Site Manager: Mount Clare Museum House [B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD]

Mount Clare Museum House (MCMH) is a National Historic Landmark owned by the City of Baltimore and located on city owned parkland named Carroll Park. MCMH has been administered by the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America in the State of Maryland (NSCDA-MD) as a museum since 1917. Since 2013 the NSCDA-MD has contracted the daily operation of the museum to the B&O Railroad Museum (B&ORRM). As such the B&ORRM performs operational duties, tours, housekeeping, education program and special event development as well as and marketing and promotion and fund raising. The contract managing arm of NSCDA-MD is the House committee.

MCMH was Maryland’s first museum house and the oldest and finest example of colonial Georgian architecture in the city. Mount Clare is a 1760 colonial Georgian home built by one of Maryland’s leading patriots and one of our first state senators, Charles Carroll, Barrister. Mount Clare was the center of Georgia Plantation, a self-sufficient plantation with a diverse community.

The NSCDA-MD owns the museum’s collection of nearly 3,000 objects from the 18th and 19th century which includes paintings, furniture, and decorative arts, a majority of which are on display at Mount Clare. Today, Mount Clare Museum House educates the public about all aspects of life on an 18th century plantation including the lives of enslaved Africans and indentured servants.

The museum has one of the finest privately owned decorative arts collections in the country, most of which belonged to the Carroll family. It is renowned amongst scholars and collectors alike. The collection consists of English and Chinese export objects as well as many regional objects and furnishings from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. On exhibit are 16 family portraits by notable artists such as Charles Willson Peale, John Hesselius and Robert Edge Pine.

About the Position:

This position reports directly to the Executive Director, B&O Railroad Museum and is a part-time, hourly position four days per week including weekend work. It has broad and varied responsibilities and duties typical of hands on positions of this nature in small museums. It is an entry level opportunity directorship for a museum professional to advance their career or for a seasoned professional seeking a part-time position. With continued operational and financial success this position could become full time.

Job Responsibilities:

Management:

Oversee the day to day operations of the Museum, open and close the museum, schedule docents and visitor service staff.

Oversee all Museum operations, including marketing, facilities management; and maintenance and preservation of the Museum.

Improve and update administrative policies related to daily operations.

Responsible for all admissions, gift shop and other sales as well as basic financial accountability and responsibilities for these collected funds.

Prudently manage the Museum’s resources within the annually approved budget.

Act as the liaison with the City of Baltimore for house maintenance and preservation issues.

Leadership:

Understand and operate based on the contractual relationship between NSCDA-MD and the B&ORRM.

Further develop and drive an organizational culture of teamwork, leading by example.

Provide integrative leadership to staff and volunteers for consistent direction and communication.

Interface with members, committees and the board of NSCDA-MD.

Collections

Work with the House Committee of NSCDA-MD to assist in their maintenance and management of the collections and archives in their care. This includes ensuring appropriate and ongoing documentation, preservation and protection of the collections.

Carry out the Museum’s collections policy as directed by the House Committee and the B&O Railroad Museum’s standards of collections management.

Communications:

Attend House Committee meetings and represent the B&ORRM.

Represent the Museum in the community and in fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and other public efforts.

Oversee the design, delivery and quality of all Museum marketing materials including print, electronic and other mediums.

Manage all social media and website for the Museum.

Communicate regularly with the House Committee and B&ORRM staff regarding educational programming, events, staffing and operations.

Work effectively with the B&ORRM staff and constituencies involved with the Museum including the House Committee and Board of NSCDA-MD, MCMH staff, B&ORRM staff, volunteers, students, visitors, funders, school and civic organizations, and local and state units of government.

Program and Event Delivery:

Oversee the creation, marketing, promotion, delivery and quality of all Museum programs, special events, regular house tours and visitor interactions, partnering with other B&ORRM staff and volunteers.

Development and Marketing:

Lead all long term and short term development and fundraising efforts including but not limited to annual giving, grants writing and management, and friend raising.

Identify and monitor the array of grants for which the Museum is eligible to apply.

Direct a marketing program that builds on and expands the Museum’s reputation and increases public awareness and visitation.

Identify potential audiences for the Museum’s exhibitions and programs, and develop related programming to build audience and relevancy of the site for those audiences.