Executive Director [Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA]

BACKGROUND:

The Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) will be celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2017. In these twenty years the museum has been recognized as a leader in transforming the city of Oceanside.  OMA is a regional and national art museum that was begun as a community effort and continues to this day to attract support from its community and beyond. Over the years, the Museum has presented a series of exciting and inventive exhibitions including Neil Shigley: Invisible People; California Dreaming; In the Abstract and Baby Tattoo: Carnival of Astounding Art.

The Museum has an annual budget of 1.2 million, six full-time staff, two part-time staff and over 30 volunteers. The Museum is a beautiful modern 20,020 sq. foot facility, with 9,128 square feet of gallery space, located a few blocks from the beach. The Museum is headed by a 17-member Board of Trustees. The Museum welcomes 25,000 visitors annually and provides an active education program for adults and children including a wide selection of events related to the exhibitions.  The Museum welcomes 105 school groups annually, 4,000 visits from school children kindergarten through high school and has an active docent program.   In the past two years OMA has gone through a period of rapid maturation and growth, and the museum is seeking an Executive Director.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

The Executive Director will be encouraged to consolidate the many programs that are underway as well as infuse the OMA with vision, energy, and excitement that build on the exhibition and program strengths. The Executive Director will find willing collaborators on the staff and among Board members to explore new approaches to exhibition formats and in teaching and learning to advance the Museum’s mission.

To build audiences and awareness for the OMA, the Executive Director and the staff will continue to develop and promote the Museum’s strong exhibition program and educational philosophy, positioning the OMA as innovative, accessible, connected to, and engaged with the community and external constituencies locally and regionally.

Like many cultural organizations, the OMA is challenged by current and projected financial realities. The Executive Director, in partnership with the Board of Trustees, will lead the effort to develop new sources of funding and revenue.

The Executive Director, working with the Board, will help determine whether OMA should continue to be a collecting institution; lead the museum through an AAM accreditation process and work with the Board and city on the proposed expansion into the Museum’s adjacent firehouse.

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Oceanside Museum of Art is seeking an experienced and energetic leader to direct the Oceanside Art Museum with strong grounding in museum management, financial acumen and contemporary art. The Executive  Director, reporting to the Chair of the Board of Trustees should bring vitality and direction to the Museum; working with the Board, staff and external partners to enhance the Museum’s artistic, aesthetic, and educational mission; to augment its financial resources; and to develop and implement short- and long-term strategic plans. The Executive Director must be highly regarded by his/her peers in the museum world. The Executive Director must be able to articulate a strategic vision for the Museum. The Executive Director should possess demonstrated skills in fundraising, financial management, audience development, and decision-making. The Executive Director serves as the organization’s spokesperson to all constituencies, both external and internal, increasing awareness of the Museum by clearly articulating the Museum’s ambitious goals and programs. The new Executive Director will help define the future of this unique and exciting organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Identify and implement opportunities to expand the Museum’s reputation both locally and regionally; oversee the implementation of an ambitious and extensive exhibition and program schedule.
• Prepare and lead the Museum through the AAM accreditation process by developing processes and procedures in line with achieving AAM accreditation.
• Identify, cultivate, and generate significant financial support for the OMA’s short- and long-term development plans; expand ties to the philanthropic, political, and civic community; actively seek private gifts and public and private grants.
• Work closely with museum Board and staff and others to identify and gather the resources needed to fulfill the OMA’s mission and strategic priorities, including support for exhibitions and programs, capital projects and endowments.
• Promote sound financial management of the Museum and its programs, promoting its financial well-being and economic stability; oversee budget preparation, promote best fiscal practices, financial analyses.
• Prepare and transmit to the Board President an annual budget and annual assessments of the Museum’s and Executive Director’s accomplishments.
• Work closely with the Board to facilitate Board meetings, annual planning
• Establish and nurture partnerships with public and private organizations and individuals to further the Museum’s mission and goals, always with attention to the inclusion of diverse constituencies.
• Provide outstanding leadership and management in the OMA’s advancement of exhibitions and educational programs in support of the Museum’s mission.
• Provide dynamic community leadership to enhance the visibility of the Oceanside Museum of Art as an important cultural, economic and civic resource.
• Supervise employees, set priorities, cultivate teamwork and open communication, promote diversity, foster a culture of service, evaluate performance, and provide opportunities for recognition, training, and professional development.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Five to seven years of increasing responsibility in a museum of significant size with the past five years in a senior position, preferably as a director; a demonstrated record of accomplishment. A minimum of a master’s degree is required;
• Strong managerial, fiscal, and administrative abilities;
• A deep understanding of the role of the visual arts in education and community life;
• Ability to continue to garner the support of volunteers and recognize their contributions;
• Ability to lead dynamically, passionately, and energetically; and to manage, position, ?market, and develop the Museum;
• Experience in expanding a Museum’s role within the community;
• Proven fundraising experience and success;
• Experience in working with community-wide cultural institutions and a ?desire to create partnerships throughout the community and in the region;
• Ability to work in politically sensitive situations;
• Ability to communicate in a simple but persuasive manner and to present and represent ?the Oceanside Art Museum to internal and external constituencies;
• A reputation for the highest level of integrity and credibility. ?The new Executive Director must be a bold and experienced, thought leader with the drive, focus, and energy to highlight, develop, and expand the OMA’s areas of strength while addressing areas of weakness. The new Executive Director should be engaging, approachable and committed to making art accessible to all constituencies; and be able to build cohesive, well-functioning teams.

COMPENSATION: ?The position will offer a competitive salary and benefit package.

START DATE: ?Winter 2015

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION: ?Send resume and cover letter indicating interest, qualifications, and list of three references to: ?Diane Frankel/ Management Consultants for the Arts, P O Box OMA
65 High Ridge Road # 128 Stamford, CT 06905

Email to: Mcawall2@gmail.com (preferred)