Executive Director

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Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

Executive Director

The City of Palo Alto Community Services Department is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and visionary professional to serve as the Executive Director for the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ) - one of the Bay Area's most unique and beloved institutions.

This leadership role provides strategic oversight, operational management, and long-term planning for a dynamic and highly visible division that includes an accredited zoo, children's museum, educational programs, camps, special events, birthday parties, and community engagement initiatives.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Department Leadership: Provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and long-range planning for the Junior Museum & Zoo.
• Staff Management & Culture: Lead and support multidisciplinary teams while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture focused on safety, accountability, innovation, and exceptional guest experiences.
• Program & Operations Oversight: Oversee the planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of zoo, museum, educational, conservation, and community engagement programs.
• Community & Stakeholder Engagement: Develop and maintain partnerships with schools, community organizations, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and professional organizations, and represent the organization within the community.
• Financial & Resource Management: Manage departmental budgets, financial resources, grants, contracts, and capital improvement projects to ensure fiscal sustainability and operational effectiveness.
• Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement: Analyze operational and program data, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement strategies that enhance services, efficiency, and community impact.
• Compliance & Accreditation: Ensure compliance with City policies, safety standards, regulatory requirements, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation standards.
• Safety & Animal Welfare: Promote a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment for staff, volunteers, guests, and animals.

The ideal candidate will be a professional, solutions-oriented, and highly collaborative leader with strong operational and people management skills, experience leading multidisciplinary teams, and a passion for education, conservation, and public service. The successful candidate will bring experience working with educational programming, community engagement, zoo animals, conservation initiatives, and/or youth-focused services. They will demonstrate the ability to lead through change, build strong internal and external partnerships, and support a positive workplace culture focused on accountability, communication, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Perks

Compensation (MGMT): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here. Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package including: Schedule: Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities Education benefits: Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change) Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change) Commute benefits: Incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work. The City of Palo Alto participates in the Clipper Bay Pass program (Employee Cost: $5 per month). Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits

Salary

$115,252.80 - $172,889.60

How to Apply

Apply here!

Recruitment Timeline:

• Applications Close: Wednesday, July 1st
• Panel Interviews: Week of July 13th
• Final Interviews: Week of July 27th

The Selection Process:

• Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
• Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
• More than one position may be filled through this posting.

Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

1451 Middlefield Road

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Phone: (650) 329-2376

Visit our website

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