Career Opportunities
Join Our Team
Education
Garden & Farm Curator (Full-Time)
Reporting to the Manager of Heckscher Farm, the Garden & Farm Products Curator position is a full-time, non-exempt position working primarily Sunday-Wednesday, with winter hours (November to March) of 7 am-5pm and summer hours of 8 am-6pm (March through October) (36 hours), although some early/evening hours and weekend days per month (outside of regularly scheduled special events) will be required.
This position will be responsible for overseeing our Organic Vegetable Garden and Sunday Farm Market (June-October), as well as aiding in all other farm productions. The Garden & Farm Curator will also help with daily animal care on the farm, will help to supervise volunteers, interns, and part-time staff and will serve as on-site manager when the supervisor is not present. This position will help staff our major festivals and may help with the teaching of farm-based school programs and after-schools.
Specifically, the Garden & Farm Products Curator (Full-Time) will:
- Oversee our organic vegetable garden, including choosing plantings, propagating seeds, ordering plants, maintaining soil, harvesting, and maintaining year-round living collection in our small greenhouse
- Help to coordinate our winter and summer/fall Sunday Farm Market including recruiting and retaining vendors, helping to set up market programs and special events
- Aid in daily care of farm animals, including feeding, watering, enrichment, exercising, and cleaning
- Oversee and direct volunteers, interns, and part-time staff
- Aid in recruitment and management of garden volunteers
- Aid in the teaching of farm-based school, after school programs, and public programs
- Serve as on-site manager in absence of supervisor
- Help to maintain accurate records for permits and files
- Provide interpretation to the general public while on the farm
- Work with the Director of Education and Manager of Heckscher Farm to potentially add new items for farm production
- Additional duties as assigned
Qualifications & Essential Skills:
- Minimum of two years relevant, professional related experience in agriculture or with gardens
- Preferred B.S/B.A. in agriculture, education, science or similar field
- The position requires excellent communications skills, oral and written, as well as the ability to multitask and think creatively on program development and implementation.
- Able to lift 50 lbs., bend, stretch, stand for extended periods of time, climb stairs, twist, sit, walk, and/or run.
- Experience handling, caring for, and teaching with farm animals or a willingness to learn
- Excellent Internet and research skills. Must be well-organized and detail-diligent with ability to perform your own administrative work
- Must be a great team player but also able work well independently
Compensation: Yearly salary commensurate with experience and consistent with the staffing of a non-profit organization; excellent full benefits package, and numerous perks including garden produce
To apply:
Please send resume and cover letter to (e-mail preferred)
Victoria Jaffery, Co-Manager of Heckscher Farm
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
39 Scofieldtown Road
Stamford, CT 06903
vjaffery@stamfordmuseum.org
About the Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is a 118-acre not-for-profit museum, working farm and environmental educational facility situated on the former estate of fashion magnate Henri Bendel. The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction. We seek to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibits, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor's experience of our unique site.
Environmental Educator & Visitor Experience Specialist (Full-Time)
Reporting to the Environmental Education Supervisor, the Environmental Educator & Visitor Experience Specialist position is a full-time, non-exempt position working Sunday-Wednesday from September-mid June and Monday-Friday from mid-June-August, although some early/evening hours and weekend days per month (outside of regularly scheduled special events) will be required. This position will be responsible for teaching a variety of natural history and farm-themed school and after school programs for groups, primarily aged preK-5th grade and will also aid in the teaching and development of our scout offerings, public programs, and nature birthday parties. This position will be responsible for creating robust on-site and web-based educational materials focusing on the various aspects of the SM&NC that will enhance individual and self-guided group experiences during visits. This position will also work with our summer camp programs in some capacity.
This position has an anticipated start time of mid to end of January.
Specifically, the Environmental Educator & Visitor Experience Specialist (Full-Time) will:
- Create robust, varied, and dynamic self-guided materials, such as Explorers backpacks, scavenger hunts, exhibition-related materials, and trail guides, that extend and enhance the self-guided visitor experience
- Provide information and training to Visitors Services and environmental education staff
- Teach educational programs for predominantly preK-5th grade students on a variety of natural history, astronomy, and farm-based topics, both onsite and as a part of SMNC in the Schools, including live animal programs.
- Teach after school programs on natural history/farm/science topics, both onsite and as a part of SMNC in the Schools and keep curriculum records on these programs
- Teach scout and public programs, including but not limited to Vacation Break Out Days, Vacation Drop Off Days, Take a Hike Week, and Outdoor Adventurers programs.
- Help to ensure that programs promote responsible environmental education and support SM&NC mission
- Aid in care and feeding of reptile, mammal, amphibian, and invertebrate teaching animals
- Provide interpretation and animal care in our Heckscher WILD! live animal exhibit;
- Additional duties as assigned
Qualifications & Essential Skills:
- Minimum of one years relevant, professional related experience.
- Minimum B.S. in biology, environmental science, education or related field.
- The position requires excellent communications skills, oral and written, as well as the ability to multitask and think creatively on program development and implementation.
- Able to lift 50 lbs., bend, stretch, stand for extended periods of time, climb stairs, twist, sit, walk, and/or run.
- Interest in variety of natural history, farm, and/or physical science topics
- Experience handling, caring for, and teaching with a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, and mammals or willingness to learn
- Excellent interactions with the public and use of exhibits and components as a teaching tool
- Excellent Internet & research skills. Must be well-organized with ability to perform your own administrative work
Compensation: Yearly salary commensurate with experience and consistent with the staffing of a non-profit organization; excellent full benefits package, including 2 weeks paid vacation, paid holidays, and sick time.
To apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume to (e-mail preferred):
Emily Carreiro, Environmental Education Supervisor
ecarreiro@stamfordmuseum.org
SM&NC
39 Scofieldtown Road
Stamford, CT 06903
About the Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is a 118-acre not-for-profit museum, working farm and environmental educational facility situated on the former estate of fashion magnate Henri Bendel. The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction. We seek to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibits, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor's experience of our unique site.
Education -- Preschool
Co-Teacher (Part-Time)
To teach children and manage classroom/outdoors with their Co-Teacher.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develops curriculum based on resources available at SM&NC.
- Prepares daily lesson plans
- Responsible for all children enrolled in designated class.
- Keeps records of attendance for children and other staff in designated class.
- Keeps records of performance for children and other staff in designated class.
- Keeps materials in room orderly.
- Directs other staff in classroom
- Changes materials in room to reflect curriculum
- Completes all responsibilities in a timely manner
- Communicates with parents on an ongoing basis
- Attends monthly staff meetings & development workshops
- Reports to the Preschool Director any concerns or challenges related to designated class
CONTACT & RELATIONSHIPS:
- Provide information to families of children enrolled about classroom activities
- Maintain professional demeanor providing information to families concerning their child
- Confer with the Preschool any concerns about children
- Be aware of current happenings at the museum
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS
- Must meet State of CT requirements to be a Teacher
- Minimum Associates in Early Childhood Education or a related field.
- Preschool experience a plus
- Strong written and verbal communications skills.
- Must be comfortable in the outdoor environment and use the outdoor environment on a regular basis to support curriculum.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Windows environment
- Comfortable with animals and willingness to learn how to handle certain animals to enhance curriculum and use both in the classroom and outdoors
- Bi-lingual English/Spanish a plus
- Certified in First Aid, CPR and Epi-pen
Please note this is a part-time position that starts at 1:00PM
Send inquiries to Lisa Combs at LCombs@stamfordmuseum.org
About the Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is a 118-acre not-for-profit museum, working farm and environmental educational facility situated on the former estate of fashion magnate Henri Bendel. The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction. We seek to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibits, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor's experience of our unique site.
Substitute Teacher (Part-Time)
Provides support and help in the classroom/outdoors as directed by the Lead Teacher or Co-Teacher on an as needed basis.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist Lead or Co-Teacher with daily classroom responsibilities
- Complete assigned responsibilities in a timely manner
- Report any concerns or challenges related to designated class to the Lead or Co-teacher
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Preschool experience a plus
- Must possess a maturity to have professional, respectful demeanor with parents, children and staff
- Must be comfortable teaching in an outdoor environment
- Must be certified in First Aid, Medication Training and CPR
- Must be fingerprinted and have an Office of Early Childhood Background check every five years
- Bi-lingual a plus
To apply please send your resume to Lisa Combs, Preschool Director, at LCombs@Stamfordmuseum.org
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
About the Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is a 118-acre not-for-profit museum, working farm and environmental educational facility situated on the former estate of fashion magnate Henri Bendel. The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction. We seek to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibits, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor's experience of our unique site.
Internships
Introduction
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, serves as a resource for Stamford families and those in surrounding communities. Our 118-acre grounds contain hiking trails and “Wheels in the Woods” universally accessible trail, a working farm, galleries, a playground, picnic areas, organic garden, maple sugar house, planetarium, and an observatory. We offer educational programming both on-site and off-site to over 12,000 students each year. The proceeds from SM&NC’s special events, such as family festival days and annual wine tasting, directly support our educational programs. The SM&NC is a member of the Maple Producers Association of Connecticut.
Goals of the Internship
The chosen intern will receive hands-on experience and training in all aspects of running a seasonal Maple Syrup operation, including tapping, sap collection and processing, reverse osmosis technology use, syrup finishing, grading, and bottling. The intern will work directly with our Maple Sugaring team, including our Farm Operations Manager & Director of Education.
Duties
The Maple Syrup Production Intern will receive hands-on training by:
- Aiding in the tapping of our maple sugarbush and preparation of collection materials such as buckets, bags, and lines
- Aid in collection of maple sap and transportation to our Maple Sugar House
- Aid in all aspects of syrup production including fuel processing, monitoring of evaporator, cleaning of equipment, operation of reverse osmosis machine, and preparing product for bottling
- Aid staff in bottling and labeling product for sale; aid in tracking of production for USDA
The intern will ideally work 8-10 hours per week starting at the beginning of February and running through mid-to-late March (depending on season). Internship hours will, ideally, be Saturday morning or afternoon and 1-2 afternoons per week. This is an unpaid internship. Must be 16 years of age at the minimum.
To apply, please send a letter of interest to:
Lisa Monachelli
Director of Education
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
39 Scofieldtown Road
Stamford, CT 06903
lmonachelli@stamfordmuseum.org
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.