CAREERS

Full-Time/Non-Exempt

$45,000–$47,000

 

Massillon Museum is a cultural hub where art and history come together. Having completed an expansion of its facility in 2018, MassMu now operates a 48,421-square-foot building that occupies an entire downtown city block in the heart of Massillon, Ohio. Governed by a board of directors and funded in large part by a municipal property tax levy, Massillon Museum maintains free admission, is open six days a week, and places emphasis on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI), and offers a diverse mix of educational programming and rotation of exhibitions. The permanent collections of both Massillon Museum and the Paul Brown Museum hold more than 30,000 artifacts and artworks along with over one million individual archival documents, negatives, photographs, and other ephemera. A dynamic staff consisting of twenty-one part-time and full-time positions operate the museum alongside several contractors.

 

The Director of Education and Community Partnerships plays a key role in achieving the Massillon Museum’s mission to be a welcoming, inclusive space where art meets history, and in the successful operation of the Education Department. Massillon Museum seeks a dynamic and visionary leader who works effectively in a team environment and who can launch strategic initiatives that establish new partnerships and sustain existing collaborations.

 

The Director of Education and Community Partnerships is a full-time employee working 40 hours per week and considered an institutional thought partner and member of the management team of the Museum, responsible for oversight of the education department structure and its staff fulfillment. A complete list of benefits can be found in the Employee Handbook. The role reports to the Executive Director. The position requires working occasional evenings and weekends. The Director of Education and Community Partnerships holds the listed responsibilities in the following areas:

 

Administration

·       Directs the Education Department, including management of the Outreach and Programs Coordinator*, Ceramics Studio Manager, Docents, and the Northeast Ohio Poetry Out Loud Coordinator.

·       Onboards, trains, and schedules department staff. Trains docents. Conducts the Outreach and Program Coordinator’s annual review. Reviews contracts of Ceramics Studio Manager and Poetry Out Loud Coordinator annually.

*By virtue of this position’s oversight of the Outreach and Programs Coordinator, the Museum’s Outreach Ambassadors and Educational Program Instructors ultimately are managed by the Director of Education and Community Partnerships, with the Outreach and Programs Coordinator acting as direct supervisor of the ambassadors and instructors.

·       Develops and manages the annual Education Department budget, which includes approval of all expenses made by department employees. Submit all needed reporting and payment requisitions to the Bookkeeper and Executive Director throughout the year.

·       Writes a monthly Education Department report to be shared with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and relevant stakeholders.

·       Provides requested statistics and narrative to support grant applications and reporting as requested by the Executive Director.

·       Seeks grant and sponsorship opportunities to support education department initiatives and lead the grant writing and grant management when appropriate.

·       Sits on the Museum’s Marketing Committee.

·       Works with the Social Media Manager and Public Relations Coordinator to advertise educational programming in print and digital media, including but not limited to press releases, quarterly calendars, e-blasts, and social media posts.

·       Ensures the Education Department pages of the Museum’s website are up to date.

·       Sits on the Artful Living and Learning Advisory Board, and other boards as recommended and/or approved by the Executive Director.

Educational Programming

·       Oversees design and implementation of all educational initiatives and sets standards for all educational programming to establish goals and associated benchmarks.

·       Oversees the Outreach and Programs Coordinator’s development of educational classes, workshops, and other programs for all ages and abilities, and their communication with instructors and other liaisons to schedule programming and write contracts.

·       Acts as a liaison with all K-12 schools, community groups, and other target audiences to establish and nurture relationships, and to arrange a program of field trips and guided tours carried out with support from the Outreach and Programs Coordinator.

·       Oversees revisions to Museum lesson plans based on updates to Ohio Department of Education and Workforce learning standards.

·       Develops professional development opportunities for teachers.

·       Supports the Outreach and Programs Coordinator in the coordination of tours and field trips to the Museum.

·       Communicates tour and fieldtrip bus and large vehicle parking requests with designated staff at the City of Massillon.

·       Serves as staff liaison alongside the Executive Director for coordination of large-scale education-related programming, including the annual downtown Massillon Fun Fest, the Artful Living and Learning Intergenerational Program in partnership with the Stark County Educational Service Center, Massillon City Schools, and Danbury Senior Living, and the Poetry Out Loud program in the Ohio Arts Council’s Northeast Ohio region.

·       Oversees the Outreach and Programs Coordinator in their facilitation of, in partnership with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and Canton Museum of Art Education Departments, the annual Art Educator of the Year Award.

·       Supports the Massillon Museum’s special events like Island Party, participation in the Light Up Downtown events, children’s parties, and other activities as assigned by the Executive Director.

Outreach

·       Recommends and approves all outreach opportunities coordinated and supervised by the Outreach and Programs Coordinator; these range from First Fridays in the Downtown Canton Arts District and local health fairs to City of Massillon events and retiree expos.

·       Represents the Museum in local, statewide, and national education networks.

·       Manages and develops partnerships with schools to offer curriculum-based programs related to the Museum’s collection, in the Museum and/or the schools

·       Works with curatorial team to contribute to exhibition and public programming design to enhance educational value of exhibitions, both temporary and permanent.

·       Prepares or contracts publications or media-based products for schools.

·       Oversees preparation of promotional copy for all aspects of the educational program.

·       Communicates with community liaisons to offer Museum support of organization events and programs (e.g., provision of Museum literature or giveaways; serving as a donation site for organizations, etc.).

·       Attends community events in Massillon and the surrounding area as necessary to cultivate relationships and engage with donors.

Accessibility

·       Co-manages the Accessibility Committee with Guest Operations Manager, which includes helping lead committee meetings and liaising with representatives from accessibility-minded organizations in Stark County.

·       Works with all departments to implement accessibility initiatives across the Museum.

·       In partnership with the Guest Services Department, orders needed supplies for the Sensory Room.

·       In partnership with the Guest Services Department, schedules virtual scans of the Museum’s galleries and spaces

Exhibitions

·       Prepares for, install, and deinstall Celebration in Art, the Museum’s annual Main Gallery K–12 student art exhibition, and coordinate with representatives from all eligible schools in western Stark County.

·       Solicits partnership opportunities and manages relationships with organizations and individuals exhibiting in the Fred F. Silk Community Room Gallery, installation and scheduling for which is the responsibility of the Studio M and Fred F. Silk Room Gallery Coordinator. Working with the Gallery Coordinator requires assistance developing the written content, editing associated gallery text and promotional materials, attending the opening receptions as a Museum representative, and recognizing the potential to both develop new and sustain lasting partnerships through programming this gallery space.

·       Helps to review applications for the Studio M Gallery from the perspective of the Education Department.

·       Develops educational components and programming to connect with Museum exhibitions.

·       Advises on interpretive content to ensure exhibitions will meet Ohio Department of Education and Workforce learning standards and will be accessible for tour groups of all ages.

And other tasks assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications

The Director of Education and Community Partnerships shall have:

·       A bachelor’s degree in art, art history, history, education, museum studies, or a related field, as well as strong knowledge of art, history, museum education, and object interpretation strategies. A master’s degree is preferred.

·       A minimum of five to seven years of experience in a museum or cultural education setting, including three to five years of proven leadership experience in a museum setting along with understanding of the role of education in museums and best practices in museum education.

·       Strong public speaking skills and an ability to inspire and engage audiences of diverse age groups and learning needs.

·       Strong organizational, interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills

·       The ability to work well and collaborate effectively with a wide range of audiences of all ages, including staff, volunteers, educators, funders, members, the general public, and other stakeholders.

·       The ability to motivate others and manage projects independently and simultaneously.

·       A demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and learner-centered interpretation strategies.

·       Experience supervising personnel (staff and volunteer), developing programs and budgets, managing projects, and meeting deadlines.

·       The ability to work effectively in a team setting within the department and collaborate across the organization.

·       Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

The conditions listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office environment with public contact and frequent interruptions. Some work takes place outdoors in a variety of conditions.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight up to 50 lbs.; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; to travel to other locations using reliable private transportation; and to verbally communicate with colleagues and community members.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of the Massillon Museum to provide every individual equal employment opportunity. We hire employees on the basis of their qualifications, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, or veteran status. 

All employees working on the Museum floor and during public events are required to provide or complete background checks and child abuse clearances.

Benefits

The employee has an opportunity to participate in the Museum’s Health Insurance (includes vision), dental, and Simple IRA (retirement) programs after 30 days. PTO is earned from the start date, with eligibility for paid vacation time starting at the first-year anniversary date. Complimentary MassMu membership and two paid experience days alongside eight paid holidays annually are additional benefits.

To Apply

If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to the attention of Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Executive Director, at jobs@massillonmuseum.org no later than 5:00pm on Monday, August 18, 2025. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered