Position Announcement: Executive Director
The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum, a small community organization in Nantucket, Massachusetts, seeks an energetic, creative, and goal-oriented leader with museum experience to serve as Executive Director.
Job Description:
The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director are the management of the NLBM, which includes operation of the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum, and the management of the NLBM Collection. In conjunction with the Board of the NLBM and its Executive Committee, the Executive Director undertakes long- and short-range planning, policy development, budget preparation and monitoring, and development of NLBM programs and services. The Executive Director manages a full-time Deputy Director, a part-time admission and shop assistant (seasonally), approximately 25-30 volunteers who serve as docents and on established committees that support the core work of the organization. The Executive Director represents the NLBM in the community, participates in events which increase awareness of basket history and of the NLBM, expands community outreach, and performs duties which foster donation of relevant artifacts and funds to the NLBM.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Executive Director:
• Supervises Paid and Volunteer Staff: Identifies, assigns, and supervises work of the paid full-time deputy director and part-time assistant as well as the volunteer staff. Assures that all are appropriately trained, and adequate staffing is maintained to meet the NLBM needs and objectives. Creates a congenial atmosphere and environment conducive for recruiting and retaining staff and volunteers.
• Financial records, Reports, and Proposals: Performs ongoing daily financial management as well as long-term planning and reporting. Works with the Board of Directors to develop a yearly budget for the NLBM. Works with treasurer to maintain all financial records and conduct a yearly review.
• Planning: Responsible for the long and short-term goals and objectives for the organization outlined in the strategic plan.
• Exhibits: Leads initiative to develop an annual theme and exhibit vision to attract visitors, to benefit the community and to further the mission of the NLBM. Ensures the exhibit is up and running with proper documentation by museum opening party and breakdown of exhibit at museum fall close with care and surety to return exhibit items on loan properly and expediently. Leads initiative to develop a Christmas Stroll theme and exhibit vision.
• Collection: Works with the Collections Committee to ensure items donated to the NLBM are appropriately reviewed, insured, conserved, preserved, and cataloged.
• Community Outreach: Develops programs, community activities, and appropriate meetings which further the mission of the NLBM and benefit the community
• Website, Promotion and Publicity: Overseas Deputy Director in Promoting the NLBM and Museum events and activities. Keeps website current.
• Membership: Works to increase membership numbers and member benefits, and maintains NLBM member records through management of the Deputy Director and Membership Committee.
• Development: Sets goals for all major fundraising efforts, tracks totals, and reports to appropriate committees. Works with special event committees (e.g. Baskets and Bubbly, Yard Sale, 20th anniversary in 2020 to create sponsorship levels as well as solicit and process donations.
• Grants: Identifies grant opportunities and works to develop government, non-profit, and foundation grants to support the operations of the NLBM. Responsible for appropriate monitoring of grants and required reporting.
• Records: Keeps electronic records in an orderly and accessible system and monitors regular file back-up. Maintains hard-copy files in an organized manner.
• Facilities, Supplies and Equipment: Coordinates maintenance of the museum building, grounds, and equipment, along with the facilities and grounds committee and provides for safe and reliable operation of the NLBM. Maintains adequate supplies for Museum operation within budget parameters.
• Museum Operations and Visitor Services: Regularly meets with and actively manages Deputy Director to oversee coordination of all Museum functions and services. Provides oversight and support as needed to the Deputy Director, who schedules group tours and coordinates volunteer staffing for regular open hours as well as special tours and events. May conduct some tours and educational programs. Maintains records related to utilization of the Museum.
• Museum Shop: Provides final oversight on shop purchases, timing of shop activities, and setting of prices for the shop.
• Professional Development: Participates in educational activities and museum associations to keep abreast of the latest development in small museum and historical society management.
Skills and Expertise Required:
• Supervisory skills, especially as relevant to a volunteer staff, financial, and administrative management of an organization
• Ability to serve as an articulate spokesperson for the NLBM
• Experience in development and fundraising, including foundation and government grants as well as corporate and private donations; demonstrated ability to develop partnerships and identify creative solutions
• Financial record-keeping skills
• Knowledge of Museum Professional policies, issues, and strategies
• Familiarity with PC environment and knowledge of the following applications: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Past Perfect, and POS Software Shop Keep
• Adept at Social Media, especially Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Interpersonal and team interaction skills; ability to work with an active board, a diverse community and with standing and ad hoc committees
• Ability to meet the physical demands of working and transporting materials in an historic building with non-standard storage spaces and running a yard sale as a major fundraiser
• Superior organizational skills at prioritization and the ability to work in a changing, fast paced environment.
Qualifications:
The Executive Director will have a relevant bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years’ work in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience, demonstrating ability required to support a non-profit organization and manage service for a small historical museum staffed primarily with volunteers.
Location: The Executive Director will be based at the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Salary: This is a full time, salaried position, which requires weekend and some evening hours. The work schedule 9 months of the year is full-time yet flexible, and some duties may be performed from home. May through October the schedule is rigid with limited vacation time and full-time presence in the NLBM and 24-hour availability by phone, text or email.
To Apply: Please submit cover letter and resume to: Adminoffice@nantucketlightshipbasketmuseum.org with Executive Director in the subject line. No phone inquiries please.