SARAH HOGAN
Thornlands
Summary
Experienced Education and Engagement Manager for a prominent wildlife park in New Zealand, with a proven track record in fostering and maintaining meaningful connections with key stakeholders, including government agencies, students, teachers, industry peers, and general visitors. Empathetic and open-minded approach ensures fair, informed, and balanced decision making. Supportive and transparent in creating a positive team environment that fosters growth for both individuals and the team as a whole. Highly organized with excellent attention to detail, quickly acquiring new system skills when needed.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Education and Engagement Manager
Orana Wildlife Park
Christchurch, New Zealand
04.2022 - 12.2024
- Team Leadership & Staff Management: Lead, motivate, and manage team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture while ensuring effective communication and professional growth
- Stakeholder Engagement: Built and maintained strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and fostering long-term partnerships
- Oversea Programme Design & Delivery: Ensuring quality programme delivery and engagement of students that align to their needs
- Student Engagement: Develop and implement strategies to ensure high levels of student participation, involvement, and satisfaction
- Conservation Advocacy: Promote and advocate for conservation efforts, raising awareness and driving initiatives that contribute to environmental sustainability
- Decision-Making Responsibilities: As part of the senior leadership team, contributing to strategic decisions that impact the organisation’s direction and success
- Strategy & Vision Development: Collaborate with the Board of Trustees to develop and implement new long-term vision and goals
- National Strategy Development: Collaborate with industry peers to create national advocacy strategies
- Data analysis and bi-annual written reports to Ministry of Education, highlighting trends and identifying how the services provided quality fit-for-purpose learning outcomes
- Led the creation of a product, a school holiday programme, including programme content, online booking system, feedback survey, child health and safety questionnaires
- Collected feedback from participants, parents, and staff to produce a thorough written report for CEO and Board
Assistant Education Manager
Orana Wildlife Park
02.2015 - 03.2022
- Organised the education department work schedule including bookings, data and record keeping systems, developed suitable resource library for team knowledge
- Delivered educational programmes to a broad range of student ages, abilities, across a wider range of topics
- Designed custom-written educational programmes to align with national curriculum
- Strong communication skills; liaising with clients pre and posts service to ensure provision of effective and meaningful educational services
- Planning, preparation, and delivery of Ministry of Education tender in collaboration with colleagues
- Design, development, and implementation of improved administrative systems within the education team and for other areas of the organisation, including use of MS Office Suite
- Lead project coordinator for on-site community project, engaging key stakeholders through to successful completion
Secondary School Teacher
Alun School
Mold, UK
09.2002 - 04.2006
- Teaching National Curriculum (AU Y6-8) and examination syllabus (AU Y11-12) in Geography and Outdoor Education, include cross-curricular themes and issues
- Special emphasis placed on incorporating enquiry-based learning, inclusion of core subjects and relevant themes relating to the curriculum
- Key developer of design and planning new schemes of work across all age ranges
- Organisation and delivery of outdoor education including three off site residential assessments, including overnight expeditions
- Assessing pupils in their chosen practical activities
- On-going evaluation and reporting of good teaching practices across all subjects
Education
PGCE - Secondary Education
Manchester Metropolitan University
06-2002
BSc (Hons) - Outdoor and Environmental Education
Liverpool John Moores University
06-2001
Skills
- Stakeholder relations
- Strategic thinking
- Risk assessments
- Project planning
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Multi-tasking
- Excellent communication
- Team leadership
- Adaptability and flexibility
Accomplishments
- Developed a high performing team culture, centred by trust and transparency, the team were held in high regard by other staff.
- Actively supported individual staff growth, resulting in exceptional stakeholder feedback, as evidenced by formal Survey Monkey feedback.
- Successfully adapted to changing external factors by leading the development of new products that effectively addressed stakeholder needs, significantly enhancing student knowledge and exam success, as reflected in formal feedback.
- Quick learner with technology: demonstrated the ability to quickly master new systems and software, driving workplace efficiency.
- Self-taught in MS OneNote/Teams, using these tools to develop resources and lead small projects.
- Learned a government data reporting system without guidance, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
- Resource development expertise - self-taught in Canva to develop online and onsite resources for the Children’s University initiative which enhances student education engagement outside the formal setting.
- Collaborative strategic planning; contributed to high-level strategy planning at organisational, national, and international levels.
- Played a key role in developing a new strategic mission and future vision for the organisation, culminating in its public presentation.
- Involved in the planning of a national/regional advocacy and engagement strategy for the Zoo and Aquarium Association (Australasia).
Attributes
- Wide range of experience in the workplace, most recently as an Education and Engagement Manager for a prominent wildlife park (NZ).
- Proven track record in fostering and maintaining meaningful connections with key stakeholders including government agencies, students, teachers, industry peers, and general visitors.
- Empathetic and open-minded, act with integrity to ensure fair, informed and balanced decision making.
- Supportive and transparent, able to create positive team environment to help individuals and the team grow.
- Highly organised, excellent attention to detail and ability to acquire new system skills quickly.
Certification
Driver's License QLD
Languages
English
Timeline
Education and Engagement Manager
Orana Wildlife Park
04.2022 - 12.2024
Assistant Education Manager
Orana Wildlife Park
02.2015 - 03.2022
Secondary School Teacher
Alun School
09.2002 - 04.2006
PGCE - Secondary Education
Manchester Metropolitan University
BSc (Hons) - Outdoor and Environmental Education
Liverpool John Moores University