executive director

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Duluth (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lake Superior Railroad Museum (LSRM) seeks an Executive Director to provide overall leadership and strategic guidance for its mission-driven work. You will oversee fundraising, stakeholder relations, and the development of executive staff while ensuring fiscal health and effective operations.

The role requires strong leadership, ethical standards, and exceptional communication skills, with a passion for history, culture, and education.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a leadership role in a nonprofit or larger organization.
• Grants writing and fundraising experience is preferred.
• Strong ethical standards and exceptional communication skills.
• Experience in financial management and strategic planning.
• Passion for history, culture, and education.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and strategic guidance to achieve the organization’s mission.
• Oversee fundraising, stakeholder relationships, and development of executive staff.
• Manage fiscal health, budgeting, controls, and operations.
• Develop and implement strategic plans aligned with Board directives.
• Represent the organization publicly and cultivate community partnerships.
• Ensure legal and financial compliance, ethics, and organizational sustainability.
• Lead a high-performance team and foster a culture of learning and growth.

Skills

Leadership

Critical Thinking

Fundraising

Interpersonal Skills

Collaboration

Adaptability

Change Management

Organizational Awareness

Problem-Solving

Time Management

Organizational Loyalty

Education

Four-year college degree in museum studies, management or related field

Job description

Position: Executive Director

Reports to: Chair, Board of Directors

Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, as required

Organization: Lake Superior Railroad Museum (LSRM)- “organization”- with subsidiary Duluth and North Shore Railway dba North Shore Scenic Railway (NSSR).

Staff Reporting to this Position: LSRM Curator, LSRM Shop Foreman, NSSR Station Manager, NSSR Operations Manager, LSRM/NSSR Accountant and HR Administrator.

Job Description: Subject to the decisions and directives of the Board, the executive director is responsible for the organization’s overall leadership and strategic guidance to achieve its mission. This includes fundraising, enhancing stakeholder relationships, managing and developing executive staff, the museum’s fiscal health, and overall operations.

1. Executive Guidance: Recommending to the Board policies and procedures reasonable and necessary for the success of the organization and implementing approved Board policies and directives.
2. Strategic Leadership: Developing, implementing and updating a strategic plan as needed and consistent with Board directives to meet the organization’s mission and vision. This plan helps define the institution's overall direction and goals, ensuring they align with its mission and values.
3. Financial Management: Overseeing the organization's financial status, including developing long and short-range financial plans, monitoring the budget, and ensuring sound financial controls are in place and followed.
4. Fundraising & Development: Developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising plan, including individual giving, corporate sponsorship, grant writing and legislative initiatives.
5. Team Leadership and Development: Managing and developing a right-sized staff, promoting a high-performance culture and a continuous improvement program that values learning, growth and a commitment to quality.
6. Community Engagement: Acting reputably at all times as the public face of the organization in the community, working closely with other local organizations, stakeholders, and the media to ensure its place in the community is positive, recognized and appreciated.
7. Risk Management: Overseeing adherence to legal and financial compliance, strict ethical standards, financial sustainability/stability, and responsible maintenance and stewardship of the organization’s property. In general, protecting the organization and ensuring a positive reputation.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in a leadership role in a similar or larger-sized organization, preferably nonprofit.
• Strong financial management and fundraising skills.
• Strong leadership and people skills.
• Highest ethical and moral standards.
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
• Passion for history, culture, and education.
• A four-year college degree in museum studies, management or another related field is desirable.

Job Skills Desired:

1. Leadership: Inspiring, motivating and developing a team, setting clear goals, and making informed decisions.
2. Critical Thinking: Managing budgets, analyzing financial data, and optimizing resources for sustainable growth.
3. Fundraising:Developing and implementing strategic initiatives to generate funding and support organizational growth.
4. Interpersonal Skills: Relationship building, a deep understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, histories, and artistic expressions, the ability to positively represent the organization, and effective engagement with the media, business partners and the general public.
5. Collaboration & Communication: Working collaboratively, listening to others, understanding complex documents and reports, and communicating needs and directions clearly and in a timely fashion.
6. Adaptability & Innovation: Working in ambiguous or changing situations and with diverse individuals and/or groups.
7. Change Management: Adapting and altering plans and/or processes as needed to operate effectively in a potentially volatile environment.
8. Organizational Awareness: Understanding and using the workings, structures, climate, and culture to achieve results.
9. Problem-Solving: Persevering and proactively dealing with situations and issues, seizing opportunities that arise. Identifying underlying issues inherent in problems and proposing positive solutions. Analyzing systems and structures and proposing alternatives to improve processes.
10. Time Management: Developing and implementing a strategic plan to guide operations, growth and development.
11. Organizational Loyalty:Recognizing the oversight role of the Board of Directors and faithfully implementing policies and directives of the Board.

Pay and Benefits: A competitive pay and benefits package is offered.

LSRM is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.