Executive Director
Children’s Museum of the Arts
(New York NY)

BACKGROUND & MISSION:
Founded in 1988, The Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) is one of the nation’s first children’s museums focused exclusively on the arts.  The mission of CMA is to extend the benefits of the arts to all children and their communities and to secure the future of the arts by inspiring and championing the next generation of artists and art lovers.  CMA is committed to celebrating the artist in every child and promoting access to the arts for all children regardless of ability or socioeconomic status.

CMA provides robust visual arts programs for New York children ages ten months to 15 years through authentic hands-on experiences with teaching artists, both in our interactive state-of-the-art new 10,000 square foot museum in lower Manhattan and also extended into the community at sights ranging from NYC public schools, parks, community centers to homeless shelters.  From its in house WEE Arts program for the very young to our new teen center, CMA serves over 110,000 people annually, 25 percent for free.

POSITION OVERVIEW
Having successfully executed its last 5 year strategic and business plans culminating in the grand opening of its new museum facility to rave reviews, CMA is now in search of a dynamic, visionary and seasoned Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth.

The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of CMA. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives, program development and administration.

The ideal candidate is a person of high integrity, whose actions aligns with his/her beliefs and shows a commitment to and appreciation of the mission of CMA. He/She will be dedicated to CMA doing what it takes and spending the time or energy necessary to realize all of CMA’s potential.  He/She will have a proven track record including five to seven years in managing a direct service not-for-profit organization of CMA’s current size and complexity, including working with a large board of directors. The ED will be a magnanimous leader recognizing the invaluable contribution of CMA’s staff, leading the team with humility and fairness. The ED will be open to ideas from the board and its staff, while taking an assertive leadership role. The candidate will have a successful history in raising capital for a non-profit institution. Importantly, CMA’s leader will demonstrate an understanding and love of children and the arts, and ideally have a rigorous arts background affiliated with the cultural institutions of New York City.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director will:
-Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality in programming delivery, while also developing the capacity to balance the many competing and complementary programs and activities that fall under CMA’s mission and to allocate resources appropriately so that the balance is sustainable
-Provide leadership in developing staff, organizational procedures and financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff. Lead, develop, and retain CMA’s staff at all levels.
-Promote active and broad participation by engaging and energizing CMA’s volunteers, board members, event committees, partnering organizations, funders and donors in all areas of the organization’s work.
-Maintain official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. Ensure effective systems to track progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
-Evaluate CMA’s external relationships. Enhance the existing network and continue to build new partnerships, establishing relationships with the funders/donors, political and community leaders, and peer organizations in the arts and in the field
-Improve board management to promote good governance practices, find the appropriate role for the board in day-to-day museum operations, and ensure full participation. See that the board is kept fully informed on the condition of the organization and all important factors influencing it.
-Publicize the activities of the organization, its programs and goals. Raise awareness for CMA to new communities without losing its identity. Represent the programs and point of view of the organization to agencies, organizations, and the general public.
-Be an excellent communicator, internally and externally. Communicate effectively and easily with the different constituents.
-Be responsible for the recruitment, employment, and development of all personnel. Ensure that job descriptions are developed, that regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place. See that an effective management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place. Encourage staff and volunteer development and training, and assist program staff in relating their specialized work to the success of the overall organization. Maintain a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top quality creative and effective people.
-Complete the final stages of fundraising to finalize the current capital campaign. Organize and arrange future fund raising capacity to ensure that adequate funds are available to permit the organization to carry out its work and strategy.
-Manage CMA’s $3.1 million annual operating budget. Be responsible for developing and maintaining sound financial practices. Work with the staff, the Finance Committee, and the board in preparing a budget, report on actuals, and conduct an annual audit; see that the organization operates within budget guidelines.

TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter by email to executivedirectorsearch@cmany.org. No phone calls, please.

CMA is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds to apply. Check out www.cmany.org for more information about the museum and its programs.

Website: http://www.cmany.org