Director of STEAM Learning & Workforce Development Experiences

STATUS: Full-time, Salary, Exempt

HOURS: Regular business hours; including weekends and evenings 

AGE REQUIREMENT: Age 21+ 

OBJECTIVE: Responsible for leading and strategically advancing COSI’s educational portfolio with a strong emphasis on Career and Technical Education (CTE), post-secondary readiness, and workforce pathways. This role oversees the design and delivery of curriculum, events, and immersive learning experiences that connect STEAM content to real-world careers, credentials, and future educational opportunities. As a member of the External Affairs Team and broader Experiences Team, this position plays a key role in developing and leveraging the COSI Connects education ecosystem—including innovative offsite learning experiences, CTE aligned learning materials, and online resources—to extend learning beyond the onsite visit and support long-term learner success.

This position ensures the highest quality, consistency, and relevance of educational experiences across the portfolio, with a focus on preparing learners for diverse postsecondary and workforce futures. Serving audiences of all ages and backgrounds—including underserved youth, K12 learners, adults, special education, and early childhood education, this role aligns programming with industry trends, postsecondary pathways, and COSI’s mission and strategic goals. The Director actively supports the COSI 5.0 Strategic Plan and advances the broader COSI ecosystem by fostering diversity and equity, applying research and evaluation, promoting a positive and innovative culture, strengthening business acumen, and embracing partnerships that expand access to CTE and career connected learning opportunities.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS / EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree in science, education, workforce development, or related field required. Master’s degree in educational field, preferred. 5-8 years’ experience in delivery of education and/or workforce development program delivery and/or operations required. Background in CTE education and knowledge of post-secondary pathways are strongly preferred. Previous museum or similar experience preferred. 3-5 years’ leadership experience required. Ideal candidate works well in a dynamic, collaborative team environment; is flexible and organized; possesses excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

ACCOUNTABILITIES/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS include, but are not limited to:

1. Lead the strategic integration and expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and post‑secondary readiness experiences across all STEAM learning environments, ensuring strong alignment with workforce pathways, credentials, and industry trends.
2. Collaborate with the Science Content Team and wider Education Team to embed CTE and postsecondary connections into curriculum, demonstrations, scripts, and informal learning experiences, emphasizing real world applications and career relevance.
3. Provide strategic oversight of offsite workforce-aligned educational experiences to ensure consistency, quality, and relevance, while minimizing direct instructional delivery and focusing on program design, alignment, and evaluation.
4. Design and lead immersive, hands-on learning experiences that connect STEAM education to real-world workforce pathways, building the durable skills, technical competencies, and career awareness aligned with high-demand industries and emerging careers.
5. Partner with the Center for Research and Evaluation to develop and implement evaluation practices that measure the impact of CTE aligned programming and postsecondary readiness outcomes across COSI’s education portfolio.
6. Collaborate with internal leaders—including Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement; Experience Design; and Exhibit Experiences—to ensure learning environments reflect inclusive, equitable, and career connected educational practices.
7. Work with COSI partners, including industry, education, and community organizations, to elevate STEAM, CTE, and career readiness opportunities onsite and throughout the broader community at local, national, and international levels.
8. Support education operations by collaborating with managers responsible for educational resources, staffing, scheduling, training, and professional development to ensure teams are prepared to deliver high quality, CTE aligned experiences.
9. Contribute to general COSI operations through participation in meetings, planning, and professional development activities, as appropriate.
10. Serve as a leader and role model for education staff by exemplifying professionalism, collaboration, and a commitment to COSI’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
11. Perform additional administrative and leadership duties as assigned by the Chief of Global Learning Experiences and STEAM Partnerships.

PERKS & BENEFITS: COSI prioritizes the health and wellness of our Team because we believe in investing in the people who make our programs and services possible. To learn more about what COSI offers, visit: https://cosi.org/careers.