President & CEO [Mariners’ Museum and Park, Newport News, VA]

Description

Purpose:

About the Museum:
For over eighty years, the history of the ocean and its relationship with humankind has been told and displayed in one of the largest maritime museums in the world. Founded in 1930 by Archer Milton Huntington, The Mariners’ Museum, designated by Congress as “America’s National Maritime Museum”, sits in an urban oasis – the 550 acre park is now home to the 167-acre Lake Maury and the Noland Trail – a five-mile shoreline trail with fourteen bridges. Within the Museum we have 90,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, including the prestigious International Small Craft Center, and the award-winning USS Monitor Center. This state-of-the-art exhibition and largest marine metals conservation lab in the world  houses 210 tons of artifacts from the Civil War ironclad Monitor, which were recovered from NOAA’s Monitor  National Marine Sanctuary. The Museum’s own object collection consists of 32,000 pieces, with a focus on paintings, prints, and drawings; scientific instruments; figureheads; ship models; marine engines; and other forms of maritime art and material culture. The Museum has a $95 million endowment and an annual operating budget of over $6 million per year.
The Mariners’ Museum Library and Archives is housed in the Trible Library located on the campus of  Christopher Newport University, and includes more than 78,000 books; 800,000 photographs, films, and negatives; and over 1 million pieces of archival material, and the entire Chris Craft archival collection, making it the largest maritime library in the Western Hemisphere.

Duties:

• Provide strategic leadership in all aspects of the Museum’s operations and guide the implementation of the Museum’s Mission, Vision, and Values.
• Responsible for ensuring that the overall organization structure is appropriate to the mission of the organization. Must be able to clearly communicate with all levels of staff, docents and volunteers, and Board of Trustees.
• Responsible for ensuring that appropriate short and long range goals are developed and implemented by Vice Presidents to achieve organizational goals.
• Responsible for overseeing the sound fiscal management of the organization through the preparation and implementation of the annual financial budget and operating plans. Ensures the successful implementation of the annual budget. Collaborates with the CFO on monitoring the use of operating, restricted, and capital funds.
• Create, motivate and oversee a senior management team consisting of four Vice Presidents responsible for the operation of the organization. Duties include training, coaching/development, and discipline as necessary. Collaborate with Human Resources on discipline/termination issues, as well as hiring/promotion decisions.
• Develop and maintain effective representation of the Museum with government officials on a local, national and international basis.
• Maintain professional knowledge in the fields of history, technology, and culture by attending conferences and seminars, keeping abreast of professional literature, and maintaining an awareness of current developments in the Museum profession.
• Ensure the operation of The Museum in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Trustees.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and stay within established budget.
• Exceptional verbal, written, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Exceptional conceptual planning capabilities, organization and team management skills.
• Ability to form a strategic vision and implement the vision through sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment and strong operational focus.
• Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentation on controversial or complex topics to the Board and outside benefactors.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability to speak effectively to small and large groups.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten years of management experience in a profit or not-for-profit organization with a proven track record in leading dynamic organizations, revenue generation, building new business lines, and motivating staff and volunteers to achieve new levels of excellence. At least five years at a senior management level preferred.
• Background and understanding of Board Development preferred.
• Broad knowledge of museum practices, standards and ethics and proven leadership in the museum field.
• Ability to network effectively for the organization, interact beneficially with Board of Trustees, staff, volunteers, donors, community and other museums and cultural institutions.

Education, Licensure, Certifications:

Conditions of Employment: