Outreach Coordinator

at  Western University

ABOUT WESTERN

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the “Western Experience” - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

ABOUT US

The Department of Earth Sciences at Western University is trustee and curator of national-caliber collections of Earth Materials. The Richard W. Hutchinson Geoscience Collaborative Suite houses our Dana Minerals and Suffel Ore Deposit Collections. These Collections are invaluable for scientific research, but are also resources for industrial partners in the mineral and petroleum sectors, tools in undergraduate and graduate education, and are on exhibit for public outreach. These collections are of regional, national and international importance as they encompass specimens from every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, and are invaluable as a large portion of the specimens have been collected from mines that are now permanently closed or are inaccessible. The Richard W. Hutchinson Geoscience Collaborative Suite was an initiative of Resource Geoscience Western to establish a curatorial facility to allow maximum access and use of these unique collections, for both research and outreach. The Hutchinson Geoscience Suite features a curatorial research work space, a visiting scientist’s office for guest investigators, and a gallery for teaching and outreach. It has been over twenty years since the collections have had a proper home, and this collaborative suite allows for greater access to the collections by faculty, staff, students, alumni, industry and the general public. Our Geoscience Collections Curator, Dr. Alysha McNeil, curates our collections, manages the suite and organizes public outreach events once a month, known as our Public Afternoons at the Hutchinson Suite. Please visit our website regularly for updates on events and initiatives taking place at the Hutchinson Geoscience Suite.

Education:

• University degree in related disciplin

Experience:

• 2 years of relevant experienc

Skills, Abilities & Expertise:

• Ability to follow processes with high attention to detail
• Presentation skills to deliver engaging and informative presentations that clearly explain information to audiences using appropriate communication channels
• Ability to apply creativity, innovation and resourcefulness to daily work
• Communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users
• Ability to summarize information and disseminate to others effectively in a timely manner
• Ability to creatively adapt traditional methods, concepts, models or systems to new applications
• Ability to provide guidance, support and feedback in a way that is positively received
• Organizational and multi-tasking skills to prioritize and consistently produce high-quality work
• Demonstrated ability to coach and support learners, and to enable individuals to learn
• Personable and courteous in working relationships with colleagues, students and the public
• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work within a flexible schedule to accommodate the University’s events and activitie

*Please note that this position is anticipated to be filled internally by reappointment.

Under the supervision of Dr. Alysha McNeil, the Outreach Coordinator will:

• Be responsible for the delivery of engaging programming of assigned outreach events for alumni, youth, and the public, such as public afternoons, workshops for youth groups and K-12 schools, summer camp curriculum, and large-scale outreach events at Western such as Science Rendezvous and Science Olympics
• Oversee private events booked at the R.W. Hutchinson Geoscience Collaborative Suite, and ensure their successful completion
• Work with the supervisor to define the learning outcomes, resources, and software required to deliver the outreach content
• Create materials and activities for outreach events, workshops, and summer camps for K-12 youth
• Produce promotional material for events, such as posters, website content, and social media posts
• Design posters and outreach material (e.g. web content, poster text) for the Earth Sciences department hallway, classroom, and travelling exhibitions

Qualifications

Education:

• University degree in related discipline

Experience:

• 2 years of relevant experience

Skills, Abilities & Expertise:

• Ability to follow processes with high attention to detail
• Presentation skills to deliver engaging and informative presentations that clearly explain information to audiences using appropriate communication channels
• Ability to apply creativity, innovation and resourcefulness to daily work
• Communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users
• Ability to summarize information and disseminate to others effectively in a timely manner
• Ability to creatively adapt traditional methods, concepts, models or systems to new applications
• Ability to provide guidance, support and feedback in a way that is positively received
• Organizational and multi-tasking skills to prioritize and consistently produce high-quality work
• Demonstrated ability to coach and support learners, and to enable individuals to learn
• Personable and courteous in working relationships with colleagues, students and the public
• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work within a flexible schedule to accommodate the University’s events and activities