The Director, STEM Pathways supports the development, alignment, and implementation of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s K–12 STEM workforce pathway. This role connects Ripken STEM Center learning experiences to the knowledge, durable skills, business practices, and career awareness students need as they progress from early exploration in elementary school to experiences closest to the workforce in high school.
Working across education, industry, community, and internal teams, the Director helps translate workforce needs into age-appropriate STEM programming; strengthens educator and site capacity; and coordinates employer-informed lessons, challenges, and engagement opportunities. The role combines STEM education expertise with business acumen, program coordination, data-informed decision-making, and support for workforce skills development. Also works as a cross-functional leader to advance program quality, workforce relevance, and measurable student impact.
Strategic Scope and Impact
Support and maintain a coherent K–12 progression that moves students from STEM curiosity and foundational skill development to career exploration, applied problem-solving, work-based learning exposure, and workforce readiness.
Ensure Ripken STEM Center programming reflects regional and national workforce priorities while remaining developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned, accessible, and relevant to the communities served.
Serve as a program resource connecting educational practice, employer expectations, community needs, and Foundation partnership priorities.
K-12 STEM Workforce Pathway Leadership
Support the design and continuous improvement of a K–12 STEM workforce pathway with defined grade-band outcomes for K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12.
Support the development of hands-on, inquiry-based lessons and applied challenges that integrate NGSS and other relevant standards with collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, adaptability, digital literacy, and problem-solving.
Create age-appropriate career connections that help K-12 students understand how classroom learning applies to real occupations, industries, entrepreneurship, technical education, college pathways, and skilled trades.
Advance experiences closest to the workforce for secondary students, which may include industry challenges and capstone projects
Apply established lesson-development standards and quality review processes while helping refine a repeatable framework for integrating workforce readiness and business concepts across the Ripken STEM Center program.
Program Management, Site Engagement, and Training
Coordinate assigned STEM Center implementation and engagement activities, including readiness planning, installation coordination, training agendas, and sustained-use plans.
Work with the STEM team on annual engagement plans for established sites, including regular touchpoints, resource sharing, training refreshers, utilization support, professional learning communities, and targeted interventions for underused centers.
Coordinate and facilitate high-quality virtual and in-person professional learning for educators and trainers across elementary, middle, and high school settings.
Manage complex projects through defined scopes, workplans, responsibilities, milestones, risk tracking, budgets, and follow-up; proactively resolve barriers and communicate decisions.
Organize and maintain STEM lessons, lesson plan development, implementation resources, and operational playbooks for consistent use across sites. Also oversee the creation of monthly or quarterly newsletters that can be posted on the LMS and sent out to our STEM mentor/teacher database.
Measurement, Systems, and Continuous Improvement
Track established key performance indicators for site activation, utilization, educator engagement, student participation, skill development, program quality, and workforce-pathway exposure.
Use quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, recommend improvements, and communicate progress to Foundation leaders, funders, schools, and industry partners.
Maintain accurate program and partner information in CRSF's preferred digital database platform and other approved systems; navigate the Foundation’s LMS to upload lessons, support educators, monitor usage, and retrieve data.
Maintain current knowledge of STEM education, workforce development, career-connected learning, business and industry trends, emerging technologies, and hands-on and inquiry-based instruction.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Representation
Coordinate with VP Partnerships and Impact Strategy, CSO, VP STEM, Resource Development, Programs, and Finance to align deliverables, partner expectations, student outcomes, budgets, and storytelling.
Provide tools, implementation guidance, and coordination support to trainers, consultants, and educators supporting assigned initiatives.
Perform other duties aligned with the scope and level of the position as assigned.
Required Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in education, STEM, business, workforce development, nonprofit management, instructional design, or related field.
7 or more years of relevant experience in STEM education, workforce development, curriculum development, program coordination, business or industry acumen, or related field.
Demonstrated experience designing or implementing K–12 curriculum-based programs, including experience across multiple grade bands.
Experience developing standards-aligned lessons, preferably connected to NGSS, career-connected learning, or workforce competencies.
Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects, timelines, budgets, deliverables, risks, and performance reporting.
Experience working with school systems, workforce organizations, or postsecondary partners to translate shared priorities into programs or learning experiences.
Strong writing, presentation, facilitation, analytical, and relationship-management skills.
This position requires travel to multiple states.
Preferred Qualifications
Current or previously held teaching license or relevant education, workforce, project management, or continuous improvement credentials.
The information provided in this job description is designed to provide the general nature and level of work performed by team members within the job classification. The job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all work duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of team members assigned to this job. This job description will be updated, modified and revised by the Company, at its sole discretion, from time to time as it deems necessary to meet the business needs of the Company. The Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a culturally diverse workplace for qualified candidates.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $87,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Mount Washington, MD 21209
