Director of the Bates College Museum of Art

Bates College • Lewiston, ME

400d

About The Position

The Director of the Bates College Museum of Art is a full-time managerial position responsible for overseeing the museum's operations, programs, and community engagement. The role involves strategic planning, financial management, personnel management, and fostering inclusivity and accessibility within the museum. The director will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and community members to enhance the museum's role in the cultural and intellectual life of Bates College and the surrounding community.

Requirements

• M.A. degree required; Ph.D. preferred.
• Extensive experience in museum administration required, preferably in an academic museum setting.
• 10+ years experience in a leadership position in a museum or arts organization is preferred.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
• Ability to envision and innovate.
• Excellent personnel and project management skills.
• Proven experience of staff management.
• Proven experience with effective budget management and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated strength in tactical and strategic planning.
• Wide range of art knowledge and museum best practices.
• Excellent writing and editing skills including grant-writing and fund-raising.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Ability to work effectively with all college constituencies, including faculty, staff and students.
• Ability to work with museum professionals, artists, and donors.

Responsibilities

• Hires, manages, and evaluates professional staff.
• Oversees supervision of hourly and temporary staff.
• Oversees Performance Development Program for the museum.
• Participates in management development programs offered by the College.
• Develops plans and resources for project-based temporary staff (e.g., guest curators).
• Teaches and supervises numerous student interns with an emphasis on education, museum training and experience, and leadership skills through the internship program.
• Oversees development of exhibition programs, collections and acquisitions, education, publications, and programs that serve the College and the broader community.
• Maintains a multi-year schedule for exhibitions and serves as a member of the Marsden Hartley Legacy Project.
• Develops the operating budget of the Museum.
• Develops project budgets for exhibitions.
• Develops capital budgets for building improvements and technology.
• Audits financial activities monthly.
• Undertakes long-range strategic planning for the museum, focusing on resource development, collections development, physical plant needs, and personnel needs.
• Participates in college-wide planning processes.
• Ensures the museum fosters a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment for all visitors, staff, and communities.
• Develops and implements an inclusion and accessibility strategy aligned with Bates mission.
• Collaborates with professional staff and community to create exhibitions and programs that reflect diverse perspectives, experiences, and contributions of artists.
• Builds and maintains relationships with diverse community organizations, advocacy groups, and cultural leaders.
• Leads efforts to integrate public art projects into the museum's programming, collaborating with local artists and communities.
• Works with campus partners to develop anti-bias training programs for museum staff.
• Works with the Office of College Advancement to identify and cultivate individual donors of cash and collections.
• Leads staff in seeking appropriate government and foundation resources and prepares grant applications.
• Develops and maintains relationships with prospective donors, including visits, donor events, correspondence, and actively participates in comprehensive campaign planning and execution.
• Oversees the physical management of the museum, assessing and advocating for space for exhibitions, programs, storage, teaching, and preparation.
• Develops capital requests for plant and technology improvements and oversees museum security.
• Cultivates relationships with faculty and staff in academic departments and programs to build strong integrative collaborations that enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum.
• Directs all publicity and marketing for the museum, overseeing production of exhibition and program mailings, posters, and advertisements.
• Coordinates with other arts departments of the College around event planning and promotion.
• Works with the Office of Communications and Media Relations to increase the visibility of the museum and oversees the museum's website.
• Serves as an advocate and spokesperson for the Museum and arts at Bates, and in the academic and museum field regionally and nationally.
• Develops the museum as the nexus of the arts at the College and takes an active role in committees that advance the arts.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Sick leave
• 24 days of vacation
• 2 personal days
• 13 paid holidays
• Dependent care subsidy
• Free parking
• Access to library and athletic facilities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees