Executive Director

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Windsor Locks (CT); On-site; USD 220,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

The New England Air Museum seeks an accomplished Executive Director to lead fundraising, strategy, and operations. Reporting to the Board, you will shape the museum’s future, drive financial sustainability, and expand educational and exhibition initiatives in Connecticut and beyond.

We seek a proven fundraiser and strategic leader with a track record in governance, financial oversight, and stakeholder engagement to advance the museum’s mission and growth.

Qualifications

• Verifiable success securing major gifts and diverse funding streams.
• Senior executive leadership in a nonprofit, museum, or educational setting.
• Strong financial literacy, budgeting, and resource allocation experience.
• Proven ability to work with a governing board and professional staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; strategic, data-driven leadership.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary leadership with the Board to set priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Act as the Museum’s chief fundraiser, cultivating major donors, sponsors, and foundations.
• Oversee annual budgeting, financial performance, and asset stewardship.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, high-performing staff while fostering collaboration.
• Cultivate external relations, partnerships, and community engagement across CT and beyond.
• Champion the mission, exhibitions, education, and collections stewardship.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Nonprofit leadership

Financial acumen

Board governance

Strategic communication

Job description

The New England Air Museum (NEAM) seeks an accomplished leader with demonstrated success in fundraising, strategic leadership, and organizational management to serve as its next Executive Director.

The Opportunity

• Strengthen the Museum's long-term financial sustainability. Working closely with the Board and development staff, the Executive Director will expand philanthropic support, diversify revenue streams, and build the financial resources necessary to support the Museum's ambitious educational, exhibition, and preservation goals.
• Prepare for a future capital campaign. The Board envisions a campaign to construct an additional exhibition hangar and associated visitor amenities that will allow the Museum to display more of its nationally significant collection, improve the visitor experience, and create new opportunities for exhibitions, programs, and events. The next Executive Director will help determine the timing, scope, and readiness for this transformative initiative.
• Lead the Museum's next strategic planning process. Building on the organization's recent accomplishments, the Executive Director will work with the Board, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to develop a shared vision and strategic roadmap for the Museum's next chapter.
• Advance exhibition renewal and interpretation. Building upon recent investments in exhibitions, the Museum seeks to continue refreshing its galleries through new permanent installations, rotating exhibitions, enhanced digital interpretation, and storytelling that broadens the Museum's appeal while highlighting New England's historic and ongoing contributions to aviation and aerospace.
• Expand the Museum's leadership in STEM education and aerospace workforce development. The Museum has become an increasingly important educational resource for schools, families, and industry partners. The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to deepen these partnerships while further positioning NEAM as a leader in aviation education and career exploration.
• Deepen partnerships throughout Connecticut's aerospace ecosystem. The Museum's proximity to Bradley International Airport and many of the world's leading aerospace companies presents exceptional opportunities for collaboration, sponsorship, workforce initiatives, and public engagement.
• Pursue accreditation. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to evaluate and, if appropriate, position the Museum for future accreditation and other initiatives that demonstrate excellence.

Compensation

The salary range is 220,000 - 250,000 commensurate with experience, plus an attractive benefits package.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Provide visionary and strategic leadership for the Museum, working closely with the Board of Directors to establish organizational priorities, implement strategic initiatives, and position the Museum for continued growth and relevance.
• Serve as the Board's principal advisor, ensuring that trustees receive timely, accurate, and meaningful information to support sound governance and informed decision-making.
• Cultivate a productive and collaborative partnership with the Board, engaging trustees as ambassadors, advocates, and philanthropic partners in advancing the Museum's mission.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, innovation, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Fundraising & Resource Development

• Serve as the Museum’s chief fundraiser by actively cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, corporate sponsors, foundations, government agencies, and community supporters.
• In partnership with the Board and development staff, expand philanthropic support through annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, sponsorships, grants, special events, and future campaign initiatives.
• Personally represent the Museum in cultivating relationships that translate into meaningful financial investment and long-term institutional support.

Financial & Operational Leadership

• Provide prudent financial leadership by developing and managing the annual operating budget, monitoring organizational performance, safeguarding assets, and ensuring responsible stewardship of financial resources.
• Identify opportunities to diversify and strengthen earned and contributed revenue while maintaining fiscal discipline and long-term financial sustainability.
• Ensure effective oversight of Museum operations, including facilities, visitor services, collections stewardship, and technology.

Staff Leadership & Organizational Culture

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a talented and diverse professional staff while fostering a positive, collaborative, and high-performing workplace.
• Establish clear expectations, encourage professional growth, promote accountability, and support a culture of teamwork, respect, and continuous learning.
• Recognize and celebrate the Museum's extraordinary volunteer community, ensuring that volunteers remain fully integrated into the organization.

External Relations & Community Engagement

• Serve as the Museum's principal spokesperson and ambassador, strengthening relationships with members, donors, elected officials, educators, veterans' organizations, aerospace leaders, cultural institutions, and community partners.
• Promote the Museum throughout Connecticut, New England, and the national museum and aviation communities through effective communication, public speaking, and active civic engagement.
• Build strategic partnerships that enhance the Museum's educational mission, broaden its audience, and reinforce its role as a leader in aviation history, STEM education, and aerospace workforce development.

Mission & Collections

• Champion the Museum's mission to preserve and present the history of aviation and aerospace while ensuring the responsible stewardship of its nationally significant collections.
• Support excellence in exhibitions, educational programming, collections care, restoration, and visitor engagement, encouraging innovation while maintaining high professional standards.
• Ensure that the Museum's programs and initiatives remain relevant, engaging, and responsive to the interests of diverse audiences.

Experience, Skills, and Attributes

Required Qualifications

• Verifiable success securing major gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public agencies.
• Senior executive leadership experience within a nonprofit, museum, educational institution, or similarly complex organization.
• Demonstrated financial acumen, including budget oversight, long-range planning, and the ability to make difficult resource-allocation decisions.
• Experience working effectively with governing boards and leading professional staff.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into measurable results and organizational performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience raising funds for cultural, educational, or heritage organizations.
• Familiarity with aviation, aerospace, manufacturing, STEM education, or related industries.
• Experience securing government grants and other public funding.
• Experience leading or working with a substantial volunteer organization.

Personal Characteristics

• An energetic, optimistic, and engaging leadership style that inspires confidence among donors, staff, volunteers, and community partners.
• Sound judgment, integrity, and the confidence to make difficult decisions while fostering a culture of accountability and high performance.
• Strategic thinker with a strong sense of financial stewardship and urgency regarding long-term organizational sustainability.
• Intellectual curiosity, openness to new ideas, and a willingness to challenge assumptions while respecting the Museum's history and culture.
• Diplomatic, collaborative, and emotionally intelligent, with the ability to build trust, navigate differing perspectives, and communicate candidly with both the Board and staff.
• A genuine passion for the Museum's mission and enthusiasm for preserving aviation history while inspiring future generations through education and innovation.

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this position.