is a diversely skilled science educator ready and able to meet children and families where they are, both in physical (or virtual!) locations and at their developmental and educational levels. They are compelling and incisive communicators equally at home with virtual and in-person engagement strategies and tools. They are ready to plan and facilitate experiences for school and family audiences that align with the Adler Planetarium’s mission, brand, and values and correlate with curriculum standards and learning goals.

They are level-headed and flexible — ready to meet the needs of each group. They readily adjust when things don’t go as planned and are excited to make their mark on changing and growing programs. They recognize and embrace that the typical day-to-day in informal education is often anything but typical.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or five years of relevant professional work experience
• Three years implementing educational STEM programs for Pre-K–8th grade audiences
• One year contributing to the development and logistical coordination of educational programs
• Bilingual English and Spanish written, verbal, and auditory fluency
• Comfortable using and troubleshooting technology. Interested in new educational adaptations of technology and eager to learn and adapt instructional methods to incorporate technology.
• Demonstrated ability in the areas of science communication and inquiry-based, participant-led learning.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Valid Illinois driver's license and ability to pass a motor vehicle record (MVR) check
• Ability to pass a Chicago Public Schools background check

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Specializations: Museum education, education, and/or relevant STEM fields (e.g., astronomy, physics, climate science, etc.)
• Five years of implementing educational STEM programs
• One or more years (s) experience implementing and/or developing programs for middle school-aged students
• One or more years (s) experience implementing and/or developing informal education programs
• Demonstrated ability in program facilitation for under-represented groups in STEM
• Demonstrated ability in space science communication
• Valid Illinois driver's license and ability to pass a motor vehicle record (MVR) check

Application and Interview Timeline

Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by March 9, 2025. There will be two successive rounds of interviews. The target start date for this position is June 15, 2025.

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer obligations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email the Human Resources Department at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.