The Lancaster Science Factory, a nonprofit science center located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, seeks an Executive Director to chart new pathways for growth and engagement. The sixteen-year-old nonprofit, which has earned a strong reputation as a hub of STEM learning and inspiration for Pre-K through eighth-grade students, aspires to leverage its past accomplishments and embark on a new era of community relevance, financial sustainability, and innovative museum practices.
The Lancaster Science Factory
Located in an historic nineteenth-century factory building, the Science Factory was created in 2008 to serve Lancaster and the surrounding community with year-round programs centered on experiential STEM learning and fun. Its mission is, “to inspire curiosity, creativity, and confidence by fostering an inclusive environment for hands-on STEM exploration. We actively seek to make our facility and educational programs accessible to all.”
While the primary focus of the Science Factory is young people, it serves as a convener of a broad range of community organizations and a lively destination for all ages. Over the past year the Science Factory doubled its physical footprint to now feature an 18,000-square-foot exhibit hall with more than 75 hands-on exhibits grouped in eight categories: Fluid Dynamics, Mechanics & Motion, Math & Logic, Acoustics & Sound, Structural Engineering, Light & Vision, Electricity & Magnetism, and Environmental Sustainability. The museum’s interior also features two classrooms, a dedicated maker space, and a dramatic two-story indoor climbing structure. In 2022 the museum opened a 4,000-square-foot interactive outdoor courtyard with an environmental sustainability theme.
Science Factory programs include STEM Camps and workshops, scouting programs, a “Science To Go” mobile program, and a Girls Code Club for 8–13-year-olds interested in coding and computer science, a career field historically underrepresented by women. The Science Factory has made a significant commitment to accessibility that is built into its mission statement. Approximately half of its annual visitors enter the facility free of charge through a variety of admission access programs, which are supported by grant funding and philanthropy.
The Science Factory serves about 60,000 annual visitors. Half are from Lancaster County, while a significant portion come from the Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore metro areas. The 501(c)3 organization has a budget of $1.4 million, a Board of 18 Directors, and 15 full- and part-time staff. In 2023 it successfully completed a $4.5-million capital campaign, which led to three phases of major construction and expansion, plus the creation of its first endowment fund.
The Opportunity
The new Lancaster Science Factory Executive Director will begin their tenure from a position of strength and positive challenge. The organization has recently completed its $4.5-million Elevate Curiosity Capital Campaign, which enabled a dramatic expansion of exhibits and spaces while building a pathway to financial sustainability. The new ED will be responsible for leveraging that success by deepening engagement with supporters, expanding visibility and visitation, and cultivating community partnerships that enhance the organization’s social capital and mission.
The Science Factory’s board is focusing on several initiatives that make this an outstanding time for the incoming Executive Director to offer an important contribution:
· Make STEM learning more accessible to diverse audiences; enhance STEM-related workforce development efforts, especially for historically underrepresented groups such as females and BIPOC audiences.
· Establish educational leadership regarding climate change issues as they affect the Science Factory and its audiences.
· Enhance the Science Factory’s contribution to area visitation and economic development.
· Usher in the next chapter of organizational maturity with efficient operations, an energetic professional staff team, and an effective, policy-oriented board.
Responsibilities, and Expectations
The Executive Director will have a background that includes proven effectiveness as an executive or senior-level professional in nonprofit organizations such as museums, science centers, academic or research institutions, or other similar mission-driven organizations. The successful candidate will demonstrate passion for hands-on STEM education and accomplishments as a strategic thinker, team builder, fundraiser, communicator, networker, and leader adept at translating organizational vision into action.
· Advance the Science Factory’s mission of promoting hands-on STEM education and inspiring curiosity, creativity, and confidence, while broadening access to all in the community.
· Guide the organization toward fulfilling its strategic plan while being responsive to new opportunities.
· Steward a successful fundraising program; actively develop and maintain relationships with donors, sponsors, and the community.
· Provide budgetary and financial oversight, accountability, and sustainability; manage revenue streams from earned income, philanthropy, and governmental sources.
· Cultivate partnerships to support Science Factory programs, new initiatives, and endowment.
· Serve as the primary spokesperson for the Science Factory, its mission and programs.
· Work with the Board and staff to develop and advance the strategic direction of the Science Factory.
· Maintain positive and productive Board relations, ensuring transparency and best practices for Board development and governance.
· Nurture and manage staff, utilizing emotional intelligence to inspire teamwork and accomplishment.
· Establish data-driven performance metrics; assess programs and exhibits to ensure goals and objectives are met.
· Steward an organizational culture that prioritizes collaboration and teamwork in a professional work environment.
Experience, Skills, and Attributes
· A minimum 5 years of senior executive or management experience in nonprofit environments, preferably at a museum, science center, academic or research institution, or other similar mission-driven organization.
· Success in fundraising, working with donors, foundations, sponsors, and governmental funding sources.
· Strategic planning acumen; ability to see the big picture and communicate a vision.
· Exemplary management and organizational skills in leading staff and volunteer teams.
· Strong communication, advocacy, and interpersonal skills with the ability to network and connect with audiences.
· Proficiency with financial management; ability to oversee the annual budget, interpret financial statements, and articulate performance to the Board and other stakeholders.
· Experience working in collaboration with diverse constituents, partner entities, and stakeholders across a broad network.
· Evidence of commitment to DEIA, through staff, board and programs that advance diversity and access initiatives.
· Emotional intelligence and people-oriented leadership skills that build a culture of trust and respect.
· BA or equivalent degree preferred, ideally in management, museum studies, education, economics or a science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics field.
Compensation
The salary range is $120,000 - $140,000 commensurate with experience, plus an attractive benefits package. H-1B or O-1 U.S. work visa eligibility will be a consideration for international applicants.
How to Apply
To apply in confidence, submit application by February 23, 2024, to: Dan Yaeger, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.
Please include:
1) A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.
2) A résumé.
3) The names and contact information for three professional references, indicating their relationship with the candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. Nominations are welcome. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.
About Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Located along the Northeast Corridor just an hour and a half from Philadelphia and Baltimore, Lancaster is a vibrant small city surrounded by beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch countryside with easy access to major metropolitan areas. Established in 1742, Lancaster is the oldest inland city in Pennsylvania, home to 60,000 residents in its 7-square-mile city center and more than 500,000 in Lancaster County. Lancaster’s historic architecture, unique small businesses, and restaurant scene are charming and walkable—reasons it is featured in national rankings of Best Places to Live.
Lancaster is filled with culture and history, including Wheatland, the antebellum home of the fifteenth U.S. President James Buchanan, now a National Park Service site. The city also features the fully restored, nineteenth-century Fulton Theatre, the historic Lancaster Central Market (America’s oldest farmer’s market building), the 1,600-seat American Music Theatre, and cultural offerings at Franklin & Marshall College.
The towns of the rural countryside are famous internationally for their unique heritage, traditional bakeries, and centuries-old farms. Residents enjoy four-season recreation opportunities, easy access to hundreds of miles of trails within local nature preserves, and extensive rail trails. Lancaster is part of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, and locals enjoy access to the mile-wide Susquehanna River and its historic river towns.
Lancaster is an affordable place to live, with typical housing prices about 20% below the national average. The community is served by Harrisburg International Airport, 45 minutes away, and direct service via Amtrak to Philadelphia, New York City, and beyond.
