Executive Director

Job Description:

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum (WMM), founded in 1969, is located on Lake Michigan at Manitowoc and is home to the World War II submarine USS Cobia. WMM is seeking an Executive Director with proven passion to provide dynamic leadership for one of the largest maritime museums in the Midwest preserving the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.

The Executive Director must have entrepreneurial vision and is responsible for the consistent achievement of the organization’s mission and financial objectives to include but not limited to building and implementing a development and fundraising strategy for sustaining ongoing operations and revenue generation; delivering clear and consistent messaging; and providing leadership to and overall management of the museum staff and volunteers.

To apply, please send resume, cover letter to HR@wisconsinmaritime.org by May 1, 2024 or upload cover letter with resume when applying on Indeed.

Summary of Responsibilities (including but not limited to):

Management and Operations

• Deliver entrepreneurial vision and be team management oriented
• Provide leadership to a staff including full and part-time employees and volunteers
• Manage day-to-day functioning of the staff in achieving museum goals and objectives and maintain accountability to that end
• Operationalize projects, decisions and plans made at the Board level
• Manage the financial resources of the museum including contributing to the development of the annual budget and being accountable for adhering to the budget
• Demonstrate fiscal management that generally anticipates operating within the approved budget and ensures maximum resource utilization
• Manage resources to include the direct supervision, hiring and retention of competent qualified staff
• Establish employment and administrative policies and procedures for all of the functions and day-to-day operation of the museum
• Lead two capital projects underway: the dry-docking of the WWII submarine USS Cobia and the redevelopment of the Maritime Heritage Center at Franklin Street

Development

• Assist with the development and implementation of the museum’s fundraising plan under the direction of the Board of Trustees
• Cultivate effective personal relationships with private donors, foundations and businesses
• Provide input to the Board of Trustees for short- and long-term goals of the museum
• Regularly meet with Board of Trustees and museum members to report progress towards meeting museum goals and objectives
• Represent the museum in public forums, maintain media relationships, and raise and maintain public awareness of museum accomplishments and goals
• Represent the museum in the community to promote programs, initiatives and events
• Build and promote a successful membership program
• Create and tell the stories of Wisconsin and Great Lakes maritime history to a diverse audience

Desired Leadership Attributes (including but not limited to)

• Leadership – nurtures a staff team that focuses on the best interests of the organization as a whole, understands the role of the team and the individuals on the team, and follows the imperatives of the strategic plan
• Passion for Mission – demonstrates and communicates passion for the organization’s core purpose – “engage and educate the public about the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin’s World War II submarines and USS Cobia”
• Strategic Thinking – cultivates a culture of strategic action including recommendations on timelines and allocation of resources to move forward on annual planning and budgets
• Results-Driven Mindset – improves and sustains the organization’s performance, develops and follows through on priorities, delegates appropriately, holds staff accountable and makes sound decisions
• Demonstrated Success in Community Networking – develops strong community relationships to leverage good will, financial support, and program and service development
• Financial Management Expertise – ensures the organization maintains adequate reserves and accumulates sources of capital to invest in needed future changes, understands and diligently attends to all budget and financial matters and can manage operations within budget constraints including making difficult financial decisions when required

Qualification Requirements

• A degree or equivalent work experience in business management, marketing, non-profit management, museum studies, maritime studies, or historic preservation

• Business management skills including budgeting, financial and human resource management (knowledge of QuickBooks preferred)

• Proven track record in program management and meeting strategic goals and objectives

• Experience in fundraising and development including successful grant writing preferred

• Knowledge of maritime history, maritime transportation systems/industry and the military sea service would be a plus

• Success and experience in effectively leading and working as part of a team

• Solid verbal, written, networking and interpersonal communication skills

• Professional communicator skills for leadership and community outreach purposes

• A talent for networking with financial donors, grant makers, community leaders and key stakeholders

• Exemplary organizing and planning skills

• Sound analytical thinking and problem solving skills including those pertaining to financial management

• Ability to translate the Board of Trustees goals and objectives into actionable and measurable outcomes

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Manitowoc, WI 54220: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person