Director, Leadership Institute

Mount Vernon•Mount Vernon, VA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of the Leadership Institute provides strategic and operational leadership for Mount Vernon’s portfolio of leadership education and executive development programs. Using George Washington’s leadership qualities and historical example as a practical framework, the Director translates lessons from Washington’s life and leadership into relevant, actionable learning for the modern workplace. Programs integrate rigorous scholarship with contemporary leadership practice and emphasize strategic thinking, leadership, management, communication, team building, collaboration, character, credibility, and effective execution. The Director is responsible for the quality, growth, reach, and impact of the Institute’s approximately 75 annual onsite programs, primarily based at the George Washington Presidential Library, as well as regional, national, online, and customized programs. The role works with senior leaders, scholars, faculty, clients, and Mount Vernon colleagues to design experiences for audiences ranging from boards and executive teams to intact teams and emerging leaders.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience conceptualizing, designing, facilitating, evaluating, and managing leadership development, executive education, organizational development, or related programs.
Demonstrated ability to translate leadership concepts, historical lessons, or complex ideas into practical and engaging learning experiences for modern organizations.
Experience working with senior executives, boards, management teams, and/or other sophisticated professional audiences; experience with emerging leader development strongly preferred.
Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to connect program strategy, client needs, organizational priorities, and measurable outcomes.
Strong leadership and people-management skills, including coaching, delegation, performance management, team development, and accountability for results.
Exceptional facilitation, presentation, writing, and verbal communication skills, with executive presence and the ability to adapt style and content to varied audiences.
Demonstrated skill in team building, collaboration, relationship management, and influencing across organizational boundaries.
Experience developing client relationships, marketing programs, recruiting participants, and/or generating new program opportunities.
Ability to manage multiple programs and priorities while maintaining sound judgment, attention to detail, responsiveness, and a high standard of participant service.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in leadership development, executive education, organizational development, learning and development, or a related field; prior leadership or management responsibility preferred.
Master’s degree in leadership, organizational development, business, education, history, public administration, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Experience with emerging leader development strongly preferred.
Prior leadership or management responsibility preferred.
Master’s degree in leadership, organizational development, business, education, history, public administration, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction for the Leadership Institute and ensure programs demonstrate how George Washington’s leadership qualities can be applied to contemporary organizational challenges and the modern workplace.
Conceptualize, design, deliver, and continuously improve programs that integrate historical scholarship with practical applications in strategic thinking, leadership, management, communication, team building, collaboration, character, credibility, and execution.
Develop and facilitate customized experiences for boards, executive and senior leadership teams, intact work teams, and emerging leaders, adapting content, format, case examples, and facilitated discussion to each audience’s objectives and organizational context.
Serve as a credible facilitator and thought partner for senior executives and board-level audiences, creating environments that encourage reflection, candid dialogue, productive challenge, and actionable takeaways.
Execute leadership programs in close collaboration with Mount Vernon teams, ensuring a cohesive participant experience that leverages the distinctive assets of the George Washington Presidential Library, Mount Vernon, its collections, and experiential offerings.
Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective clients, including government agencies, corporations, nonprofits, associations, educational institutions, and other organizations seeking high-quality George Washington-centered leadership development.
Consult with clients to assess leadership and organizational needs and translate those needs into clear program objectives, learning outcomes, agendas, and customized experiences.
Build and maintain a strong community of scholars, leadership practitioners, facilitators, and adjunct faculty who bring historical expertise and contemporary leadership perspective to Institute programming.
Ensure faculty and facilitators are prepared to connect scholarship to practical workplace application and engage sophisticated executive, board, team, and emerging-leader audiences.
Monitor leadership development, executive education, and experiential learning trends and comparable programs to keep offerings current, differentiated, relevant, and competitive while preserving the distinctive value of Washington’s example.
Develop programming that addresses strategic vision and decision-making; leadership and management; crisis and change; character, credibility, and trust; communication; team building and motivation; collaboration; entrepreneurship; and organizational execution.
Establish measures of program effectiveness, including learning outcomes, participant satisfaction, client feedback, repeat engagement, and other indicators of impact; use findings to strengthen curriculum and participant experience.
Partner with the Executive Director of the Library to plan and implement Leadership Institute expansion from 2027-2032, including regional and national programs, a publication series, a fellows program, and other opportunities to extend reach and reputation.
Develop annual goals, program plans, budgets, revenue targets, and performance measures; monitor results and adjust priorities and resources as needed.
Lead, coach, and develop full-time and part-time staff, adjunct faculty, facilitators, and volunteers; establish clear expectations and build a culture of professionalism, collaboration, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.
Represent the Leadership Institute internally and externally, clearly communicating its value proposition and strengthening relationships with clients, partners, scholars, leadership-development professionals, and other stakeholders.