Assistant Director of Public Programs

Job Description

About This Opportunity
The Assistant Director (AD) of Public Programs is responsible for the strong organizational and communication skills to manage all aspects of public programming. The specific charge of the position is the creation, coordination, and implementation of visitor-friendly and engaging mission-driven public programs. The AD will ensure that programs reflect the mission and public programming vision of QBG, attract diverse audiences of all ages, and are guided by its long-range plan to increase and drive visitation to the Garden. The AD must be a strategic thinker, build external partnerships easily, and be an effective communicator across all departments.

Public Programs Vision
The Queens Botanical Garden’s vision is to be a leading cultural, educational, and environmental resource with dynamic programming that reflects the diversity of our audiences in an accessible, engaging, and welcoming way, and that celebrates nature, arts, culture and the history of our community in this unique garden setting.

About Us

Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) is a private non-profit cultural institution located on 39 acres of New York City public land in Flushing, New York. In FY25, the Garden served approximately 259,000 visitors, including 21,560 schoolchildren. A recently completed visitor survey reveals that 45% of visitors speak a language other than English at home. This fact underscores the importance of the mission and the challenges and opportunities QBG faces daily in creating programs, exhibits and landscapes that serve the needs of people who live in and visit one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. The Garden has committed itself to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of its diverse community and to being the place where people, plants, and cultures meet.

Duties & Responsibilities

Responsibilities
Effectively curate and produce public programs in various genres and scales (e.g. workshops, demonstrations, performances, exhibitions, lectures, festivals and community events, etc.) that reflect QBG’s mission and public programming vision; plan for expanded programming as new Education Center opens
Lead the planning, execution, evaluation, and reporting of all public programming
Direct and manage event and related staffing including instructors, volunteer groups, and other QBG staff
Supervise part time coordinator providing public programs support, interns and other relevant staff
Collaborate with various internal departments (Visitor Services, Development, Marketing, Security, Horticulture, and Education) to strategize long-term programming strategies and vision
Help integrate Compost, Education, Visitors Service and Farm programs and activities into the planning of garden-wide public programs
Lead regular interdepartmental committee meetings around public programming and gallery curation
Move forward Public Program and audience goals in the new strategic plan both independently and in collaboration with other departments
Manage Public Programs budget, track expenses and revenue for all events; meet revenue goals
Handle expense reconciliations including management and reconciliation of public programs credit card
Assist Marketing and Development staff to seek sponsorship and funding opportunities
Develop and sustain partnerships with local organizations, artists, and vendors
Serve as public face for the Garden at events, provide press interviews and information, and represent the Garden at community meetings when needed
Collect and track appropriate data to assess program needs and areas and improvements, and make necessary adjustments, this might include surveys
Collaborate with Marketing, Education, and Interpretation staff on materials and signage related to programs and exhibitions
Work with Marketing to develop and support implementation of outreach strategies to increase attendance and participation in program offerings
Write and compile program descriptions for marketing purposes
May serve as manager in charge on occasional weekends
Assist with other garden wide initiatives

Education and Experience

Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in education, the Arts, Museum Studies, Environmental Studies, or related fields
Seven or more years of professional experience creating public programs +/or education programs
Event planning and execution experience, especially in public spaces, cultural institutions, botanical gardens or related spaces
Supervisory experience required
Outstanding interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills
Have great attention to detail, highly organized with effective project management and problem solving skills
Capable of working both independently and collaboratively across departments
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and multi-task between responsibilities while maintaining high quality of work
Previous experience managing a budget, tracking revenue and expenses, and running reports
Knowledge of botanical gardens, horticulture, art and culture
Bilingual language skills a plus (especially Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, or Korean)
Demonstrated ability to create and implement systems
Artistic, building, and/or decorating skills a plus
Commitment to DEIA values and practices
Requires the ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the campus for extended periods
Must be capable of lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds regularly, and occasionally up to 50 pounds with assistance

Additional Information

Schedule
This is a full-time exempt position with weekly on-site work and some flexibility to work remotely. Benefits offered include excellent medical, vision, dental and life insurance, generous PTO, paid holidays, employee discounts, access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions, pension and other retirement savings plans.

The schedule for this position is five days per week generally from Tuesday through Saturday, with some Sundays and occasional evenings when key programming takes place.

Application Instructions

Salary range: $73,000 – 77,000

For consideration, please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant documents via our Career Center: https://queensbotanical.org/employment/#assistant-director-of-public-programs

If you encounter difficulties with uploading documents to the portal, please send via email to Human Resources at hr@queensbotanical.org.