DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum seeks a dynamic, knowledgeable, and highly-motivated leader for the position of Deputy Director for External Affairs (DDEA) at a pivotal moment in what has been an extraordinary period of growth and development for the museum. Reporting to and partnering with the Executive Director, the DDEA is an essential member of the senior leadership team, charged with the strategic growth of philanthropy and the visibility of deCordova in support of the organization’s mission and vision.

ABOUT deCordova

DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is a vibrant and engaging institution located in the Boston suburb of Lincoln. Its mission is to connect audiences to contemporary art, with an emphasis on sculpture, through exhibitions, learning opportunities, the collection, and unique park setting. Founded in 1950 on the 30-acre former estate of Julian DeCordova (1851-1945), deCordova has grown from a local collection to a dynamic contemporary art institution recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative programming.

In 2011, deCordova’s Strategic Plan established the goal to become the most innovative contemporary sculpture park in the United States. We aim to achieve this by using the landscape as a constantly-changing gallery for innovative installations, connecting indoor and outdoor curatorial and education programs, and creating a new approach to visitor learning and engagement. The Museum is undertaking a major facilities and landscape master planning process, and it is anticipated that we will soon enter into a major capital campaign to realize the work outlined in the master plan and to significantly buttress the endowments.

Attracting over 100,000 visitors each year, deCordova is comprised of several parts: the varied terrain of the outdoor setting; galleries and a café in the original house and 1998 addition; and the store and educational facilities in additional buildings. Since 2011, deCordova is reorienting around its largest asset – the sculpture park – while continuing its role as a vital collector and presenter of contemporary art in all media. Over the past five years, deCordova has undergone significant transformation by refocusing its curatorial program, significantly growing its fundraising efforts, establishing innovative partnerships with area educational and cultural organizations, and engaging an ever broader community.

DeCordova has redefined its role in museum education, launching new and innovative programs across the organization that deepen the engagement of audiences of all ages with the creative process. DeCordova also houses the nation’s first preschool embedded within a contemporary art museum. The Reggio Emilia-inspired Lincoln Nursery School is an experiment in early-exposure arts education and family engagements that has attracted considerable attention from educators, scholars, and the media.

In the park, deCordova has recently acquired major outdoor works by Dan Graham, Antony Gormley, Jaume Plensa and Ursula von Rydingsvard, among others, and raised funds for a commissioned site-specific work by Andy Goldsworthy, the only public work by the artist in New England. Recent and upcoming loans or site-specific projects in the park include works by Paul McCarthy, Sol LeWitt, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jared Mellenbruch, Lesley Dill, Alyson Shotz, Oscar Tuazon, and Monika Sosnowska. Recent exhibitions in the galleries have included solo shows of Rachel Perry Welty, Lesley Dill, and Ian Hamilton Finlay; group exhibitions have been devoted to Walden revisited and The Social Medium.

DeCordova has an annual operating budget of approximately $5 million; 28 full-time staff and 60 part-time staff; and an endowment of $10 million. DeCordova recently hired a new Executive Director, John B. Ravenal, who came from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where he served for seventeen years as the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. Before that, Ravenal held curatorial positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum. He also served for two years as President of the Association of Art Museum Curators and was a 2012 Fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS POSITION

This position represents an opportunity to join an institution poised for significant advancement at a pivotal juncture in its organizational growth. Substantial planning has been completed for a new master plan that calls for extensive enhancement of the park setting and consolidation and expansion of the multiple buildings that are located on the grounds. Working closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees, the DDEA will play a critical role in the design, planning, and execution of a comprehensive capital campaign to implement the master plan.

The DDEA will also be responsible for the strategic growth of the development, corporate, and marketing functions and team to support the institution’s growth and greater prominence within the region and throughout the national and international contemporary art community. He/she will build deCordova’s fund development capacity and culture of philanthropy through effective marketing, communications, operations, goal-setting, and organizational alignment.

The DDEA leads deCordova’s development, corporate, and marketing efforts, currently overseeing seven full-time and three part-time staff members in the areas of individual giving, major gifts, grants, marketing, membership, events, corporate support and corporate art loan program. The department is responsible for $3 million+ in annual operating revenue, including $2 million in annual contributed revenue and $1 million+ in program revenue, including special projects and an annual fundraising gala. DeCordova’s Board and Executive Director are committed to working with the DDEA to strategically expand the department to support an increase in annual operating revenue as well as the forthcoming capital campaign.

The DDEA, along with his/her team, is responsible for the creative design and execution of successful fundraising and positioning programs, including the ongoing evaluation and development of an institutional prospect pool, the successful implementation of the annual fund, major gifts, planned giving and special project campaigns, the growth and leveraging of individual membership, corporate sponsorship, and corporate art loan programs, the oversight of the annual Party for the Park gala, and the overall marketing and PR efforts of the institution.

Job Requirements
EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated and documentable record of achievement in fundraising, including operational and programmatic fundraising as well as prior capital campaign experience. Prior experience as a departmental manager, organizational leader, or director of a development program required. Familiarity with marketing and communications and experience leading staff are equally desirable. DeCordova is an EOE employer and welcomes applications from all candidates.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS

Proven track record of leadership, strategy, and development of multi-faceted fundraising program including oversight and implementation and meeting or exceeding fundraising goals.
Proven track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting and closing six and seven figure major gifts in support of a mission-driven organization.
Knowledge of marketing strategies for museums and cultural institutions and skill in guiding staff to shape social and traditional media communications to attract attention and drive attendance.
The ability to be a compelling and informed presence to donors and patrons in a manner that contributes to excitement about deCordova and its future.
Through active and regular participation in the Boston artworld and donor social circles, and speaking and writing about deCordova’s mission and a shared vision for the future, the successful DDEA will attract and engage a wide array of individuals and partners on deCordova’s behalf.
Interest in and enthusiasm for contemporary art and the ability to engage others with that enthusiasm.
Ability to advance an intentional, data-driven strategy to cultivate, solicit, and steward support, and to support the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and other senior staff in advancing those efforts.
Facility with non-profit finances as they relate to Development as well as campaign finance strategies. Work with museum leadership to develop and monitor departmental revenue goals and expenses.
Ability to work in concert and with colleagues across the institution as an inspiring and positive advocate for institutional mission. A sense of humor, passionate outlook, and the ability to build rapport with colleagues essential.
Ability to strike the balance between the external—cultivation and solicitation—aspects of the position and the administrative, financial and practical management duties, and build a team that supports these functions.
This position requires additional evening, weekend, and early morning hours in support of department events and meetings.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume as pdf files (no MS Word please) by April 15, 2015 to hr@decordova.org. When applying by email, include “DDEA” in subject line of email. Applications may be mailed to: deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Attn: Human Resources, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Nominations and suggestions are also welcome.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Email Address: hr@decordova.org