Chabot Space & Science Center is a non-profit science center and observatory dedicated to inspiring and educating learners of all ages about the Universe and planet Earth. Chabot’s mission is to spark and engage curiosity, deepen access and inclusion within science education, and provide opportunity for pathways into careers in the sciences.
Situated on a beautiful 14-acre campus nestled in the redwoods of Oakland’s regional parks, the Chabot Space & Science Center includes immersive exhibits, hands-on learning activities, science festivals, a state-of-the-art planetarium, and is home to the official NASA Ames Visitor Center. Chabot’s research-level astronomical observatory, featuring three large scale telescopes, is the largest observatory complex free for regular public viewing in the Western United States.
At Chabot, we:
- Conduct ourselves with honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior, maintaining the trust and confidence of our community.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, valuing the diverse perspectives, ideas, and skills of our staff, volunteers, and partners, recognizing that collective efforts drive positive change.
- Encourage creativity and innovation, embracing new ideas, and approaches that advance our mission and optimize our impact and promote ongoing professional development, fostering a culture of learning, growth, and continuous improvement, where individuals are empowered to reach their full potential and contribute their unique strengths.
- Treat all individuals with dignity and respect, appreciating their unique backgrounds and experiences, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
- Actively seek partnership and collaboration, recognizing that working together with others strengthens our ability to make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve.
- Measure our success by the positive impact we make in our community, always seeking ways to address emerging needs, adapt to changing circumstances, and make meaningful and lasting change.
- We believe that everyone deserves a career they love. We strive to build a diverse team that is a reflection of the people we serve; this is made possible through our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and connectedness.
Astronomy Team Lead Job Summary:
The Astronomy Team Lead is a fixed term, part-time position facilitating the high school Galaxy Explorer (GE) program. From 10th – 12th grades, Chabot’s Galaxy Explorers acquire a broad understanding of space, space-related careers, and an introduction to a range of relevant technical skills. At the same time, they are taking on increasing levels of responsibility supporting visitors in the Chabot Space & Science Center. In the first two years they spend one semester each on the Astronomy, Digital Media, Engineering, and Environmental Data Visualization Teams. The Teams meet half a day seven times during the semester with the other half of the day spent engaging visitors in the Center. Team meetings are on either a Saturday or Sunday, alternating, if possible, the two semesters. Semester 1 spans September – early December, Semester 2 January – April. This position has a fixed term contract: Term 1 – Aug. 2024 – Dec. 2024; Term 2 – Jan. 2025 – May 2025
The Astronomy Team Lead is responsible for facilitating morning and afternoon cohorts of 20 students that meet seven times each semester. Meetings include short sessions using sun-spotters, Chabot Observatory telescopes, FITS files, and spectroscopy demonstration. The bulk of each session is spent coaching students preparing astronomy projects for the semester showcase. These will be accompanied by images they create with FITS files and colored filters. Weather permitting, there may also be an evening viewing at Chabot’s Observatory.
Duties/Responsibilities:
- Prepare and facilitate a semester course of seven, 3-hour sessions, including a mock showcase.
- Introduce and practice the research design process through student-centered activities.
- Identify 2-3 technical skills related to astronomy and astronomical data explicitly taught and practiced during the sessions.
- Incorporate professional and soft-skill development throughout the course.
- Participate in summer planning and training in preparation for Teams’ facilitation.
- Participate in the culminating showcase.
- Keep student attendance and communicate engagement concerns with the student and GE staff.
Required Skills and Abilities:
- A passion for space and astronomy.
- Excitement engaging science-oriented youth from diverse backgrounds in astronomy projects.
- Ability to use telescopes, helioscopes, and astronomical data and explain astronomical concepts to young people. Experience with astronomy research preferred.
- Comfortable facilitating project-based learning and group work.
- Comfortable with direct instruction and facilitating the acquisition of basic technical skills.
- High level of professionalism and responsibility.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in astronomy and / or significant professional or non-traditional experience.
- Experience teaching or working with young people at the high school or college level.
Work Environment:
Must be committed to working in a diverse workforce with dignity and respect, appreciating unique backgrounds and experiences, and fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
Physical Requirements:
The physical requirements listed below are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time.
- Ability to lift 25 pounds.
- Ability to work indoors in environmentally controlled conditions, or outdoors in seasonal temperatures.
- Ability to work in a sometimes loud and active environments for an extended period.
- Ability to work in crowded environments.
SALARY
This is a part-time, non-exempt position. With an expected workload of 10 hours per week.
Salary Range: $26/hr- $34/hr
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please address your relevant experience and your passion for science education: https://www.indeed.com/job/astronomy-team-lead-galaxy-explorers-7391ce444919a9d3
Chabot is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Chabot is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees are people with differing strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for bringing science to the full range of our community – sparking excitement about a universe of possibilities beyond our planet. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All our employee’s points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.
