Additional Info

• Set overall departmental vision with clear goals and measurable outcomes. Represent departmental priorities and projects to Museum leadership, staff, and external stakeholders.
• Develop and implement all formal educational curriculum for the Museum that aligns with State education standards, engage students, and support educators.
• Develop and manage the department’s annual budget.
• Represent the department to the public at events, conferences, in the media, and in other circumstances as needed.
• Manage, recruit, and train volunteers to support department activities and events. These volunteers should be considered independent from the MONA Docents, who largely support tours via the Tour and Outreach Coordinator.
• Contribute to grant applications and fundraising materials in coordination with Development.
• Serve as department liaison to the Education Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Manage Tours & Outreach Coordinator and serve as direct supervisor

• Lead interpretive program planning for exhibitions in collaboration with the Curator to ensure content and interpretive techniques best meet audiences’ needs. Develop and implement onsite, outreach, and virtual programs relating to special exhibitions and collections for a diverse range of audiences.
• Provide a program vision for the Community Studio, a hands-on education space for all ages; schedule and implement as resources allow.
• Provide support to the Tour and Outreach Coordinator for student and other public tours as needed.

• Serve as liaison to the University of Nebraska at Kearney faculty and staff, including but not limited to Art Department, Education Department, and other partnering faculty on curriculum-related opportunities.
• Build and maintain partnerships with other like-minded organizations locally and state-wide, including but not limited to the Kearney Cultural Partners, Rowe Sanctuary, Sheldon Museum of Art, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Gallery 1516, Joslyn Art Museum, Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art, and others.
• Lead and manage other annual public events and programs, including the student art show and MONA Makers Day.

The Director of Learning and Engagement requires expertise in museum education, curriculum development, community engagement, and program management, along with the ability to design inclusive learning experiences that align with educational standards and support diverse audiences. Success in this role depends on strong leadership, communication, partnership-building, budgeting, project management, fundraising support, and supervisory skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with educators, artists, volunteers, community organizations, and museum staff.

The Director of Learning and Engagement regularly makes strategic and operational decisions regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs, public events, exhibition interpretation, and community engagement initiatives to ensure alignment with the museum’s mission, audience needs, and available resources. Typical problems solved include adapting programs to serve diverse learners, balancing budget and staffing constraints, managing competing priorities, building and maintaining community partnerships, addressing program participation and accessibility challenges, supervising staff and volunteers, and determining effective educational and interpretive approaches for exhibitions and outreach activities.

The Director of Learning and Engagement holds significant influence within the Museum of Nebraska Art by establishing the vision, priorities, and direction for all educational, interpretive, outreach, and community engagement activities. Decisions made in this role directly affect program quality, audience engagement, community partnerships, resource allocation, and the achievement of the museum’s strategic goals, while also shaping the museum’s public reputation and impact throughout Nebraska.

Within the broader University of Nebraska at Kearney community, the position influences collaboration between MONA and academic departments, faculty, students, and community partners by creating educational opportunities, supporting curriculum-related initiatives, and fostering meaningful connections between the museum and the university. The role's decisions help expand access to arts education, strengthen community engagement, and enhance cultural and experiential learning opportunities for both the campus and the region.

Very quickly determined

This position is responsible for developing, managing, monitoring, and making recommendations regarding the department’s annual budget, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to support educational programs, public engagement initiatives, staffing, and strategic priorities. The budget ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 for the Education Division

Decisions and recommendations made by this position have a substantial impact on the department and campus by influencing the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of educational programming, community engagement efforts, exhibition interpretation, and collaborative partnerships. These decisions affect resource utilization, program participation, student and community learning experiences, the museum’s achievement of strategic goals, and the strength of relationships between the museum, the university, and external stakeholders throughout Nebraska.

This position maintains frequent and ongoing contact with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to support educational programming, community engagement, and organizational goals. Internally, the Director collaborates regularly with museum leadership, curatorial staff, development staff, board committees, and supervised employees to plan programs, develop exhibitions, manage budgets, coordinate fundraising efforts, and advance strategic initiatives. Externally, the position interacts routinely with UNK faculty and staff, K–12 educators, artists, volunteers, community organizations, cultural institutions, donors, media representatives, and members of the public to build partnerships, coordinate outreach activities, promote museum programs, secure resources, and strengthen the museum’s role as an educational and cultural resource for the university and the broader community.

This position reports directly to the Executive Director of the Museum of Nebraska Art and operates with a high degree of independence in managing the Learning and Engagement department. The Executive Director provides overall strategic direction, establishes organizational priorities, and reviews major initiatives, budgets, and outcomes, while the Director is entrusted with independently planning, implementing, and evaluating educational programs, community engagement activities, partnerships, staffing, and day-to-day departmental operations.

Yes

Managerial/ Professional

The Director of Learning and Engagement directly supervises the Tours and Outreach Coordinator and provides leadership, guidance, performance management, and professional development support for that position. The Director is responsible for assigning and prioritizing work, evaluating performance, ensuring the successful coordination of tours and outreach activities, and aligning the Coordinator’s efforts with departmental goals, educational objectives, and the museum’s broader strategic priorities. The Director also recruits, trains, and oversees volunteers who support educational programs, public events, and community engagement initiatives.

Office,Classroom