Director of Audience & Evaluation

Director Of Audience And Evaluation

Space Center Houston is a space exploration learning destination dedicated to revealing how science and humanity power space exploration through meaningful, moving experiences about people and the courage, innovation, and teamwork they use to expand the boundaries of what's possible. We inspire guests of all ages to connect with the significance of space exploration as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to bring joy and wonder to the world. Owned and operated by the nonprofit Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, we are the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Smithsonian affiliate.

We are currently seeking a Director of Audience and Evaluation to lead the Audience and Evaluation team, which serves as the organization's leading voice and source of truth on audiences, ensuring a deep, data-informed understanding of visitors' needs, motivations, and experiences across Space Center Houston. The Director of Audience and Evaluation is responsible for designing and leading a comprehensive evaluation strategy that informs the development and continuous improvement of exhibits, operations, and informal education programs.

As a steward of audience insight, this position translates research and evaluation findings into strategic and actionable guidance for teams across the organization. The Director oversees the Audience and Evaluation team, including two full-time team members and three part-time data collectors, and ensures evaluation practices are performed with the utmost integrity and consistency to drive sound organizational alignment around the audience experience.

Major Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead the organization's audience research and evaluation strategy for the brand, exhibits, educational programs, guest experiences, and institutional initiatives, overseeing all phases of front-end, formative, prototyping, process, and summative evaluation.
• Develop and maintain evaluation standards, methodologies, and best practices to ensure consistency, rigor, and ethical application of audience research and evaluation across the organization.
• Lead audience and community research initiatives that inform strategic decision-making, audience development efforts, and organizational priorities.
• Lead or support staff in design of logic models, evaluation planning, creation of data collection instruments, data analysis, data visualization and reporting.
• Provide evaluation planning, budget guidance, drafted text for relevant sections of proposals, implementation and reporting support to grant and sponsorship proposals and projects.
• Facilitate workshops to build alignment in goals and vision for intra- and cross-departmental projects.
• Establish and maintain organization-wide evaluation reporting systems, dashboards, and communication processes that drive transparency, accountability, and data-informed decision-making.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for the Audience and Evaluation team, establishing clear goals, performance expectations, and professional growth opportunities while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Serve as a thought partner and contributor in strategic planning and prioritization in service of guest acquisition and engagement.
• Compile and share field-wide research and advancements.
• Identify and monitor benchmarking efforts with other sites to deliver an outstanding guest experience at Space Center Houston.
• Other duties and special projects as assigned.

Position Qualifications:

• Master's degree in social sciences (e.g., psychology, social work, statistics, anthropology, museum studies, user experience design) or other related field.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in evaluation and research, preferably for an informal education institution (e.g., nonprofit, library, museum or cultural organization).
• Demonstrated work experience in planning, designing, implementing, managing and reporting on evaluation projects including front-end, formative, prototyping, summative, and process evaluation studies.
• Direct experience collaborating and proactively communicating with stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative/qualitative evaluation methods and analysis techniques.
• Strong oral and written communication skills. Skill, creativity, and effectiveness in Data Visualization and Reporting (DVR) a plus.
• Demonstrated work experience presenting evaluation and research results clearly and effectively both in writing and through presentations for a variety of audiences. Interactive workshop facilitation experience strongly preferred.
• Successful track record of leading evaluation for grant projects and funded proposals.
• Ability to create systems to effectively train and delegate components and full evaluation projects to support staff and volunteers.
• Experience identifying, sharing, and interpreting relevant scientific literature, unpublished studies, and market research findings for colleagues. Knowledge of museum and informal science education literature a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to matters of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within education and the STEM workforce.
• Adherence to human subjects research ethics and guidelines.
• Advanced proficiency using MS Office Suite products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Experience with statistical software and packages (SPSS, R, SAS, etc.) a plus.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) proficiency a plus.

Physical Abilities/Working Conditions:

• Primarily works in an office environment with frequent use of a computer, phone, and standard office equipment.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for extended periods while working at a desk.
• Frequently communicates by phone, and via electronic communication; must be able to exchange accurate information in these settings.
• May occasionally need to move about the facility to attend meetings.
• Work environment may include a mix of office settings and active operational areas, requiring adaptability and awareness of surroundings.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions while maintaining attention to detail and professionalism.
• May be required to work occasional evenings, weekends, or special events based on business needs.

Space Center Houston is an equal opportunity employer. We promote a culture of respect, inclusivity, and collaboration.