Chabot Space & Science Center (Chabot) is a nonprofit science center that serves Oakland and the greater Bay Area as a place for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning and engagement. Its mission and vision are to inspire and educate learners of all ages about the Universe and planet Earth.
Chabot is led by a 25-member Board of Directors with a current annual budget of $6.4 million. In addition, the Chief Executive Officer oversees a full-time staff of 46 and 80 active volunteers.
Chabot is poised to elevate and amplify its mission of serving the community with a focus on the future. The organization remains committed to upholding its 142-year legacy while reimagining the science center experience for future generations.
Chabot intends to build upon its legacy as an observatory and science center with the Oakland Space Academy (OSA). Based on Chabot’s successful high school STEM volunteer program, OSA creates a workforce development pipeline into the aerospace and technology sectors. It extends into a 13th-14th year, focusing on rigorous hard and soft skills development and industry internships and apprenticeships. The goal is to provide employment opportunities in the rapidly expanding Bay Area aerospace industry with a focus on the students from the most economically impacted areas of Oakland. OSA will leverage Chabot’s partnerships with Oakland high schools, the aerospace industry, NASA Ames Research Center, and longstanding partnerships with the City of Oakland and community-based organizations.
Simultaneously, Chabot continues to re-imagine the science center experience itself, with an increased focus on connecting people with facilitated learning experiences and fostering more community engagement in the development and delivery of museum programming, including a robust calendar of events and festivals.
Chabot’s CEO will shape, guide, and execute the organization’s vision for the future. This is an opportunity to build on Chabot’s 140-plus year history of service, while redefining the impact of a 21st century science center. The Board seeks a leader who will partner with them in thinking boldly and creatively about this institution’s future.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a career path of progressive leadership and management experience. This leader understands how to creatively address Chabot’s fast changing operating environment. This individual has experience fostering change to ensure a nimble organizational culture and will demonstrate success in operating a financially healthy and sustainable organization. Candidates will have experience building teams, structures, and systems to support an impactful institution. This individual has experience building durable relationships with partners, donors, stakeholders, board, staff, and other constituencies. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience of nonprofit fundraising strategies and practices.
The successful candidate will have a background that includes high-level decision-making and implementing best organizational practices. Highly qualified candidates will have experience in organizations supporting formal or informal education, workforce development, and/or lifelong learning.
Although an applicant does not need to reside in the Bay Area to apply, it is critical that candidates demonstrate an ability to quickly assimilate into a community, make meaningful connections to advance the organization’s mission, and have experience with similar advantages, challenges, and structures in cities like Oakland. The next leader will be adept at navigating a complex urban environment with a large stratum of socio-economic conditions.
The Chabot Space & Science Center offers a competitive salary and benefits package. The salary range for this position annually is between $250,000 and $275,000 and will be commensurate with experience. The comprehensive benefits package includes vacation days, paid holidays, medical/vision/dental insurance, and a 401k with an employer match, among others.
If you want to play a key role in this dynamic organization, please confidentially submit a current resume and cover letter to Kittleman & Associates. The cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your passion for Chabot’s vision and mission, as well as organizational impact in current or prior roles.
We are reviewing applications as they arrive. For best consideration, your application must arrive on or before February 1, 2026.
Submit Your Application to Kittleman Online
