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Job Summary

LIGO Laboratory (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) seeks a highly motivated and skilled LIGO Science Education Center Program Leader to join its education and public outreach team.  

This position is located in Livingston, LA and is an in-person role.

LIGO Laboratory is a National Science Foundation major facility dedicated to observing the newly discovered gravitational-wave universe. Jointly operated by the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the LIGO Laboratory operates world-leading observatories near Richland, WA and Baton Rouge, LA as well as R&D centers on the Caltech and MIT campuses. The LIGO Laboratory’s mission spans a broad and vibrant array of activities related to gravitational-wave physics and astronomy, including detector operations, R&D toward detector improvements, gravitational-wave astrophysics, observatory operations, and education and public outreach.

The LIGO Science Education Center (LIGO SEC) is collocated with the LIGO observatory in Livingston, Louisiana. We use an exhibit hall, classroom, and other facilities to provide visiting students, teachers, and members of the public a hybrid program that includes exhibit-based free exploration and science-standards-based facilitated sessions, together with interactions with the staff at an active leading-edge observatory.

We use a multi-pronged approach to serve regional K–12 education, consisting of formal teacher professional development in the physical sciences, primarily during the summer; informal field trips for students of those teachers; and undergraduate docents trained in outreach methods who informally interact with the students and teachers during the academic year.

Our informal-science educators communicate the science of gravitational waves utilizing standard K-12 physical science concepts, as part of our mission to inspire a sense of wonder, to engage curiosity and to encourage the future STEM workforce. In order to accomplish our objectives, we partner with a variety of institutions including San Francisco’s Exploratorium and Southern University.

For more information, please visit the Laboratory website at www.ligo.caltech.edu/LA 

Essential Job Duties

Reporting to the observatory head, the LIGO Science Education Center program leader actively leads LIGO Livingston’s education and public outreach team to fulfill the center’s mission to inspire a sense of wonder, engage curiosity and encourage the future Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) workforce. 

Duties of this position:

• Lead and supervise the LIGO SEC staff, normally two additional full-time Caltech educators
• Develop, plan, lead and execute LIGO SEC programs, including K–12 field trips, teacher professional development, and public events.
• Manage, develop and seek to improve the Science Education Center’s exhibits and other educational offerings.
• Represent LIGO Livingston with existing program partners and allied organizations. Manage existing partnership activities and cultivate new ones.
• Represent LIGO Livingston in national and international collaborations, such as the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s EPO working group.
• Lead LIGO Livingston’s aspect of the LIGO Laboratory’s strategic planning of and execution of joint EPO programs.
• Manage LIGO Livingston’s role in an existing NSF-funded SEC partnership collaborative grant, including budget and staff planning, record-keeping, coordination with sub-awardees, and communication with the funding agency.
• Contribute to the LIGO Laboratory’s reporting and communications with the NSF about its main cooperative agreement.
• Coordinate and oversee interactions with external media at LLO. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a scientific or engineering field, or in education. Six years of equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 8 or more years of experience working as a formal or informal science educator, program leader, or evaluator, including experience gained as part of a relevant degree program.
• Knowledge of informal science education principles and practice.
• Knowledge of, and experience implementing, the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for K–12 education.
• Knowledge and experience in the evaluation of program efficacy, quantitatively, qualitatively, or using mixed methods.
• Experience managing science education staff involved in either formal or informal programs.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates with one or more of the following preferred qualifications are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Masters or Doctorate in a STEM field or education.
• Experience in community partnership or collaboration building.
• Experience teaching, mentoring or leading groups of young people, including the K–12 range.
• Experience working in a museum setting, especially one specializing in STEM topics.
• Experience working in a university or other large research laboratory setting.  
• Research experience or coursework in physics, optics or astronomy.
• Experience obtaining and administrating federal, state or private grants.
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and maintaining physical-science exhibits; or hands-on experience with science or engineering instruments generally.
• Extensive understanding or experience using both informal and formal science education methods.
• Experience working with educational communities similar to those in south Louisiana where LIGO Livingston operates its observatory.

Required Documents

• Cover letter summarizing your relevant experience and expressing clearly your specific interest in working at LIGO Livingston Observatory.
• Resume