Employment Opportunity: Executive Director
The U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial Committee is seeking an energetic, “hands on” Executive Director to lead the organization’s continuing development while directly managing its day-to-day activities.
Applicants must be willing to accept the challenge of operating an extensive facility with limited resources. This is a full-time salary position with 24hr on-call status. Must be available for extended work days and weekends when required. To support the organization’s mission, the Executive Director is routinely expected to work on certain federal holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans’ Day.
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Mission Statement:
Battleship Cove is a non-profit war memorial and historic military museum with an emphasis on naval heritage and a dedication to honoring the veterans who served in defense of our country. The organization is a living exhibit platform with a strong educational emphasis and an outreach message. With a commitment to providing an exciting, adventurous, and meaningful visitor experience, Battleship Cove provides outstanding exhibits and educational content that is presented in a dynamic, innovative, and enlightening way.
Battleship Cove embraces the challenge of educating diverse audiences, especially the young, and inspiring them to revere the ideals of sacrifice and patriotism as demonstrated by our veterans. The organization is recognized as an outstanding educational provider and repository.
Summary of Position:
Under the direction of the President, the Executive Director is responsible for the administration and successful operation of Battleship Cove and Its satellite Maritime Museum. The Executive Director is charged with implementing the programs and policies necessary to achieve the immediate and long-term goals set forth by the Board of Directors. These areas include but are not limited to: Financial Stability, Collections Management, Program Development, Marketing, Human Resources, Community Relations, and Growth.
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Key Responsibilities:
Leadership
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• Possess the knowledge and understanding of the museum’s mission and core assets, necessary to achieve the organization’s operational and advancement goals.
• Develop relationships with the current donor pool while seeking new donors.
• Generate sufficient revenue to support the continuous operation of the museum and to finance its ongoing projects.
• Increase the organization’s retained earnings in all revenue areas including: grants, donations, sponsorships, memberships, programing, events and admissions, as well as other sources.
• Foster a cohesive work environment that supports the cooperative redevelopment of departments within the organization.
• Manage and facilitate a wide range of programs and activities, while producing measurable results to the satisfaction of the organization, its partners, and supporters.
• Engage in official correspondence on behalf of the organization, working independently, jointly, or by direction of the President.
• Serve as the spokesperson for Battleship Cove, advocating its mission to new and existing audiences.
• Maintain relationships with elected officials that represent the immediate area and beyond.
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Museum Management
• Manage, enhance, and maintain the museum’s exhibits, as well as the collections held in public trust.
• Develop a unified message for Battleship Cove’s diverse holdings, and one that focuses on presenting the organization’s various assets together in an effective manner.
• Craft and execute a strategy for establishing the site as a viable center for community engagement, a unique educational tool, and one that cultivates resources for the preservation of its historic vessels and artifacts.
• Develop an innovative education program that will attract opportunity to the organization while providing an exceptional public service.
• Create and develop core documents including a Collections Management Plan, Institutional Code of Ethics, Policies and Procedures that meet the standards of Naval History and Heritage Command and the American Alliance of Museums, as well as local, state, and federal laws/regulations.
• Plan, organize and present exhibitions, lectures, tours, and outreach programs.
• Develop a robust volunteer program and oversee the recruitment, training, and coordination of museum volunteers.
Administration and Finance
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• Manage the organization’s business affairs in accordance with generally accepted principles and practices.
• Develop an annual budgeting process in cooperation with the Chief Operating Officer, Business Manager, Treasurer and/or Finance Committee.
• Present accurate financial reports to the Board of Directors and other authorities as required.
• Identify grant programs and other funding opportunities that would benefit the organization. Write, coordinate, and manage multiple grants simultaneously.
• Maintain excellent donor records and oversee the appropriation of all donations made to the organization.
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Human Resources
• Hire, train and supervise employees, key volunteers, and contractors.
• Maintain staffing levels with respect to business volume, projected revenue, and approved budgets.
• Enforce the policies established in the approved employee handbook in addition to those prescribed by law, the Articles of Organization, By-laws, and other statues.
• Evaluate staff, establish performance standards, set annual goals, and maintain personnel records.
• Employ appropriate measures to address performance issues and terminate employees when deemed necessary by the organization.
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Marketing, Communications, and Sales
• Establish and implement marketing & communications plans that support the Battleship Cove brand and reputation.
• Provide writing, graphics and editing support for all external content and communications including: advertising, social media, website content, press releases, and other material as needed.
• Maintain a museum calendar and coordinate all programming and events with museum staff and outside entities.
• Oversee all aspects of ticketing and retail operations, on site and online.
• Develop business plans, including annual merchandising plans and operating budgets, as well as pro forma projections to plan for new retail initiatives.
• Monitor performance against income and expense budgets to meet or exceed annual gross and net sales revenue targets.
• Develop reporting tools to monitor performance and trends, evaluate pricing, interpret metrics to make data-driven decisions and extract insights about visitor behavior.
• Determine the selection and purchase of product lines appropriate to Battleship Cove, the Maritime Museum and special events.
Board of Directors
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• Participate in meetings of the Board of Directors, working with the President, staff, and committee chairs to prepare agendas, reports and presentations in advance of scheduled and unscheduled sessions.
• Involve the Board with decisions that affect the overall welfare of the corporation
• Assist the Board with identifying community members who may be appropriate for Board service and support their recruitment and orientation to the organization.
All other duties that the Board of Directors via the President may assign.
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Qualifications:
• An advanced degree in museum studies, business administration, history, other related field, or extensive comparable experience.
• Strong background in the museum profession, five years of experience with museum ships, maritime museums, or other related institutions is preferred.
• An understanding of the challenges, hazards and methods associated with preserving and exhibiting historic naval vessels, is critical.
• Physical ability to climb ladders, work in enclosed spaces and perform outdoors in adverse weather conditions, is required.
• Working knowledge of military customs, courtesies and ceremonies is desirable.
• Self-motivated, professional and detail oriented.
• Strong written, verbal and customer service skills.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills and ability to thrive as part of a team.
• Strong project management and organizational skills as well as the ability to communicate instructions effectively.
• Working knowledge of business and museum management software. Experience with Past Perfect, Intuit QuickBooks, FareHarbor and Paychex Flex, is a plus.
• Ability to effectively market using social media platforms and the latest web tools.
• Creative ability to design and produce graphics, signage, websites, email blasts, newsletters and other promotional material.
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Compensation:
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• $80K to $100K base salary
• Annual bonus possible based on core performance.
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To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter and resume by Thursday, June 17th 2021.
Completed application packages should be sent to the following secure email address: searchcommittee@battleshipcove.org
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* Be sure to include “Executive Director” in the subject line.
No telephone inquiries please
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U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial Committee Incorporated’s recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly-qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. The company may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting, search firms and others.
The Company’s policy is to provide equal opportunity for all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Any form of discrimination or harassment related to these factors is expressly prohibited. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, transfer, promotion, termination, layoffs, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.