Vice President of Educational Programming

Position Summary

The Vice President of Educational Programming serves as the senior leader responsible for transforming ARI’s archaeological research, cultural resource preservation, land stewardship initiatives, experimental archaeology projects, and historical investigations into meaningful educational experiences that inspire curiosity, stewardship, and lifelong learning.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Vice President of Operations, Director of Finance, and departmental leaders across the organization, this position develops educational strategies and experiences that connect people to the cultures, landscapes, technologies, and stories that have shaped our region for thousands of years.

ARI does not simply teach archaeology, preservation, and stewardship—it actively practices them. The Vice President of Educational Programming ensures these efforts are transformed into meaningful educational experiences that inspire people to care about the past and participate in protecting cultural resources for future generations.

The Vice President of Educational Programming provides strategic leadership for youth education, educator resources, adult learning, public programming, interpretive experiences, and educational innovation. Through collaborative leadership and organizational storytelling, this position helps build a public that values archaeology, preservation, stewardship, scientific inquiry, and the responsible interpretation of the past.

As a member of ARI’s leadership team, this position is responsible for educational excellence, audience growth, departmental performance, financial stewardship, mission impact, and ensuring that education serves as a bridge between ARI’s mission-driven work and the communities it serves.

The ideal candidate may come from education, archaeology, museums, nonprofit leadership, business administration, hospitality, tourism, or another mission-driven field, but will possess a demonstrated ability to translate organizational goals and expertise into impactful educational experiences that advance both mission and sustainability.

 

Reporting Relationships

Reports To

• Executive Director
• Vice President of Operations

Direct Reports

• Director of Youth Education & Educator Resources
• Director of Adult Education & Lifelong Learning
• Additional educational staff, contractors, interns, and volunteers as assigned

Works Closely With

• VP of Finance
• VP of Institutional Advancement
• VP of Archaeological Research & Preservation
• ARI Board of Directors
• Educational Programming Committee
• Archaeology Department
• Land Stewardship Department
• Historic Research & Preservation Department
• Institutional Advancement Department
• Marketing & Communications Department
• Volunteer Engagement Team
• Members, Volunteers, and Community Partners

 

Essential Responsibilities

Educational Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and implement a comprehensive educational strategy that advances ARI’s mission, vision, strategic priorities, and organizational goals.
• Lead the development and ongoing refinement of ARI’s educational philosophy, interpretive framework, and learning outcomes to ensure a consistent and impactful educational experience across all public-facing initiatives.
• Establish annual departmental goals, budgets, revenue targets, performance measures, and strategic priorities in partnership with the Executive Director, Vice President of Operations, and Director of Finance.
• Ensure educational programming reflects current archaeological investigations, cultural resource management efforts, land stewardship projects, experimental archaeology initiatives, and historical research.
• Position ARI as a regional and national leader in experiential, place-based, and research-driven education.
• Identify opportunities for educational innovation, partnerships, audience growth, emerging technologies, and organizational advancement.
• Develop long-term strategies that increase public understanding, stewardship, and support for cultural resource preservation.
• Ensure educational initiatives support ARI’s broader goals related to research, preservation, stewardship, public engagement, membership growth, volunteerism, and fundraising.

Program Development & Educational Impact

• Provide strategic oversight for all educational programs, including youth programs, educator resources, field trips, camps, workshops, tours, lectures, public experiences, digital learning initiatives, and lifelong learning opportunities.
• Ensure programs communicate not only what we know about the past, but how knowledge is discovered, evaluated, preserved, and shared.
• Ensure ARI’s educational experiences communicate the value of preservation, stewardship, scientific inquiry, and responsible cultural resource management.
• Develop educational pathways that allow participants to deepen their involvement over time—from introductory experiences to advanced learning opportunities, volunteer service, memberships, stewardship initiatives, research participation, and advocacy.
• Foster educational experiences that encourage critical thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, and a sense of responsibility for protecting cultural and natural resources.
• Support the development of innovative educational tools, curriculum resources, immersive interpretation methods, digital learning platforms, and technology-enhanced educational experiences.
• Regularly evaluate programs and identify opportunities for growth, improvement, and innovation.
• Establish goals, expectations, and standards for educational facilitators and staff.
• Ensure educational experiences remain relevant, engaging, accessible, and aligned with participant needs and organizational priorities.

Stewardship of Educational Excellence

• Ensure all educational experiences reflect ARI’s mission, values, and commitment to accurate interpretation.
• Establish, monitor, and evaluate learning outcomes across educational offerings.
• Maintain standards for educational content, facilitation, participant experience, accessibility, risk management, and safety.
• Promote innovation while preserving educational quality, authenticity, and organizational integrity.
• Utilize participant feedback, evaluation data, and organizational metrics to improve educational effectiveness.
• Regularly participate in educational experiences to evaluate effectiveness and remain connected to participants, volunteers, educators, and staff.
• Champion a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and excellence throughout the Educational Programming Department.

Educational & Mission Impact Evaluation

• Develop and implement systems to evaluate educational effectiveness, participant outcomes, and mission impact across all educational programs, experiences, and initiatives.
• Establish key performance indicators that measure both educational outcomes and organizational impact.
• Assess programs based on participant learning, engagement, stewardship outcomes, volunteer conversion, membership growth, community awareness, donor engagement, and support for ARI’s mission.
• Evaluate the extent to which educational programs advance organizational goals related to archaeology, preservation, stewardship, historical research, public engagement, and cultural resource protection.
• Work collaboratively with department leaders to identify opportunities for educational initiatives to support research, preservation, stewardship, fundraising, membership development, volunteer engagement, and organizational sustainability.
• Utilize qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate program success, inform decision-making, and guide resource allocation.
• Regularly review educational program portfolios to ensure organizational resources are aligned with strategic priorities and mission impact.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and outcome measures that communicate educational and mission-driven results to leadership, staff, board members, funders, and stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of evidence-based decision-making, continuous improvement, and organizational learning throughout the Educational Programming Department.

Leadership & Staff Development

• Lead, mentor, supervise, and evaluate educational leadership staff.
• Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Support staff professional development, leadership growth, and succession planning.
• Build and maintain a high-performing educational team capable of delivering exceptional participant experiences.
• Encourage educational staff to remain connected to ARI’s active research, preservation, stewardship, and community engagement efforts.
• Empower team members to develop innovative programs, partnerships, and educational initiatives.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with Archaeology, Land Stewardship, Historic Research & Preservation, Institutional Advancement, Marketing, Volunteer Engagement, Operations, and Finance to ensure educational experiences accurately reflect and support organizational initiatives.
• Facilitate the translation of research findings, fieldwork, preservation efforts, stewardship projects, and historical investigations into compelling educational opportunities.
• Encourage staff across all departments to contribute their expertise to educational programming and public engagement efforts.
• Ensure educational opportunities are embedded throughout ARI’s operations and are not limited to the Educational Programming Department.
• Create pathways for every department to contribute to public learning, interpretation, and engagement.
• Ensure educational programming strengthens organizational goals related to preservation, research, stewardship, public awareness, membership growth, volunteer engagement, fundraising, and community support.
• Serve as a connector between departments, helping transform organizational work into meaningful public experiences.

Financial & Operational Management

• Develop and manage departmental budgets and resources responsibly.
• Work closely with the Director of Finance to develop annual departmental budgets, revenue targets, and financial forecasts.
• Monitor budget performance throughout the year and make recommendations to align expenditures and resources with departmental goals and organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance to evaluate program profitability, cost recovery, earned revenue opportunities, and long-term financial sustainability.
• Monitor participation, earned revenue, expenses, educational outcomes, and key performance indicators.
• Utilize financial data, participation trends, and organizational metrics to inform strategic planning and decision-making.
• Contribute to ARI’s annual budgeting process and support the development of multi-year financial projections related to educational programming.
• Work closely with the Vice President of Operations to ensure educational programs are operationally efficient, safe, and sustainable.
• Support grant opportunities, sponsorship development, membership growth, donor engagement initiatives, and earned-revenue opportunities related to educational programming.

Community & Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a member of ARI’s leadership team.
• Build strategic relationships with schools, educators, universities, Indigenous descendant communities, museums, government agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and community partners to expand ARI’s educational impact and create mutually beneficial opportunities.
• Represent ARI at conferences, community events, professional organizations, public meetings, and speaking engagements.
• Serve as a spokesperson and advocate for ARI’s educational mission.
• Promote public understanding of archaeology, preservation, stewardship, and the importance of protecting cultural resources.
• Champion ARI’s role as a trusted community resource for education, preservation, research, and stewardship.
• Support organizational fundraising, membership growth, donor engagement, and public awareness efforts.

 

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Archaeology, Anthropology, History, Historic Preservation, Environmental Education, Cultural Resource Management, Museum Studies, Business Administration, Nonprofit Leadership, Organizational Leadership, or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in education, public engagement, cultural institutions, nonprofit organizations, tourism, hospitality, mission-driven enterprises, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing complex projects, and achieving organizational goals.
• Experience developing educational programs, public engagement initiatives, experiential learning opportunities, or customer-facing experiences.
• Strong communication, organizational, financial, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and collaboration in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Experience developing and managing budgets, forecasts, performance metrics, and strategic initiatives.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Education, Archaeology, Public History, Museum Studies, Business Administration (MBA), Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, or a related field.
• Experience in archaeology, public history, environmental education, cultural resource management, heritage tourism, museums, experiential learning, or mission-driven organizations.
• Experience working with grant-funded initiatives and strategic partnerships.
• Knowledge of curriculum development, educational technology, interpretive planning, and informal learning environments.
• Experience managing earned revenue programs and evaluating organizational impact.

 

Benefits

ARI offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support work-life balance, professional growth, and employee well-being, including:

• 20 vacation days annually
• 5 personal days annually
• 5 sick days annually
• Organizational closures during Thanksgiving Week
• Organizational closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Additional recognized holidays
• Professional development and continuing education opportunities
• Opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, and industry events
• Flexible work arrangements when operationally appropriate
• The opportunity to help shape one of the region’s most innovative organizations focused on archaeology, preservation, stewardship, research, and public education

ARI believes that investing in its team strengthens its ability to serve the public, advance research, preserve cultural resources, and inspire future generations.

 

Success Measures

Success in this position will be measured by:

• Growth in participation across youth, educator, and adult educational programs.
• Achievement of annual departmental goals, strategic priorities, and financial targets.
• Educational quality, participant satisfaction, and measurable learning outcomes.
• Demonstrated contribution to ARI’s mission through increased public understanding of archaeology, preservation, stewardship, and cultural resource management.
• Measurable support of organizational goals related to research, preservation, stewardship, historical investigation, and public awareness.
• Growth in volunteer, member, donor, and participant engagement pathways.
• Development of innovative educational experiences rooted in ARI’s active work and mission.
• Effective leadership, retention, and professional growth of educational staff.
• Strong collaboration across departments.
• Financial sustainability, earned revenue growth, and responsible budget management.
• Effective evaluation and reporting of educational and mission-driven outcomes.
• Advancement of ARI’s mission through meaningful educational experiences that connect people to the past and inspire action for the future.

 

Leadership Philosophy

The Vice President of Educational Programming believes that education is most meaningful when people are invited to participate in discovery rather than simply observe it. This leader creates opportunities for learners to connect with real places, real research, and real stories while developing a deeper understanding of their role in preserving and stewarding cultural resources for future generations.

Through curiosity, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship, this leader helps transform ARI’s work into experiences that inspire people to explore the past, engage with the present, and protect cultural resources for generations to come.