Employment Opportunities
WoodenBoat School Director
Job Title: School Director
Location: Brooklin, Maine
Position Overview:
WoodenBoat School seeks a Director to plan, staff, and operate its popular boatbuilding and seamanship education program in Brooklin, Maine. The Director brings highly developed management, leadership, organization, planning, and marketing skills to the role. The successful candidate will also have an understanding of wooden boats, a passion for experiential education, and a commitment to the school’s mission of providing access to experience. Supervising the staff, budget, operations, student admissions, program development, and future growth are critical aspects of the job. The school is a unique combination of avocational learning; it’s part resort, part marina, and part workshop. The Director is comfortable dealing with any issue, from personnel concerns, to extra pillows, to severe weather warnings.
The responsibilities and time requirements of this position vary throughout the year. With the support of one full-time, year-round Business Manager, the Director manages a seasonal part-time staff of 17 employees who work in the office, shop, waterfront, kitchen, and housekeeping from early May to early October. The Director also oversees a rotating faculty of 4-7 instructors per week, and a rotating student population of 40-75 individuals, most of whom are living on campus. From October to December, the Director focuses his/her time on developing the following season’s program, budgeting, marketing, and daily social-media posting with the support of the Business Manager. From January to April, the focus is on hiring new staff and determining needs for the coming school year. The commissioning of the campus, which is largely accomplished over a two-week period by a core group of alumni who volunteer for the task in exchange for room and board, starts in mid-May.
The Director’s responsibilities include:
- Management of people—the staff, faculty, and students—is the Director’s primary task. The seasonality of WoodenBoat School requires the Director to hire or rehire the program and support staff each year. The Director also must stay in touch with about 65 faculty members to work out scheduling, compensation, and support for their courses.
- Management of the curriculum is an equally critical task of the Director. It requires the monitoring of course reservations and making timely decisions about canceling or expanding courses. Ideas for new courses and instructors, faculty needs, marketing efforts, and physical plant improvements are all implemented by the Director.
- Customer service and team relations among students, faculty, and staff are guided by the tone set by the Director. The ideal candidate is comfortable handling staff and guests in a “resort-like” setting, dealing with all issues, large and small. Student satisfaction and a high alumni return rate are very important to the continued success of the school.
- Marketing the School through actively managing content on a website, frequent emails, a Facebook page, an Instagram account, and ads in WoodenBoat is an important function of the Director. The Director consistently works to increase the awareness of WoodenBoat School’s programs, and works to fill classes.
- Miscellaneous supervisory and communications efforts of the Director include: ensuring a safe environment in the school’s dormitories and shops and on our waterfront; fielding media opportunities that are part of the School’s and WoodenBoat’s promotional efforts; maintaining and seeking out relationships with other boatbuilding and non-traditional educational programs.
- The Director is a member of the management team of WoodenBoat Publications, the school’s parent company.
The position’s responsibilities require that the Director work full-time on site at the Brooklin, Maine, facility. The Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer of WoodenBoat Publications Inc. This is a full-time position with benefits.
About WoodenBoat School:
WoodenBoat School was founded in 1981. Throughout the spring and summer months, it offers one- and two-week, hands-on courses in boatbuilding, woodworking, traditional seamanship, and related crafts. Our emphasis allows students to learn by doing. These courses take place at our Brooklin, Maine, campus and at a few satellite locations in the United States. The school attracts students from all over the world.
Traditionally, the school offers a 17- to 18-week program with close to 90 different courses presented. On average, we host 700-800 students each season. Approximately 85 percent of them take room & board with us. WoodenBoat School students come from diverse backgrounds with the average age being around 59. Youth Scholarships are available.
What we offer:
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment.
- Opportunities for professional development and growth.
- The chance to work with a variety of clients across our industry.
- An opportunity to contribute to the success of a respected media company.
About us:
WoodenBoat Publications was founded in September 1974 with the publication of the first issue of WoodenBoat magazine. The company has been thriving and diversifying ever since, while maintaining a core mission of providing its readers and online audiences with a dynamic editorial environment that combines emerging technologies with traditional methods of boat design, construction, and repair.
WoodenBoat also operates the WoodenBoat Store, a brick-and-mortar and online retail establishment; WoodenBoat School, a thriving summer learning program for adults; The WoodenBoat Show, an annual gathering of fine wooden watercraft; Small Boats Nation, an online membership site for enthusiasts of traditional craft.
How to Apply:
Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you’d be a great fit for this position to: jobs@woodenboat.com
Be sure to include “School Director” in the subject line.
WoodenBoat Publications, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all employees.