Executive Director

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan participation

Paid time off

Professional development support

Job summary

Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens seeks an experienced Executive Director to guide artistic, operational, and financial strategy. The role reports to the Board of Directors and oversees curatorial direction, exhibitions, programming, and facilities.

The Executive Director will lead fundraising, donor relations, and financial planning while ensuring sound operations and public engagement at a landmark villa overlooking Lake Michigan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in arts/nonprofit administration, museum studies, history, or related field preferred.
• Proven fundraising success including major gifts, grants, sponsorships, and events.
• Strong financial acumen with budgeting, financial statements, and board reporting.
• Experience in facility/operations management and vendor relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable as a spokesperson.
• Track record of effective board partnership and staff management.
• Experience with historic preservation, collections stewardship, or historic buildings a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership with the Board to set vision, plan, and goals.
• Oversee fundraising, donor cultivation, grants, and special events.
• Manage budget, financial reporting, cash flow, and audits.
• Serve as primary staff liaison to the Board and committees.
• Oversee collections, exhibitions, programming, and educational outreach.
• Direct operations, facilities, visitor experience, and vendor management.
• Lead staff and volunteer development; foster a positive culture.
• Represent the museum to donors, partners, media, and the public.

Skills

Fundraising

Financial management

Board relations

Public speaking

Staff leadership

Donor cultivation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in arts/nonprofit administration or related field

Job description

Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens seeks an experienced, mission-driven Executive Director to lead the organization's artistic, operational, and financial future. Housed in a landmark Mediterranean-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan, Villa Terrace combines historic house museum stewardship, decorative arts collections and exhibitions, formal gardens, and public programming. The Executive Director serves as the organization's chief executive, reporting to and working closely with the Board of Directors.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership – Partner with the Board to set and execute the organization's vision, strategic plan, and annual goals.
• Translate strategic priorities into operating plans, staff assignments, and measurable outcomes.
• Fundraising & development – Lead all fundraising activities, including individual giving, major gifts, grants, sponsorships, and special events.
• Cultivate and steward donor and funder relationships personally,
• Identify and pursue grant opportunities (state and federal historic preservation, arts council, foundation).
• Financial management – Own the annual budget, monthly financial monitoring, and long-range financial planning.
• Work with the Treasurer/Finance Committee and outside accountant on budgeting, cash flow, and audit/990 preparation.
• Ensure sound internal controls and compliance with nonprofit financial reporting requirements.
• Board relations & governance – Serve as primary staff liaison to the Board and its committees.
• Support board recruitment, orientation, and engagement; prepare board materials and reporting.
• Collections, exhibitions & programming – Oversee curatorial direction, exhibition planning, and educational/public programming.
• Ensure appropriate collections care, historic preservation standards, and interpretive quality.
• Operations & facilities – Oversee day-to-day operations, visitor experience, retail/rental revenue, vendor management, and the historic building and gardens.
• Staff leadership – Develop and enhance organization chart, hire, supervise, and develop staff and volunteers; set a positive, accountable organizational culture.
• Community & external relations – Represent Villa Terrace to donors, members, civic and cultural partners, and the television, online, and print media.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree arts/nonprofit administration, museum studies, history, or a related field preferred
• Proven experience in facility administration, operation, and vendor relationship management.
• Minimum 5–7 years of senior nonprofit leadership experience, ideally in a museum, historic site, or arts/cultural organization.
• Demonstrated fundraising success, including major gift cultivation and grant management.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, financial statement literacy, and board financial reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfort as a public-facing spokesperson.
• Track record of effective board partnership and staff management.
• Experience with historic preservation, collections stewardship, or historic building museum operations is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications, range: $100,000–$110,000. The Board anticipates an additional performance-based incentive tied to fund-raising milestones, the organization's operational success and/or the active capital improvement projects; structure to be finalized with the selected candidate. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plan participation, paid time off, and professional development support.