Director, Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory

Make your application after reading the following skill and qualification requirements for this position.

How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skills.

Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations).

For questions about this role or accommodation requests, contact email protected .

Job Summary

Join us at the Bentley Historical Library as the Director of the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory. Reporting to the library director, you will lead a team of 2 staff members, manage our historic observatory and astronomy instruments, and develop exhibits and programs focused on the history of the University of Michigan and science.

You will set the vision, establish goals, oversee daily operations, and collaborate with library colleagues as part of Bentley's leadership team.

The Observatory is a symbol of U-M's leading edge role in research and education and supports the Bentley Historical Library's mission through innovative programming, partnerships, and exhibits.

Located on central campus, it serves as an extension of the Bentley, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This position will be primarily onsite in Ann Arbor, Michigan with some remote work possible. Flexibility is needed to accommodate occasional weekends, evenings, and holidays for operational and emergency needs.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include :

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Responsibilities*

• Oversee the design and implementation of engaged learning for students and the public with a focus on U-M history, informal astronomy education, and the history of science and research and its relation to U-M history and contemporary science and society.
• Center the Observatory's student docents in the development and implementation of programming.
• Collaborate with the Bentley public engagement team on Detroit Observatory programming, including class visits, physical and digital exhibits, tours, lectures, and other interpretive activities.
• Work with the university history team to develop and promote the study of and interest in U-M history.
• Collaborate with the Bentley advancement team to implement a communications plan and engage and steward Observatory donors and fundraise for the Observatory.
• Work with U-M's Inclusive History Project to develop U-M history programming that focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and redresses historical inequalities and erasures.
• Ensure proper maintenance and utilization of facilities, including stewardship of the historic building and Observatory collections.
• Pursue new collaborations with university units, alums, and community organizations.
• Recruit and supervise staff, with a focus on effectively delegating and empowering team members and cultivating a culture of collaboration and inclusion.

Required Qualifications*

• Advanced degree in a relevant field, such as science, education, history, public history, museum studies, or libraries and archives or a combination of education and experience.
• Experience working with rare and unique materials and interpreting them for the public.
• Knowledge of best practices for exhibitions from proposal to deinstallation.
• Passion for working with students and connecting new and diverse audiences with history and science programming.
• Experience delivering clear, effective, and engaging public presentations tailored to diverse audiences.
• Experience building relationships with stakeholders, including under-represented communities.
• 1+ years experience supervising staff, including student employees, and creating an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative team environment.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting.

This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO / AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.

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