Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager

Port Discovery is seeking passionate members of the early childhood workforce with extensive experience working with children from birth through six years old. We are looking for professionals who value playful learning and bring diverse perspectives and approaches to early childhood education. Experience with child-centered learning practices is highly valued. We believe children thrive in environments that honor curiosity, creativity, independence, connection, and hands-on exploration, and we are excited to collaborate with professionals who share this vision.

The Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager is responsible for the planning, coordination, facilitation, and continuous improvement of community engagement programs that support playful learning experiences for young children from birth through age six. This role provides direction to our internal community engagement team and partners closely with families, caregivers, educators, and community organizations to strengthen connections between play, learning, and child development.

By fostering a culture of collaboration, equity, belonging, and continuous improvement, the Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager builds and maintains strong relationships with families, educators, community partners, and internal staff. This position ensures high-quality program implementation through effective scheduling, communication, facilitation, documentation, data tracking, and ongoing relationship management.

The Early Childhood Community Engagement Manager plays a critical role in supporting the quality, impact, and operational excellence of the following Port Discovery programs:

• Communities At Play is a six-session, community-centered learning experience that supports families, caregivers, and community partners in understanding and applying the science of play to strengthen playful learning experiences for children from birth through age six.
• Professionals At Play is a professional learning initiative that empowers the early childhood workforce with play-based learning strategies that can be integrated into professional practice to support young children from birth through age six.

Details:

Must have reliable transportation to travel to and from locations and transport materials, since this position will assist with program facilitation.

• Position Type: Full-Time
• Reports To: Community Engagement Director
• Location: Port Discovery Children's Museum & partner community sites
• Salary: $55k to $60k, based on relevant experience

Schedule:

Typical Shifts: 8 hours, Monday-Friday (Occasional weekends and evenings, based on program scheduling)

Primary Responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Facilitation

• Participate in professional learning opportunities to build their capacity to facilitate Communities At Play and co-facilitate Professionals At Play sessions; (Model play-based, interactive, relationship-centered facilitation and Adapt facilitation strategies to meet the needs of diverse groups)
• Support museum staff coaching and development;
• Ensure program quality and fidelity across cohorts;
• Collaborate with Community Engagement Director and Strategic Advisor to assist in the development of Professionals At Play and museum staff training content.

Program Coordination & Logistics

• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for Communities At Play and Professionals At Play;
• Manage participant registration, attendance tracking, and program documentation;
• Maintain program calendars and timelines;
• Prepare and organize learning materials and supplies;
• Transport materials to/from off-site locations (reliable transportation required);
• Support program evaluation through data collection and feedback.

Relationship Building & Communication

• Serve as a logistical point of contact for participants and community partners
• Build and maintain strong relationships with families, educators, and partners
• Send confirmations, reminders, and follow-up communication
• Support the director in fostering a collaborative team culture

Qualifications:

Port Discovery is seeking individuals who are:

• Passionate about playful learning and its impact on families and communities;
• Adept at engaging children between the ages of birth to six and their families in diverse settings, including community programs, childcare settings, schools, museums, and libraries;
• Skilled in facilitating group activities and communicating effectively with diverse audiences;

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in education, early childhood, or related field;
• 3–5 years of experience working with families and communities in both formal and information education settings;
• Previous experience as a team leader, supervisor or manager;
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines;
• Access to consistent personal transportation and ability to travel within state to different locations;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Asana, Canva, and/or similar tools;
• Must be 18 years of age and able to pass a background check.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in education or related field;
• Bilingual or multilingual language skills;
• Experience working with diverse communities.

Benefits:

Port Discovery provides you with the opportunity to make a difference in the community and in the lives of children. Additional benefits include: free parking; free admission to the Museum for your family; group medical, dental and/or vision insurance options; generous paid vacation, personal & sick leave; retirement savings with Museum match after 6 months; and Museum provided life and disability insurance, as well as EAP, travel assistance and grief counseling support.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

Must be able to meet physical demands of the job to include walking, standing, climbing, bending, kneeling. Will occasionally lift / move objects up to 50 pounds for in-Museum and/or outreach programming. Will be required to stand for long periods of time while performing educational programming. Will also frequently sit for administrative meetings and material prep work. This position involves some travel and the need to traverse uneven terrain with bins and outreach supplies. This position predominately interacts with participants-APLI-families, community partners, educators and co-workers. Work is performed indoors, and the noise level is usually moderate to high. Must be comfortable working amongst small groups of children and caregivers.

At Play Institute Mission:

Port Discovery (PD) serves as a critical community resource that offers families and children a safe, engaging, and welcoming place to play, learn and explore together. In enacting this mission, the museum serves as a key community resource for providing opportunities that can help strengthen positive growth and developmental outcomes for young children and their families. Fueled by our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging, Port Discovery provides unique opportunities and high-quality experiences that make playful learning accessible, educational, and fun for all.

Port Discovery's At Play Learning Institute (APLI) represents the museum's delivery arm for providing research-based and rigorously evaluated approaches to improving early developmental and learning experiences for young children, improving school readiness outcomes, and strengthening our state's early childhood professional pipeline. APLI positions Port Discovery as a critical multi-generational resource that will empower Maryland's families, communities, and the early childhood workforce to apply playful learning strategies that inspire joy and discovery as young children grow and develop. This new initiative leverages Port Discovery's role as an accessible and welcoming community anchor, a play-based learning lab, and a teaching museum.

To learn more about Port Discovery Children's Museum, visit https://www.portdiscovery.org/.

Port Discovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Port Discovery Children’s Museum provides you with the opportunity to make a difference in the community and in the lives of children. The museum provides a great benefits package, which includes health benefits, museum covered life insurance & disability, generous leave benefits, retirement savings, and free museum admission. The museum is conveniently located right next to a subway stop, or we offer free parking to employees.

English

• Bilingual or multilingual language skills preferred.