Small Museum Association

Summary:

The Executive Director is responsible for the general operations of an $800K budget, 20,000+ visitor, 20,000 square foot museum in Taos, NM that partners with communities of the Southwest to share their stories, arts and cultures. The museum was established in 1956 as a memorial to Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers, whose collections form the core of its extensive holdings. Responsibilities include financial oversight, membership and development, human resource management and stewardship and exhibition of the museum’s collection. The Executive Director reports directly to the President of the Board of Trustees.

Qualifications:

• ·       BA and MA in a relevant field such as art history, anthropology or museum studies
• ·       Minimum 3 years senior management experience in a small museum or historic house including supervisory experience
• ·       Proven skills in development, fundraising and marketing
• ·       Requisite knowledge and cultural awareness of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo Southwestern history and the ability to speak clearly, accurately, and sensitively on these topics
• ·       Working knowledge of financial analysis and reporting techniques, risk management, strategic planning, and project management
• ·       Bilingual in English, Spanish, and/or Tiwa (desired)
• ·       Existing relationships with donors (desired)

Responsibilities:

Development

The executive director is the primary development officer for the museum and is expected to devote approximately 40% of his/her time to the following:

• ·       Establish and maintain relationships with private, corporate, foundation and government funding communities
• ·       Cultivate donors and philanthropic foundations and steward major gifts
• ·       Ensure that annual NM Arts grants are filed, funded, used and appropriately reported
• ·       Oversee direct solicitations including revenue-generating membership program, end-of-year giving, and special gifts
• ·       Serve as the senior staff and advisor for the Museum’s special event fundraisers, including direct supervision of patron solicitations

Board/Management

• ·       Attend all board and committee meetings as an ex officio, non-voting member, facilitating remote access as needed and reporting upon request at board meetings on museum activities and finances
• ·       Report regularly to the Board President on museum activities and finances
• ·       Coordinate and implement the Board-approved strategic plan
• ·       Identify and implement museum priorities consistent with Board-approved policies
• ·       Work with the Board President to recruit and train new Trustees
• ·       Advise on acquisitions, gifts and bequests in support of the Collections Committee

Finances

• ·       Prepare the annual budget with input from staff, Finance Committee and accountant
• ·       Report on the budget vs actuals and cash flow projections on a regular basis, including store results, plans and payrolls
• ·       Serve as the primary point person with banks, investment fund managers and auditors
• ·       Coordinate with the Finance Committee on short and long term financial goals

Personnel

• ·       Supervise senior museum staff and contract personnel, assign and monitor tasks, conduct annual evaluations (and ensure the same is done for second tier employees), interpret and enforce personnel policy and hire/terminate employees
• ·       Schedule staff training and ensure the MRM is compliant with all codes, laws and requirements including technology-related matters

Marketing/PR

• ·       Oversee the marketing strategy, maintain message and brand consistency, and secure advertising contracts, in coordination with the Development Committee
• ·       Manage all press releases, blogs, eblasts, and online publications
• ·       Serve as the official spokesperson for the museum and be prepared/available to speak about the museum on short notice

Exhibitions/Programs

• ·       Work with relevant staff to establish a calendar of events and exhibitions for the museum, ideally for least two years in advance
• ·       Support senior staff in meeting and dealing with exhibition lenders

Physical Plant

• ·       Ensure that preventative maintenance and cleaning of the buildings and grounds occurs on a regular basis. This includes working with appropriate staff, contract vendors, local municipalities and volunteers.
• ·       Oversee building safety and security for visitors, staff and artifacts.
• ·       Develop RFPs and conduct bidding for projects according to Board guidelines

Compensation

• ·       $65-$85K base salary, commensurate with experience and education, plus benefits