Position Available: Education and Outreach Coordinator (July 2017) – Filled!

This position has been filled!

About the Department

The Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities provides geospatial support, mapping, and GIS/remote sensing solutions to researchers and logistics groups in the polar science community. We collaborate with scientists around the world to complete their research goals in a safe, timely, and efficient manner by providing a service which most groups do not have the resources or expertise to complete. Our goal is to introduce new, state-of-the-art techniques from the geospatial field to effectively solve problems in the least mapped places on Earth.

Education & Outreach (E&O) is an integral part of the PGC. Not only is it required by PGC’s funding agencies, it is the public face of the organization through our website, social media, newsletters, academic and professional conferences, and university participation. For more information on the PGC, please visit our website: www.pgc.umn.edu.

We are located on the University of Minnesota Saint Paul campus.

About the Job

The Polar Geospatial Center is seeking an experienced Education & Outreach Coordinator responsible for managing, authoring, and standardizing the organization’s education and outreach material which includes website content, digital newsletters, documentation, and print promotional/exhibition material. A major responsibility of this position is planning and organizing the annual Summer Polar Boot Camp, a weeklong workshop instructed by PGC staff on advanced GIS techniques and data products. The E&O Coordinator will also complement PGC User Services by actively responding to / engaging users. Other duties include: publication of outreach materials such as calendars, feedback/surveys; collaborating with all levels of PGC staff to curate content; and leading directed trainings, webinars, and meetings.

The successful candidate will be creative, enthusiastic, and proactive. A knack for design and excellence is desired. Proficient communication and organization skills are essential, as this position requires technical writing and event coordination to a diversely-skilled community. Applicants will be expected to participate and demonstrate experience in presenting at professional events and workshops. Most importantly, the successful candidate will engage both PGC’s user community and the public, positively representing our organization, mission, and affiliations.

This position is posted as a 0.8 FTE position (4 days/week or 32 hours/week).

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in a science, education, or communications field
• Proficiency in technical or scientific communication (oral and written), pertaining to E&O and a diverse audience
• Strong eye for graphic design and branding
• Organization and attention to detail
• Basic to advanced knowledge of GIS, geospatial data, and remote sensing concepts

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with polar (Arctic & Antarctic) science
• Post-secondary teaching experience, e.g. workshops, trainings
• Experience with publishing/design software, e.g. Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
• Experience with web design principles and content management systems (CMS), e.g. HTML/CSS/JavaScript, WordPress
• In-depth knowledge of major social media platforms, e.g. Facebook, Twitter

Primary Duties and Approximate Time Percentage

COORDINATE ANNUAL PGC POLAR BOOT CAMP (20%)

• Promote via social media, newsletter, website
• Communication with applicants: application, travel, payment
• Organize and lead event: location, schedule, coordinate sessions
• Post-event feedback/evaluation

ORGANIZE USER SERVICES COMMUNICATION AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION (20%)

• Update and create internal and external User Services technical documentation & materials
• Liaise General Questions from PGC Users
• Respond to website feedback (user accounts, outages, declined requests, etc.)
• Organize PGC Speaker Series (webinars, trainings, guest presentations, etc.)
• Author and Manage User Survey to assess and improve user engagement

MANAGE WEBSITE CONTENT UPDATES AND PGC SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS (20%)

• Publish News/Posts
• Format/publish “PGC Vignettes”
• Update PGC Staff and Student information
• Promote PGC related news and activities via PGC Social Media Account

AUTHOR PGC DIGITAL NEWSLETTER (15%)

• Monthly news and updates
• Special announcements

CREATE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS (15%)

• Produce NSF Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium (a2dc) annual calendar
• Design PGC “graphics” as required (office signs, branding, postcards, etc.)

REPRESENT PGG AT MAJOR CONFERENCES (10%)

• Booth coordination
• General public speaking and promotion of PGC services

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the University of Minnesota. Please follow the instructions provided on the site.

APPLY NOW!

Current University of Minnesota employees, use this link instead.