Position Description: President & CEO
Overview
Client: Charlotte Museum of History
Location: 3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215
Founded: 1969
Reports To: Board of Trustees
Charlotte Museum of History — Organizational Description
Mission
The Charlotte Museum of History interprets and preserves Charlotte’s unique history, enriching the community through shared understanding of the past and inspiring dialogue about the future.
Overview
The Charlotte Museum of History is a cultural institution in east Charlotte offering educational programming for thousands of children, teens and adults; tours; regular community activities, and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits.
Today’s Charlotte Museum of History building opened in 1999 but the institution’s roots date to the 1940s. The museum and its grounds are home to Mecklenburg County’s oldest surviving structure, a 1774 stone house built by early settler Hezekiah Alexander, a local Revolutionary War leader who served on the committee that drafted North Carolina’s 1776 constitution and bill of rights. In 1949 the Daughters of the American Revolution worked to restore the house, and today the Hezekiah Alexander Home Site is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Recent Efforts
Last year, with the community’s help, Charlotte Museum of History added to its robust programming and completed critical preservation projects for the Hezekiah Alexander Home Site. The organization also successfully merged with Historic Charlotte, which shares a passion for preserving our community’s built environment and unique history.
With solid revenues, a great staff and a strong and growing base of support, the museum is moving forward with its recent strategic plan, which calls for increased presence and engagement in the Charlotte region while enhancing the museum experience through partnerships and development efforts.
The Role
The CEO is more than the face of the organization – the role is the captain of the organization with a foot in two worlds, stewarding historical assets of the past while engaging the new museum constituents of the future. It is a role that requires an appreciation of history, of course, but also an entrepreneur’s spirit and a manager’s instincts.
Having navigated the challenging post-Recession years that impacted all nonprofits in the region, Charlotte Museum of History is primed to take the important next steps toward sustainability and increased impact. The organization is seeking a dynamic leader who can get the most out of a team by using mentorship and coaching while continuing to add new roles and leveraging the involvement of volunteers.
Duties and Responsibilities
Management & Leadership
- Provides daily oversight to the operations of the museum
- Maintains a working knowledge of museum trends, professional standards, and best practices to be carried out when developing or improving operations, programs, exhibits, and collections care
- Defines the organization’s long-term goals and strategic focus in partnership with the Board of Trustees, and implements strategic plans and annual operating plans
- Works in partnership with the Board to set and accomplish the organization’s mission and vision
Human Resources
- Responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, developing, supervising and evaluating museum personnel (both paid staff and volunteer)
- Promotes a strong and intentional organizational culture that fosters loyalty, integrity, commitment and creative thinking – one in which staff are empowered, feel valued and are regularly recognized for their contributions
- Provides overall management of the human resources function, including supervision and a performance appraisal system
Fiscal Management
- Understands and supervises the business functions of the museum, including budgeting; monitoring and reporting income, expenses, investments, and cash flow; maintenance of appropriate records; and assisting the museum’s auditors
- Ensures that fiscal management complies with all legal and grant requirements, and is in keeping with sound financial practices of the nonprofit community
External Relations
- Provides overall leadership in external relations including partner development, public relations and fund development, engaging in consistent outreach efforts and managing a portfolio of relationships
- Develops strong partnerships that serve the mission and vision of the museum
- Serves as the museum’s spokesperson for media relations
- Engages in public speaking and advocacy opportunities
- Establishes and implements with a Development Director (yet to be hired) an annual fund development plan with fundraising goals, strategies, action items, timelines, and assigned responsibilities
- Participates directly in fundraising activities, including identifying and meeting with donors and prospective donors to generate support
- Provides direction and supports board member involvement in fund development
Program Oversight
- Works with Education Specialists to develop, implement and coordinate yearlong museum programming and outreach efforts, conducting ongoing assessment with regard to the effectiveness of planned curriculum
- Provides regularized and systematic staff development opportunities
Required Qualifications
The ideal candidate would have the following capabilities and qualities:
- Bachelor’s Degree in History, Public History, Museum Studies, Nonprofit Administration/Management, or equivalent degree program; advanced degree preferred
- A passion for history; enthusiasm and knowledge about historic preservation a plus
- Management experience with proven ability to provide leadership and inspiration to staff and volunteers; experience in a museum or destination setting a plus
- Experience in museum or nonprofit work for a minimum of 2 to 5 years
- Demonstrated track record in financial management
- Demonstrated excellence in communications and interpersonal skills
- Experience in external relations (Charlotte market a plus)
Compensation
Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience.
To Apply
Charlotte Museum of History is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in its work and staff. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Charlotte Museum of History encourages candidates of all groups and communities to apply for this position.
Beginning September 8, 2017, all inquiries, nominations and applications are to be directed via email to Next Stage Consulting: search@nextstage-consulting.com. Applications must include a cover letter and CV. Please indicate in the subject line of your email the position and organization to which you are applying and where you learned of the opportunity. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Please note that only those candidates invited for screening will be contacted.
