Vice President of Wildlife Education Programs - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international, nonprofit conservation organization with two front doors: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We integrate wildlife health and care, science, and education to develop sustainable conservation solutions.

HOW YOU WILL IMPACT OUR MISSION

The Vice President of Wildlife Education provides strategic leadership and advisory expertise to advance the quality and impact of wildlife education across San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. This role partners with Education Directors across the Zoo, Park, Conservation Science, and Society, who brings a mission-centered, cross-divisional perspective to program development and strategic planning. Success in this position is achieved through expert consultation, collaborative relationships, and the ability to influence and align diverse teams toward shared educational goals. This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer and indirectly oversees Education Directors.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Serve as a senior advisor and thought partner to Education Directors across the Zoo, Park, Conservation Science, and Society, providing expert guidance on program quality, curriculum strategy, and alignment with the organization's conservation mission with indirect supervisory authority.

• Oversee Library Staff, including but not limited to, hiring, performance management, coaching, mentoring and training; Directs the day-to-day operations of the library, ensuring efficient, safe and customer focused services.

• Develops and advances long-range and short-term strategic plans that reflect a cohesive, organization-wide vision for wildlife education, translating organizational priorities into actionable strategies that Directors can implement within their respective teams.

• Builds and sustains trusted relationships across the Zoo, Park, Conservation Science, and Society to foster alignment and drive results through influence and collaboration, navigating distinct organizational cultures with a solutions-oriented, mission-focused approach.

• Participates actively in cross-functional leadership conversations to ensure educational perspectives are represented in key decisions, and serves as a strategic bridge between Society-level planning and Zoo, Park, and Conservation Science operations.

• Assesses the community and conservation impact of wildlife education programs, analyzing data and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities for growth and improvement, and prepares reports and presentations tailored to a range of audiences.

• Provides guidance and subject matter expertise in the development of educational graphics, signage, and interpretive content, establishing quality and consistency standards across all channels that reflect the organization's values and conservation mission.

• Coordinate Alliance-wide education related philanthropic activities, including grants, stewardship events and proposals.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

JOB EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in Education or related field required.

• Experience in a zoo, museum, or other information learning center preferred.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Graduate degree in Education or related field required.

• Teaching certification required upon hired.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Learning theories and interpretative technique.

• Familiarity of educational evaluations informal and formal programs.

• Deep understanding of State and National educational standards for multiple disciplines. (CCSS and NGSS).

• A track record of leading diverse teams to implement ambitious change.

• Proficiency in office software applications including word, spreadsheets, database management, and presentation software.

• Develop, coordinate, and implement education programming in person and virtually as well as an understanding of connecting field trip and assembly content to standards based classroom content

• Develop, monitor, and administer budgets

• Subject matter knowledge in conservation, sustainability and environmental education.

• Leadership skills and proven ability to work effectively with cross functional teams and with others.

• Communicate effectively (verbal and written)

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, priorities, and stakeholder needs while building alignment, strengthening cross-team collaboration, and driving successful outcomes across SDZWA Education teams.

• Demonstrates expertise in education fundraising, donor stewardship, and grant and award administration, including compliance, reporting, and relationship management.

SOME OF THE REWARDS YOU WILL ENJOY AS A TEAM MEMBER

• Free admission to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

• Family Passes

• Complimentary Tickets

• Free Parking at the San Diego Zoo & San Diego Zoo Safari Park

• Local and In-House Discounts

• Employee Assistance Program

• Wellness Program

IMPORTANT DETAILS

• Location: San Diego , CA

• Position Type: Salaried Full-Time Exempt Position

• Salary Range: $173,982 to $195,730

About The Salary Ranges

The posted salary range represents the full compensation potential for this role over time. Initial hiring offers are typically made within the lower to mid portion of the range and are based on a combination of relevant experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and organizational considerations. Placement near the top of the range is generally reserved for individuals who demonstrate sustained performance, growth, and expanded responsibilities in the role over time.

Fraudulent Recruiting

Beware of fraudulent recruiting. Legitimate San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance contacts will use an @sdzwa.org email address. We do not request money, checks, equipment orders, or sensitive personal data during the recruitment process. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance only conducts interviews via phone, Zoom, Teams or in-person.

If you have been asked for any of the above, or believe you have been contacted by someone posing as a San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance employee, please e-mail [email protected]. If you feel that you have been the victim of fraud, please contact your financial institution(s) immediately.

At San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, we celebrate our differences and foster a culture of belonging. Diversity strengthens our employees, enriches our guests’ experiences, deepens our connection to our community, and supports the wildlife we serve.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, please email your request to [email protected] and provide the job title and location to which you are applying.

As a Federal Contractor, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is required to participate in the E-Verify Program to confirm eligibility to work in the United States. We are not offering sponsorship for this position at this time.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a drug free workplace.