Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach

Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach 

Job Description

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (“OSGF”) is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation based in Upperville, Virginia with a mission to perpetuate and share Rachel Lambert Mellon’s home, garden, estate and library to serve the public interest. The Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens and landscapes and the importance of plants for human well-being. For additional information, please visit www.osgf.org. 

OSGF seeks a creative, energetic, and enthusiastic educator to join our team in a new role as Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach.  The selected candidate will be hired on a two-year employment contract, with the potential to be extended. This position is full-time with benefits.

Schedule: Full-time, two-year contract position – Monday through Friday (40 hours a week), with some weekend and evening hours.  The anticipated start date for this position is early May 2026, but we have some flexibility to adjust the timing to suit the successful applicant’s need. 

Compensation: Starting salary is dependent on experience. Paid holidays, vacation and sick days are provided, as well as optional health/vision/dental insurance and a 403(b) package.

Location: Upperville, VA; The Oak Spring estate is located in rural northern Virginia, 15 minutes from the nearest town. 

To Apply: To be considered for this position, please email a resume, cover letter and three professional references to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach”.  Review of applications will begin on March 9, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The primary goal of this new position is to engage with and support our local community, primarily in Fauquier County, with particular focus on working closely with audiences that are traditionally underserved. The Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach should be a self-starter who can design and implement educational programs that leverage OSGF’s unique resources, collaboratively oversee Local Education and Outreach (LEO) operations, delegating daily responsibilities and expectations. The Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach will support the continuity of the LEO team and the program's success and future growth.

The Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach will report to the Director of Local Education and Outreach. However, they will liaise closely with the other program teams at OSGF to create educational content, primarily on the OSGF estate, that leverages OSGF's unique resources and complements other programs already underway. We envisage that the successful candidate will work primarily with K-12 students, but will also have opportunities to develop programs that engage additional populations of focus. The new position is well-suited to an individual with educational experience in either formal or informal settings, such as schools, public gardens, museums, or other community organizations. Since OSGF programs are strongly focused on plants, gardens, and landscapes in the broad sense, including natural history, ecology, and sustainable agriculture, relevant experience in one or more of these areas is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Developing and maintaining relationships with local stakeholders in Fauquier County, including local educational and community organizations and especially Fauquier County Public Schools, through the delivery of engaging, enjoyable, and educationally valuable programs.
• Working with local educators, artists, and others to develop educational and outreach materials that complement OSGF’s activities and resources, such as Oak Spring’s landscape and conservation management efforts, the library, the formal garden, and the Biocultural Conservation Farm (BCCF).
• Working with the BCCF to design educational content for K-12 students and others to learn about edible plants and especially sustainable agriculture, including how it intersects with art, as well as other disciplines in the humanities and sciences. 
• Developing calls for proposals from local stakeholders, including Fauquier County teachers and students, to develop materials or activities that educate and inspire visitors about OSGF’s resources, including the landscape, garden, library, and the BCCF.
• Creating workshops or activities in the arts and sciences that utilize specific plantings at the BCCF, such as the natural dye plot, medicinal plots, heirlooms, or fiber plots.
• Using the rare books, manuscripts, and other materials from the Oak Spring Library to develop educational content, including developing programs that integrate the plantings at the BCCF with OSGF’s Library resources.
• Working with the Communications Team to develop virtual-learning activities that can be shared and to create and promote knowledge of the organization and OSGF engagement opportunities
• Leading and assisting with the raising of funds from grants and other sources to support and expand OSGF’s educational and outreach activities. 
• Write qualitative and quantitative reports that summarize educational programs at OSGF, to track and better understand the impact of OSGF’s educational and outreach activities. 
• Working on the farm and in the biocultural garden with the BCCF team to gain experience and understanding of the farm's different areas, which will be essential for developing educational and outreach materials related to the BCCF. Tasks may include harvesting produce, weeding, planting, harvesting, and processing seed, among others.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• A broad understanding of plants, agriculture, and horticulture, and how these subjects overlap with the arts, humanities, and sciences.
• A friendly demeanor and a demonstrated ability to work with diverse student groups.
• Experience leading educational programs in a formal setting, such as a school or university, and/or in an informal setting, such as a museum, botanic garden, or educational center for K-12 students.
• The ability to conceive and implement new programs from start to finish. This should include post-program surveys and reports that summarize qualitative and quantitative outcomes of educational programs.
• An interest in developing programs that highlight or work in support of the educational content currently offered at local schools and/or organizations.
• Highly motivated individual who aspires to continue to build and refine the current outreach program
• Partner with the Director in overseeing LEO program operations, developing and implementing strategies that improve programming.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A solution-oriented team player.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and Google Suites.
• Ability to lift at least 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in inclement weather

PERFERED QUALIFICATINS

• Bachelor's degree in Education or equivalent experience.
• Two or more years of experience in a relevant educational setting.
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed.
• Must have reliable transportation to and from OSGF and licensed to drive in the US. 
• Experience in curriculum development or grant writing to support educational and outreach programs is preferred.

TO APPLY 

To be considered for this position, please email a resume, cover letter and three professional references to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “Assistant Director of Local Education and Outreach”.  Review of applications will begin on March 9, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ancestry, disability, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, race, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, or veteran status.