School Programs Manager presso Country Music Foundation Inc

Description

School Programs Manager (Full Time, Exempt)

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum has an opening for a full-time, exempt School Programs Manager position in the Education Department. 

Company Overview: Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum documents and interprets the history of country music—a musical genre and culture central to the identity of the city, the state, and the nation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Museum proudly combines subject expertise, ambitious research, and preservation of an unparalleled collection with expressions of creativity in music, art, and history. The Museum collects artifacts that illustrate the evolving history and traditions of country music and provides diverse learning opportunities through educational programs, publications, and exhibitions. The core exhibit follows the story of country music from its folk beginnings through its evolution as a commercial art form. Rotating exhibits examine a broad range of topics, from country classics to contemporary and emerging artists in the American Currents: State of the Music exhibit. The Museum owns Hatch Show Print, a letterpress print shop opened in 1879, and it operates Historic RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley and many others recorded. 

 What We Offer for Full-Time Staff: 

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance Options
• Competitive Pay
• Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Paid Holidays (13) and Floating Holidays (2)
• 401(K) with Up to 3% Employer Match
• Employee Assistance Program (Free Counseling and Legal Services)
• Eligibility for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness  
• FREE 24/7 Downtown Parking and Transit Benefits
• Continuing Professional Offerings
• Complimentary Museum Admission (For Yourself, Family, and Friends)
• Reciprocal Partnerships with Local Venues (The Nashville Zoo, Dollywood Theme & Water Parks, National Museum of African American Music, tours at The Opry and The Ryman Auditorium, and more) 
• Up to 25% Discount in Retail Stores and Onsite Restaurant Venues
• Opportunities to Attend Exhibit Openings, Concerts and Special Events
• Employee Engagement Activities and Opportunities
• FSA and Dependent Care Options 
• Dog Friendly Work Environment
• Volunteering and Community Engagement Opportunities

Departmental Overview: Charged with the mission of educating varied audiences about country music, the Education Department develops programs and resources that illuminate the stories, themes, and music explored in the Museum’s galleries. Traditionally serving over 100,000 people per year through 1,500+ programs, the Education Department supports students of all ages, from school groups and families who engage in hands-on learning activities to general Museum guests. A creative and curious team, Education staff is composed of museum professionals and both traditional and nontraditional educators, including classroom teachers, visual artists, historians, museum educators, and professional musicians. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Education staff share a passion for country music, popular culture, and lifelong learning, and they take a collaborative, team approach to developing and implementing dynamic educational offerings that adapt and share the content of one of America’s most-visited history museums that welcomed 1.4 million guests in 2024. 

Position Overview: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum seeks an experienced museum educator that possesses strong written, verbal, and presentation skills to manage programs for schools and lead program support staff, including part-time educators and volunteers. This dynamic, creative, and highly organized individual will report to the Director of School and Music Programs and work collaboratively to develop and implement educational materials and experiences that utilize best practices in museum education, including object- and inquiry-based learning. This individual should have proven ability to guide history, language arts, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), and/or college and career readiness (CCR) instruction in traditional and nontraditional education environments. A strong writer, engaging educator, and effective trainer, the School Programs Manager will provide leadership in standards-aligned curriculum development and interdisciplinary practices that create connections between the Museum’s exhibits and core curriculum for students in grades K–12+. An active Museum teacher, this position leads programs on-site at the Museum, in-person at schools, and live via virtual platforms. Responsibilities include overseeing, designing, and administering curriculum-aligned programs and resources for students and teachers, including training materials for Museum educators; hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating contract staff and school program volunteers; serving and engaging school partners; and evaluating outcomes of program activities. This position is a key contributor to the creation of learning materials that support the academic success and developmental needs of students who engage with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. 

Specific Job Duties:

• Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of standards-aligned programs and lesson materials, including digital resources.
• Serve as lead teacher for school programs, providing and overseeing instruction of programs, as well as ensuring educational value of all curriculum-supporting activities.
• Manage staff members and a team of on-call museum educators, including school programs volunteers.
• Train museum educators and volunteers who support school programs, including best practices in museum education and student engagement strategies, and designing an on-going hands-on training curriculum and evaluation plan for educators and volunteers.
• Ensure that training and teaching materials are current with exhibitions and relevant to the needs of diverse students and educators.
• Oversee program evaluation by collecting feedback from participating students and teachers, analyzing outcomes, and making recommendations that ensure programmatic goals are met.
• Conduct in-depth research to support upcoming exhibitions by exploring relevant subjects and themes through independent reading, music and podcast listening, watching videos and films, and collaborative discussions with staff historians and curators.
• Assist with service to partner schools, including designing and facilitating unique programs specific to partner needs, and supporting the facilitation of externships, job shadows, and college and career readiness programming, as requested.
• Create and deliver exceptional professional development programs for educators, including designing and leading workshops on arts integration, STEAM, and current Museum exhibitions.
• Assist with school programs marketing initiatives, including drafting marketing copy, sourcing images, arranging for photography, and maintaining department webpages, among other related tasks.
• Assist with the creation of an annual budget through a methodical planning process.
• Provide oversight and direction to direct reports regarding school program bookings, scheduling, contact record-keeping, and database management.
• Maintain program information on the Museum’s and partner websites.
• Communicate with internal teams regarding program logistics.
• Manage expenses and budget. 
• Supervise 1–3 interns each year.
• Maintain data integrity through accurate participant tracking and record keeping.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, education, history, music, musicology, ethnomusicology, humanities, communications, or related field
• Knowledge of best practices in museum education, including object-based and inquiry-based learning
• Deep understanding of interdisciplinary teaching practices, including arts integration and evidence of creating engaging, cross-curricular learning experiences for diverse audiences
• A minimum of 5 years work history in a museum or school
• A minimum of 3 years supervisory experience of full-time staff
• Significant understanding of K-12 academic standards, with knowledge of social studies, American history curriculum, STEAM-based curriculum, and social and emotional learning 
• Proven ability to write high-quality, outcome-based lesson plans and curriculum
• Proven success in teaching students

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or certification in museum education, music history, musicology, ethnomusicology, history, education, or other related degree
• Knowledge of Tennessee history
• Passion for and knowledge of country music and awareness of popular music in general, including contemporary music across genres
• Experience with Tessitura and Tableau software
• Proficiency in Spanish or other language preferred
• Experience with formal program assessment and evaluation
• Experience writing and creating educational video scripts/digital content for youth audiences

Key Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Experience and passion for children and interest in their learning and development
• Dedication to providing developmentally-appropriate, engaging, and high-quality educational opportunities
• Strong project planning, time management, research, organizational, and analytical skills
• Excellent dialogue-based teaching, public speaking, and written communication skills with a high-level of attention to detail 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Eagerness to collaborate with people from a variety of backgrounds 
• Strong problem-solving, time-management, and organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task while working with accuracy and close attention to detail
• Proficiency with the Microsoft suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Interest in conducting historical research
• Exemplary customer service skills and comfort solving problems and navigating challenging situations with grace and professionalism
• Comfort navigating databases and analyzing reports

Conditions of Employment:

• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Valid driver’s license and vehicle with willingness to travel to schools throughout Nashville-Davidson County and Middle Tennessee, transporting equipment to and from programs
• Ability to lift 25 lbs.

Notes to Applicant:

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate the varied attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person unique.The Museum promotes an environment of respect, communication, and understanding, while actively providing opportunities for all employees of all backgrounds the skills, experience and information necessary to succeed. The Museum does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), national origin, political affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information or characteristics, age, membership in an employee organization, military or veteran status, or other non-merit factor. The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. 

We are a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer that welcomes all qualified candidates to apply for open positions. The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its staff and visitors. All offers of employment are subject to and contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and employment verification, including federally mandated E-Verify processes, as required for position. 

Due to the high volume of applications received for this position, hiring managers will only contact candidates they are interested in scheduling for an interview. Please refrain from calling to inquire about the status of your application.

Please upload a resume and cover letter when applying for the position. Applications are only accepted online on our career page:

https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/careers