The Trustees is an organization with a fascinating past and an exciting future. Our places are open to all and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in what we do. Founded in 1891, by a group of visionary volunteers, we preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and work to protect special places across the state. We have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 25,000+ acres on more than 100 reservations that are all open to the public. We are a nonprofit conservation organization funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and more than 50,000 member households.

Here at The Trustees, we want even more people to enjoy our extraordinary places. We want people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved with them, be inspired by them, and love them as much as we do. That’s why we’ve put some bold ambitions in place. We want everyone in Massachusetts and beyond to feel like a member of The Trustees and, by 2018, we will have a membership that exceeds over 150,000 members, 2 million visitors to our properties, and 500,000 people engaging with us through education and engagement programs.

Position Summary:

The Trustees are looking for an intelligent business-minded General Manager (GM) to drive the vision and execution of all aspects of three significant Trustees cultural and natural special places; Fruitlands Museum, the Old Manse and Farandnear. With a keen eye for best practices in management, detail and customer-service focus, the GM will function as the entrepreneurial senior leader and manager of three significant Trustees properties, ensuring an excellent visitor experience where all guests feel welcome, have outstanding experiences, and are inspired by our conservation and preservation work. The GM is part of a broader regional and statewide team focused on the business planning, financial performance, talent management of both staff and volunteers, membership and engagement growth and ensuring excellent stewardship of the Museum collections and landscapes for the portfolio of properties. The GM will serve as an ambassador of The Trustees, promoting Trustees properties as iconic cultural and natural destinations and working closely with our partners in the local communities. This position reports to West Region Director and serves as a member of the Regional Management Team. The GM will ensure that these key properties are used to their fullest potential to engage visitors of all ages, maximize revenue, and excite the public about the conservation and preservation work of the Trustees.

Essential Functions:

Stewardship of Cultural, Natural and Agricultural Resources:

  • Create a stewardship plan that ensures The Trustees resources are conserved, preserved and stewarded (collections, landscape, gardens and agricultural lands, buildings) for the future, in line with the statewide land stewardship, cultural resources and collections standards.
  • Direct the maintenance, security, management, display and general welfare of the collections and site in accordance with the highest standards of ethical and professional standards.
  • Maintain an awareness of current developments in the museum profession and attend conferences and seminars; serve as liaison with relevant local, state, regional and national organizations.
  • Promote and develop a working culture with staff and volunteers, which incorporates sound sustainable practices in all areas of our stewardship work.
  • Focus on long-term stewardship planning for the houses, collections, gardens and landscapes.

Engagement, Volunteers, Membership and the Public:

  • Create an engaging and inspirational visitor experience that provides an excellent experience for our guests working with statewide standards and colleagues.
  • Develop vibrant year round exhibitions and dynamic public programming to grow our audience engagement and maximize financial return on these investments.
  • Actively champion volunteerism at Fruitlands Museum, the Old Manse and Farandnear.
  • Ensure excellent recruitment, training, management and recognition of staff and volunteers.
  • Develop and implement a culture that grows membership and creates a high performing and knowledgeable team of staff and volunteers involved in growing membership on property.
  • Engage with the local community to promote a forward- looking culture that contributes to increasing visibility and affinity with The Trustees.

Business and Financial Performance Management:

  • Create, implement and deliver the business plans for the portfolio of properties.
  • Set and achieve financial targets including stretch goals and ensure their delivery.
  • Ensure that operational plans are approved and implemented in a timely fashion and reflect cost effective deployment of resources. Monitor and deploy these resources in line with the plan.
  • Realize existing and new opportunities for generating income and increasing enterprise, ensuring the optimum use of all assets including Gift Shops, Café experiences and other current enterprises.
  • Actively collaborate with the Region and Central Departments including Operations & Programs, Marketing and Communications, Development and Strategic Enterprise and Finance and Human Resources to realize plans.

Ensure Risk Compliance:

  • Understand and continually monitor all enterprises and programs with the goal of minimizing risk.
  •  Manage operational risk by working with the regional management team and statewide staff.

Accountability of the Role:

  • The GM will be responsible for the performance management and development of the staff and volunteers and management of programs, operations, budgets and projects.
  • Through supervision of staff, plans and organizes across the portfolio and collaborates with relevant statewide staff; prioritizes and organizes human and financial resources; develops museum and property policies and contracts as appropriate.
  • Currently the portfolio has revenue of $1.6 million.
  • Reports to the West Region Director. The position has 5 direct reports.

Other duties as assigned with or without accommodations.
The ideal candidate will have energy, enthusiasm, an excellent attitude, and a willingness to work hard. The General Manager will be a business oriented and results-driven individual, dedicated to the mission of The Trustees. Additional qualifications include:

 

  • BA or equivalent degree required; Master’s preferred.
  • 7-10 years significant and extensive experience in relevant historic preservation and land conservation supported by relevant educational experience.
  • Proven track record of planning events, exhibitions, experiences and programs, which deliver great visitor experience within a natural and/or cultural setting.
  • Management skills, including setting personal objectives and conducting development reviews.
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of the volunteer opportunities in The Trustees including being able to support volunteers to perform at their best.
  • Good people skills enabling strong relationships both internally and externally, to be built and maintained.
  • Experience of delivering a culture of exceptional customer service.
  • Effective management of budgets, finances, and projects.
  • Passion for art, nature, culture, history and the outdoors.
  • Evidence of creativity and collaboration across departments and in a large organization.
  • Good written and verbal communication skills including public presentation.
  • Sound computer, digital media and technological skills in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Other Requirements:

  • A satisfactory criminal background check.
  • Travel across the region and occasional travel across the state using a personal vehicle is required.
  • The work schedule of the GM requires flexibility in terms of evening and weekend commitments.