Director, Historic Sites and Museums

Ohio History Connection•Columbus, OH

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Historic Sites and Museums is responsible for leading and administering Ohio History Connection's historic site system, ensuring that sites function as a coherent public asset. This includes establishing system-level strategy, criteria, and decision frameworks that guide the stewardship, prioritization, and long-term sustainability of historic sites. The Director provides leadership for the overall direction of the site system, including aligning site priorities with organizational goals, public needs, and institutional capacity. This role is responsible for developing and implementing standards, policies, and processes that support consistent, mission-driven stewardship, while ensuring that day-to-day operations, facilities execution, and program delivery are effectively carried out by site-based and functional teams. The Director also oversees system-wide planning and decision-making, ensuring that site evaluations, prioritization of resources, and transitions are guided by clear criteria, well-documented processes, and transparent communication. In addition, the Director builds and sustains relationships with local communities, partner organizations, and Federally Recognized American Indian Tribes, and represents the organization in complex discussions related to site stewardship, change, and public value.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution PLUS over ten years relevant working experience
A minimum of five years of progressive management of full-time staff.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing managers
Experience working in a multi-location or multi-site framework
Experience leading work within a complex, multi-layered organization with distributed teams and competing priorities.
Demonstrated leadership in developing and implementing short- and long-range plans, consistent with an institution's strategic vision
Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple programs and departments simultaneously, evaluate situations and identify solutions quickly.
Demonstrated ability to manage projects, including planning, setting timelines, and completing deliverables utilizing project management processes
Demonstrated ability to supervise managers and staff with an eye towards coaching and development, goal setting, and metrics analysis
Experience setting, tracking, and analyzing metrics for complex programs with an eye toward continuous improvement and sustainability
Demonstrated ability to communicate with staff and the public, both orally and in writing, particularly the ability to work diplomatically and effectively with colleagues and the ability to build and maintain partnerships and relationships.
Demonstrated ability to model clear, direct communication around complex or sensitive decisions, reducing ambiguity for staff, partners, and stakeholders.
Excellent presentation skills
Experience with creating and managing complex budgets from diverse funding stream, including state capital budgets.
Proficiency in various office software suites and virtual platforms, including but not limited to Microsoft 365
Effective organizational skills, including attention to detail, prioritizing and managing multiple tasks for yourself and your team, and being accountable to the organization for said tasks.
Can locate and use resources to get things done, orchestrates multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal, uses resources effectively and efficiently, and arranges information in a useful manner.
Able to initiate work and delegate to managers and staff (either direct reports, volunteers, interns/apprentices, project staff, or contractors/vendors)
Able to process organizational-level information in a consistent manner and relay it effectively to Division staff, simultaneously displaying adaptability when necessary.
Intuitive and proactive in all levels of stakeholder identification, relationship building and stewardship that support organizational and divisional goals and objectives.
Willingness to investigate new ideas and implement changes to improve the outcomes of the Division.
Able to make practical and prudent business decisions and connections for profitability (may be earned revenue, grants, state funds, etc.)

Responsibilities

Helps set strategy and direction for the organization by engaging with peers the organization's Leadership Team
Works with managers in their division to set strategy, priorities, and tactics for the division, which align with the organizational priorities
Cooperates with state offices, Federally Recognized American Indian Tribes, academic institutions, museums, public history and community organizations, and other potential institutional collaborators.
Develops a team that works collaboratively across the organization and embodies the organization's Mission, Vision and Core Values.
Provides timely feedback and coaching, and acts as a thought partner for department managers
Works with department managers to create and manage the division's budget in alignment with organizational priorities
Leads the development and ongoing refinement of a system-level framework, including criteria, tools, and standards that guide site evaluation, prioritization, and decision-making.
Maintains a current, system-wide assessment of site significance, public value, and sustainability to inform mission-aligned investment.
Defines and advances how the site system delivers public value and ensures alignment of site use, interpretation, and programming with system priorities in partnership with key divisions.
Articulates and advocates for the role of historic sites as a public good within evolving audience expectations.
Leads structured, criteria-based site review and decision processes, ensuring that recommendations are well-documented, consistently applied, and transparently communicated.
Provides supervisory leadership to the Department Manager, OHC-Managed Sites and Department Manager, Partner-Managed Sites, clarifying roles, expectations, and accountability.
Aligns site system decisions with facilities planning, financial strategy, advocacy, and institutional capacity, in partnership with relevant leaders, while ensuring consistent processes and documentation that support transparency and continuity.
Ensures that consultation responsibilities related to historic sites-particularly with Federally Recognized American Indian Tribes-are consistently met in accordance with organizational policy and practice, coordinating with relevant leaders as needed.
Represents the organization in complex or sensitive conversations related to site change, stewardship, and historical interpretation.
Provides executive-level leadership or coordination support for complex, high-profile initiatives related to historic sites when assigned, including national or international designations, multi-jurisdictional partnerships, or time-limited projects.