Small Museum Association

Ross County Historical Society

45 W. Fifth Street, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601

Position: Historical Society Director; reports to the Society’s Board of Trustees 

Director’s job classification: full-time; salaried

Salary: $60,000 - $75,000 commensurate with education and experience; Sick leave, personal leave, vacation days, and holiday leave are included. Other benefits negotiable.

Organizational profile: The Ross County Historical Society, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1896 to commemorate the centennial of the founding of the city of Chillicothe, Ohio, and to preserve and promote the study of the history of the city, Ross County, and the surrounding region. In its 128-year history the Society has acquired and exhibited an exceptional collection of artifacts and documents reflecting not only the city and county’s rich history but also the building of the Northwest Territory and the beginning of the State of Ohio. Chillicothe’s history includes being the location of the first capital of Ohio when the state was founded in 1803, and the last capital of the Old Northwest Territory. Chillicothe is home to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, which in 2023 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and multiple other historical sites and museums. The museum collection is enriched by its McKell Library, which has holdings of more than 17,000 books,11,000 archival documents, and 20,000 photographs. The museum is currently midway through reviewing its holdings of items that may fall under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatrietion Act of 1990 (NAGPRA). In addition to the museum, there are six other structures (two are the Franklin House built in 1907 in the Arts and Crafts style and the Knoles log house which was constructed in the early 1820’s). More information is available at https://rosscountyhistorical.org/.

Position description: The Ross County Historical Society is seeking a dynamic Director to work with a full-time curatorial staff member, 6 part-time staff members, 3 museum docents, and volunteers.

Preferred educational experience: A master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in museum studies, public history, or related field, and five years of museum work experience is preferred. Also, knowledge/experience in the current best practices of historical building preservation and maintenance is desirable.

Minimum requirements:

·Has the ability to work collaboratively, and cooperatively with fellow employees, volunteers, the Board of Trustees, and the public

·Has nonprofit accounting aptitude including hands on budget management, budget preparation and analysis - Budget decision making and reporting skills are also necessary

·Is capable of planning, developing, promoting, and operating comprehensive year-round operations of a historical organization and its programs and services

·Has experience with museum operations, exhibit design, and collections management

·Has knowledge of museum ethics, standards, and professional practices

·Is familiar with collections management software, programs necessary to create text and spreadsheet documents, and digital tools necessary to develop online awareness/programs for the organization; also has the technical skills needed for running programs or virtual meetings

·Has a strong public service orientation

·Can manage varied and wide-ranging duties and has the ability to be flexible to unexpected, but necessary changes of plans

·Has a mind attuned to details

·Uses effective communication and writing skills

Job duties:

·Serves as the chief administrative officer and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization

·Works at developing relationships with the paid staff, volunteers, community members, and city, county, and state officials

·Supervises staff, volunteers, and interns and is responsible for all hiring, training,

and terminations; maintains all appropriate personnel records

·Ensures that all the organization’s policies are followed and that such policies are reviewed and revised as needed

·Manages/oversees the securing and maintaining of the property and facilities of the Society, as well as the collections held in public trust

·Monitors all the Society’s property for maintenance issues, and in conjunction with the maintenance committee, ensures that an effective maintenance program is followed; reports all important maintenance issues to the Board of Trustees

·Oversees maintenance and repairs which could include being willing to work alone, with other staff or volunteers, or hiring and overseeing contractors

·Maintains accurate records on the collections, admissions, donations, loans, budgets, and projects

·Ensures the museum and archives are following best practices and standards

·Attends all Board of Trustees’ meetings and committee meetings

·Works collaboratively with the RCHS Board to achieve the organization’s goals

·Presents a director’s report at the monthly Board of Trustees’ meeting and an annual director’s report at the April annual membership meeting

·Serves as spokesperson and chief advocate for the organization -Establishes strong partnerships in the community and enhances the public image to expand interest and support. The director shall be the primary spokesperson for all matters related to the Society’s activities, except for sensitive matters, which by board action, may be specifically assigned to the President of the Board of Trustees.

·Monitors all expenses and receipts with the Society’s treasurer and provides a monthly financial report to the treasurer

·Develops, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, an annual balanced budget to submit to the Board of Trustees

·Seeks and prepares grant requests

·Develops and makes recommendations of programming, events, partnerships, and other opportunities for the RCHS

·Ensures that all the organization’s activities and programming is welcoming, equitable, and accessible to all, while actively working to identify and build strong relationships and partnerships with the diverse communities that are served

·Oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization and implements a progressive program for the Museum’s exhibitions, tours, research projects, collections management, educational activities, volunteer coordination and community outreach

·Manages/oversees all the organization’s correspondence

·Oversees public relations, marketing, and fundraising campaigns

·Directs the development and implementation of communications, marketing, and graphic design work related to the Museum programs and services

·Manages/oversees the writing and distribution of a quarterly newsletter to the membership

·Manages/oversees museum social media accounts

·Manages partnerships with professional organizations and other nonprofits, and fosters opportunities for future collaborations

·Other duties as assigned by the Board of Trustees

How to apply:

Email a resume, cover letter, and three references to: RCHSjobapp@gmail.com.

Please write ”Museum Director Application” in the subject line.

An acknowledgement will be sent when the resume is received and reviewed. If within four days of submission an acknowledgement has not been received, please call or text 740-851-3263 and leave a detailed message.

All applications will be treated confidentially and references will only becontacted after notification of job finalists.

The Ross County Historical Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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