Job Description

VICE PRESIDENT – MUSEUM PRACTICE

www.ArtsConsulting.com

 

ORGANIZATION

Arts Consulting Group, Inc. (ACG), and its subsidiary Arts Consulting Group Canada, Ltd. (ACG Canada), is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement consulting, facilities & program planning, and organizational development services for the arts and culture industry. ACG continues to grow with current locations in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Diego, Tampa, Toronto, and Washington DC and consultants located in other communities throughout North America to best serve the needs of its clients. ACG senior team members have a breadth and depth of leadership and management experience in the creative sector and can flexibly adapt to clients’ rapidly changing strategies, business models, and operating environments. ACG has an unwavering commitment to growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities with a goal to assist its clients achieve the delicate balance between cultural impacts and business sustainability.

 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President – Museum Practice (VP Museums) will cultivate, lead, and support various museum and related client projects throughout North America and will serve arts and culture industry stakeholders in a variety of service areas provided by the firm. ACG VPs are successful entrepreneurial self-starters known and respected in the museum field and in leadership area(s) of expertise. The VP Museums will have demonstrable accomplishments with a clear focus on effectively working with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, universities, government agencies, and for-profit entities that operate in the museum field. He/she will provide project leadership and support, perform client cultivation and business development, and contribute to firm capacity building and team participation.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Project Leadership and Support

1)  Lead, guide, and supervise ACG employees and independent contractors on specific client projects.

2)  Deliver superior and objective personalized services to clients.

3)  Oversee project teams across all practice areas in the US and Canada, as needed.

4)  Focus on the effective and efficient use of time and resources in meeting “on time, on budget, on scope” project goals and associated client and firm deliverables.

5)  Implement firm methodologies, policies, procedures, and project reporting guidelines and assist in their refinement.

6)  Demonstrate advanced internet, e-mail, and overall computer proficiency for efficient electronic communications and presentations.

7)  Embrace other project leadership and support roles and responsibilities, as needed.

Client Cultivation and Business Development

1)  Build the brand, visibility, and presence of ACG locally, nationally, and internationally,

2)  Partner with ACG senior leadership to proactively develop relationships that increase the firm’s ability to secure consulting projects in the US and Canada.

3)  Engage with the museum field, related service associations, universities, and government agencies to assure RFP receipt and invitations for project proposals.

4)  Advise ACG’s President and practice leaders on changing trends and museum industry needs in nationally and internationally.

5)  Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive scopes of work, deliverables, budgets, and proposals with ACG’s VPs & General Manager for review and approval by ACG’s President.

6)  Participate on panels in museum industry conferences, attend significant cultural events, and otherwise demonstrate commitment and expertise of the firm and its team.

7)  Promote clear operational and brand distinction for Arts Consulting Group by developing and ensuring adherence to firm policies and style guidelines.

8)  Report client successes and testimonials that can effectively demonstrate ACG’s positive impacts.

9)  Write articles, blogs, and other materials that focus on the firm’s competencies and the industry’s needs.

10) Embrace other client cultivation and business development roles and responsibilities, as needed.

Firm Capacity Building and Team Participation

1)  Exemplify the mission, vision, and values of ACG.

2)  Create synergy within a geographically dispersed North American “one firm, one team” model through regular conference calls, meetings, and summits.

3)  Identify and cultivate additional full-time employees and independent contractors for client projects, as needed.

4)  Share expertise with other ACG employees and consultants to build the firm’s intellectual capacity.

5)  Participate in ongoing education programs, training, meetings, and other aspects of maintaining the highest level of knowledge within the industry.

6)  Develop effective service integration between practice areas and locations in business development and communication.

7)  Embrace other firm capacity building and team participation roles and responsibilities, as needed.

 

Job Requirements

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The successful VP Museums is an entrepreneurial and resilient self-starter with a commitment and connection to the museum field and the capacity to achieve demonstrable accomplishments. He/she learns from their past experience in the museum field, lives in the present, and looks to the future simultaneously as a global thinker with pragmatic methodologies that deliver superior results. The VP Museums enjoys seeking out new project opportunities and exhibits initiative while having the ability to prioritize tasks and achieve desired outcomes. It is not enough to be a strong conceptual thinker and creative generator of ideas. The VP Museums must be able to move from dialogue to decision making and develop strategies that inspire others towards hands-on implementation of client goals. He/she embodies the highest ethical standards in his/her mentorship of ACG’s clients, consultants, and all those who support the field.

 

The VP Museums is not driven by his/her own ego, but is motivated by the values that revolve around creating a more vibrant and sustainable museum field.  The VP Museums understands the synergy created by an international firm serving the entire museum industry far outweighs what he/she can achieve as an individual consultant or loose affiliation of consultants in a single cultural discipline, functional area of expertise, or geographic region. The VP Museums values knowledge and intellectual growth while having a clear focus on the importance of the effective return on investment of time, financial, technological, and human resources in achieving both client and firm goals.

 

An objective listener with superior interpersonal, verbal, and written presentation skills combined with a keen ability to develop people and organizations, the VP Museums is a flexible team player who enjoys working in collaboration with their international colleagues. He/she has a passion for the discovery of truth and knowledge in developing the best practices as a visionary expert in the field.  In joining a learning and teaching organization, the VP Museums prioritizes building impactful intellectual and social capacity, and he/she values the diplomacy and tact required to move people and projects forward.  With a deep understanding and motivation for effectively and efficiently achieving results, the VP Museums has an unwavering commitment to growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

A Bachelor’s degree is required with a Master’s degree strongly preferred and a minimum of 8-10 years’ experience in senior management roles in the museum field or similar sector.  Additional certifications, educational accomplishments, and bilingual (English/Spanish) fluency is appreciated. A demonstrable track record in leading museums or departments is required, as is active participation and visibility in the American Alliance of Museums, Canadian Museums Association, International Council of Museums, or other museum industry service organizations and professional networks. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and superior organizational capabilities are essential. Multiple accomplishments in complex environments and multifaceted computer literacy, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) are necessary.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Full-time employment with competitive base salary, employee benefits, and discretionary bonus plan opportunities are available. Dynamic company, fluid work environment, fascinating client experiences, excellent mentorship, periodic travel, and a highly synergistic team are emblematic of ACG.

Other benefits include:

*  Recognition and strategic positioning internationally as a leader in quality and professional services to the arts and culture sector,

Leverage your professional expertise with that of your ACG colleagues and the firm’s extensive client list,

Camaraderie as part of a team of senior colleagues with shared values who are respected throughout the industry,

Efficiency in sharing information with other ACG leaders and support in the areas of proposal development, legal issues/contracts, client prospecting, consulting assistance, business strategy, and infrastructure,

*  Access to a rapidly growing pool of arts and culture management consultants with expertise in all functional areas and artistic disciplines,

Flexibility in developing teams of employees and consultants to serve on dynamic projects,

Membership benefits in arts and culture service associations to which the firm belongs,

Link to international strategic partners in donor research, human resource, market analysis, and other invaluable tools,

Share in the financial, professional, intellectual, and emotional rewards of a growing “artrepreneurial” firm whose impact leaves a legacy on an entire field.

 

APPLICATIONS AND INQUIRIES

Cover letter and resume (electronic submissions preferred) with demonstrable accomplishments and identifiable service in the museum industry to:

Bruce D. Thibodeau, President

Arts Consulting Group, Inc.

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2836

Tel  (888) 234.4236

Fax (888) 284.6651

Email         VPMuseums@ArtsConsulting.com

Arts Consulting Group, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes qualified applicants and values diversity of all kinds.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Contact Person: Bruce D. Thibodeau, President Phone: (888) 234.2436 Ext. 1
Email Address: VPMuseums@ArtsConsulting.com Fax: (888) 284.6651