Beyond Benign is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a green chemistry education community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is seeking a professional individual for a new position as Content Manager. The Content Manager role will be responsible for the management and overseeing the development of green chemistry resources and professional development trainings for K-12 and Higher Education educators.

The incumbent will work in partnership with educators from K-12 and Higher Education to manage the creation, revision and adaptation of green chemistry resources across K-12 and Higher Education for inclusion in the new Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) online platform and digital library. This will involve assessing, reviewing and cataloging Beyond Benign’s existing collection of resources, supporting the migration of resources and content to the new platform, assisting the Chief Editor and administrators in the management of reviewers and the peer review process for the platform, and helping to guide the overall direction and structure of scientific and educational content on the GCTLC. The incumbent will also lead groups of educators in the design and development of professional development training courses, including but not limited to modules to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty educators and educators from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) looking to enhance their knowledge of green chemistry and gain skills in bringing sustainable science into the classroom.

The Content Manager will therefore require a mixed but complementary skillset including: a strong background in green chemistry and curriculum development; experience managing projects and working with faculty/educators; experience working to advance equity, diversity and professional development within higher education; and a solid mastery of the chemical literature (preferably in chemistry education and/or green chemistry) and knowledge of peer-review processes.

Responsibilities:

In Higher Education, the incumbent will work closely with the Director of Higher Education and the Program Manager, Higher Education to:

• Oversee the development of green chemistry training modules including (but not limited to) training modules developed by and for BIPOC faculty educators and educators based at MSIs. Responsibilities will include:
  • Gathering community feedback and recommendations;
  • Leading and managing a group of diverse faculty members in the creation of resources and trainings;
  • Scheduling and chairing regular working group meetings, delivering on target milestones and goals;
  • Implementing, testing, launching and facilitating the training modules and programs; and
  • Collaborating with different stakeholders across academia, not-for-profit, industry and more.

In the GCTLC, the incumbent will work closely with the Senior Program Manager to:

• Review, analyze and catalogue Beyond Benign’s existing database of K-12 and Higher Education green chemistry education curriculum resourcesand materials, including alignment with existing standards.
• Manage groups of faculty and content experts in the review and updating of select resources as needed.
• Help manage and assist in the testing, iterative improvement and launch of the GCTLC’s online searchable library, including testing of functionality, improvements to process flow, migration of content to the online library, and more.
• Manage the pool of reviewers for the GCTLC in collaboration with the Chief Editor, Senior Program Manager and Leadership Committee.
• Help to oversee the overall content development and direction of the GCTLC’s collections, including:
  • Managing targeted calls for new resources and content.
  • Curation of collections including industry case studies, subdiscipline curriculum materials (e.g., analytical, inorganic, etc.) and more.
  • Gathering community feedback and identifying and filling gaps in resource content expertise.
  • Working with partner organizations (including publishers, non-profit organizations, etc.) to further expand GCTLC library services.
  • Support the selection and work of guest editors to the platform
• Become the content expert on staff for the green chemistry education curriculum literature and landscape for the GCTLC.

 

Qualifications

We encourage you to apply, even if you do not believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in chemistry, chemistry education, and/or green chemistry. An equivalent amount of experience will also be considered (such as a MSc with additional relevant work experience).
• A minimum of 1 year of experience in program/project management, or equivalent experience, is strongly desired, including leading groups in the delivery of project milestones within project timelines.
• Attention to detail and excellent organizational, verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Must have a strong grasp of the chemical literature, preferably in chemistry education and/or green chemistry.
• Must have demonstrated ability to plan, execute, and track metrics for multiple projects simultaneously.
• Must have demonstrated leadership skills and be a strong team player, collaborative, and able to understand and respond to the needs of the education community.
• Must be eager to learn, connect with others, ask questions, and align with Beyond Benign’s values and mission.
• Must be willing to travel to participate in conferences or events as needed (Beyond Benign will cover all transportation costs).
• Experience in working to advance equity and diversity in science education is strongly desired.
• Experience managing volunteer and contract educators is strongly desired.
• Experience in leadership, communication, and administration specifically within the academic or not-for-profit sectors is beneficial but not essential.
• Experience working with complex databases, online platforms, or in information management is beneficial but not essential.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with diverse identities to this position; including but not limited to: sex, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, Indigenous identity, invisible and/or visible disabilities, cultural and/or religious upbringing, nationality, socio-economic status, body size and appearance, and/or intersections of these identities.

Terms: This is a full-time, 2-year contract position with the possibility of extension depending on funding and performance. The incumbent will be supervised jointly by the Director of Higher Education and the Senior Program Manager for the GCTLC.

Location: Remote

Compensation: Salary is negotiable and will be based on experience and qualifications. Benefits package/PTO available.

Start Date: Start date is negotiable. Review of applications will continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Apply: E-mail cover letter, resume and inquires to hr@beyondbenign.org.

About Beyond Benign:
Beyond Benign a 501(c)3 nonprofit, envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign’s mission is to foster a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is working to equip educators from K-20 with the ability to teach chemistry and STEM through a lens of sustainability grounded in the 12 principles of green chemistry. By providing educators with tools, training and a peer support networks, educators are equipped to train the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

While our organization advocates for green chemistry education, we recognize that advocating for everyone to practice green chemistry, is not possible without consideration of the current discrimination and systemic barriers that affect members of the global chemistry community. Beyond Benign is fully committed to continuing and expanding our actions to support diversity, equity, belonging and respect in all that we do. We believe that making green chemistry accessible to all means practicing our work through a lens of diversity, equity, belonging, and respect (DEBR). This means respect and engagement for everyone in our organization, along with ensuring equity in areas such as compensation, benefits and career growth and opportunities. Diversity, equity and belonging together result in a better and stronger organization. Read our DEBR Statement and Commitments here.

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world’s first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 years, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with over 100 universities to transform chemistry education.  Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.