Now Hiring: CCDC Campus Program Director

Job Title: CCDC Campus Program Director

Compensation: $58,000–$65,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience

Classification: Exempt

Location: Canyon Country Discovery Center (CCDC) campus, Monticello, UT

Reports To: Executive Director & Senior Education Director 

Position Type: Year-round, full-time

About Bears Ears Partnership

Bears Ears Partnership (BEP) cultivates durable and effective partnerships to protect the cultural and ecological resources of the Bears Ears region.

Vision

With Tribes, land management agencies, nonprofits and regional communities, we lead on-the-ground conservation, education and research programs to care for this region.

Values

Collaboration, Respect, Stewardship, Integrity and Trust

Geography

BEP works within the Bears Ears cultural landscape of the Four Corners region with programs reaching Tribal, federal and state as well as private lands.

Position Overview

At the foot of the Abajo Mountains, the Canyon Country Discovery Center is one of the most significant facilities for education and conservation in the Four Corners region. BEP began overseeing and operating CCDC in late 2024, relaunching the Canyon Country Youth Corps, San Juan River education, and Dark Sky programs and completing the campus maintenance backlog. The centerpiece is a 15,000 square foot building with a visitor services area, educational rotunda exhibit hall, conference center, commercial kitchen, classroom, lab, office space, wood and metal shop, and observatory.

The CCDC Campus Program Director is BEP's lead staff member in Monticello and has three areas of focus: delivering education programs at and from the campus, managing the campus and its facilities, and coordinating the CCDC Working Group. Launched in 2026, the Working Group brings together Tribal Nations, federal land management agencies, the State of Utah, San Juan and Grand Counties, the cities and towns of Monticello, Blanding, Bluff and Moab, Utah State University, and nonprofit partners to build a shared vision for the campus. This position will help bring the main building back to full operation and grow it into a hub for partnerships, education and visitor services in the Bears Ears region.

Education Programs (40%) 

Program delivery

  • Assist in planning and leading student field trips to the CCDC campus, exhibit hall, and education rotunda. 
  • Plan and host regular astronomy programs using the CCDC observatory and telescopes at the campus. 
  • Assist in coordinating guest educators and partners.
  • Assist in planning teacher workshops and professional astronomy conferences. 

Program administration

  • Schedule programs with schools, families and partners, and manage registrations and waivers.
  • Track participation and outcomes, and support grant reporting.
  • Work with BEP's Education team in Bluff to align curricula and share resources across both campuses.

Campus Management (40%)

Daily operations

  • Serve as BEP's on-site lead at CCDC, including opening and closing the main building and keeping set hours.
  • Greet and orient visitors, partners and groups, and staff visitor services in coordination with volunteers.

Facilities and rentals

  • Schedule and coordinate use of the conference center, classroom, lab, kitchen, and office space by partners and outside groups.
  • Work with the Facilities Director to identify maintenance, repairs, safety needs.

Volunteers, events and outreach

  • Recruit, train and schedule campus volunteers.
  • Plan and host community events, including the CCDC phased reopening in 2027.
  • Keep campus information current for BEP's website, newsletters and social media.

CCDC Working Group Coordination (20%) 

Meeting coordination

  • Organize logistics, agendas and materials for regular CCDC Working Group meetings in Monticello and online.
  • Take and distribute notes, and track action items and decisions.

Partnership engagement

  • Serve as a contact for Working Group partners, including Tribal Nations, federal and state agencies, local governments, Utah State University and nonprofits.
  • Help advance shared priorities, such as expanded field trips, a dark sky hub, an Indigenous Knowledge Center and an interagency visitor center.
  • Help draft partnership agreements and shared-use plans for the main building.

Planning and resource development

  • Support the Executive Director in building a shared vision and long-term plan for the campus.
  • Assist with grant proposals and reports tied to campus programs and Working Group initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications (not required to apply)

  • Bachelor's degree in education, environmental science, natural resources, nonprofit or hospitality management, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 3–5 years of experience in program coordination, environmental or outdoor education, or facility or visitor center management
  • Experience teaching or leading programs for K–12 students and community audiences
  • Strong organizational, project management, and budgeting skills
  • Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with experience convening diverse partners
  • Experience working with Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, public land agencies or local governments
  • Basic astronomy knowledge and ability to operate multiple types of telescopes (or the desire to learn these skills)
  • Familiarity with San Juan County and the Bears Ears region
  • Ability to work some evenings and weekends for events and programs
  • Valid driver's license and ability to pass a background check for work with youth

Compensation & Benefits

  • $58,000–$65,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience
  • Paid health insurance, generous paid time off, and employer-matched retirement

How to Apply

Please submit the following materials to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:

  1. Cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience
  2. Resume or CV
  3. Contact information for three professional references

Applications are due by Monday, November 16th. The anticipated start date is mid-to-late January 2027.

Bears Ears Partnership values skills gained from many kinds of experience. If you don't meet every qualification, we still encourage you to apply.

Bears Ears Partnership follows all state and federal law, as well as organizational policy, designated to safeguard against discrimination on the basis of age, gender, gender identity, race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy status, and genetic information.