Director and Curator
Institution Type: | Nonprofit |
Location: | Delaware, United States |
Position: | Curator, Director |
Position: Director and Curator of the Lewes Historical Society.
The Lewes Historical Society is seeking a dynamic, experienced and innovative Director and Curator who will lead the Society while working collaboratively with a dedicated Board of Trustees, a highly motivated full and part-time staff of fourteen, volunteers and diverse community and regional affiliates. As the senior executive staff member, the Director will report to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees and work with the board as a whole to ensure that the Society’s mission and its operational goals are achieved.
Role
The role of the Director is to provide executive leadership and management of the Lewes Historical Society and its city-wide facilities, to develop continuing sources of revenue to allow the Society to achieve its mission, and to oversee the curation of the documents and artifacts in the Society’s archival Collection. In this role, the Director serves as emissary and brand ambassador for the Society and engages the greater Lewes community to promote the history of Lewes and the Delmarva region.
Duties and Responsibilities.
Leadership:
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Provides leadership and program management direction for the Society.
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Develops and enhances relationships with national, regional, state and local professional, cultural, educational and governmental institutions
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Oversees the financial stability of the Society
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Positions the Society as a leader among historical societies, small museums, and preservation organizations.
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Promotes the history of Lewes and the Delmarva region.
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Research Interest in Delmarva and or the Mid-Atlantic region and its history a plus
Development:
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In coordination with the Development Director, creates and implements short-and-long-term strategies for donor bequests, grants and other financial support.
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Oversees the Society’s marketing and event planning activities.
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Serves as the point person for soliciting private financial support for the Society’s programs, activities and city-wide facilities.
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Serves as liaison to Lewes City, Sussex County and Delaware state government and elected officials for purposes of continuing grant and budget support as well as regional tourism strategies
Curation:
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Promotes the Society’s archival Collection and consistently seeks ways to enhance it and make it more accessible.
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Develops the Society’s Annual Collection and Curation Plan: acquires, maintains and preserves the historic documents and artifacts of the Collection to support and enhance the Society’s mission.
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Ensures standard archival practices and procedures are followed in the processing, description, and preservation of records and artifacts and documents the provenance of the Society’s Collection.
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Curates temporary exhibits in the Society’s History Museum and refreshes the Museum’s permanent exhibit display.
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Oversees educational programming activities that promote and provide access to the depth and breadth of the Society’s Collection.
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Works with the Board of Trustees to achieve and maintain American Association of Museums accreditation for the Society and Museum.
Museum
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Promotes the Lewes History Museum as a destination to tourists, seasonal visitors and residents
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Promotes the Lewes History Museum as an historical, cultural and educational destination for local and regional students and for historians and academic researchers.
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Coordinates with the Society’s Education Director on programs and activities in the Museum’s Children’s Discovery Center.
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Enhances current, and develops new, fundraising initiatives for the support of the Museum and its Children’s Discovery Center.
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Coordinates with the Director of Operations on building and collection security issues across the LHS Campus.
Employment Terms:
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Full-time salary with benefits.
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40 hours per work week.
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Evening and weekend availability required.
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Salary commensurate with experience, competitive with AAM Standards
Requirements
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Demonstrated success as a leader of history-related museum or society to include fundraising achievements, public and governmental support, program expansion and positive public relation notices.
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Demonstrated experience as a manager/supervisor of staff at various levels within an organization.
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Demonstrated experience as the leader/coordinator of volunteers within an organization.
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Significant experience as a museum curator and/or in archival program management.
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A successful record of experience managing a medium size non-profit history-related society and/or museum as defined by the American Association of Museums. This experience to include management of multi-facility locations.
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Demonstrated ability to evaluate potential donations of archival materials and museum objects as suitable for accessioning into a museum or society’s collections.
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Degree from an accredited institution in American History, Museum Management or related field. Advanced degree preferred in like field and/or non-profit management discipline.
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Knowledge of and experience using Past Perfect or similar collections database systems.
About Lewes Delaware and the Lewes Historical Society:
Located at the southeastern entrance to the Delaware Bay and founded in 1631 by Dutch Settlers, the town of Lewes, Delaware is known as the First Town in the First State. As such, Lewes has strong ties to an important colonial and maritime history. This is directly reflected in the town’s sense of community where many of the homes are original to the Colonial or Victorian period. Lewes has been the home of the Delaware River Pilots Association since its founding in the early 19th century.
The Lewes Historical Society is located at several locations within the town including a twelve-building campus of original structures, four additional separate locations in the center of town and a recently opened Lewes History Museum and Children’s Discovery Center. The Mission of the Lewes Historical Society is to promote and advocate for the preservation, interpretation and cultural enrichment of the Lewes region through collection acquisitions and exhibitions, educational programs, historical research and publications. The Society is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees with an annual budget of approximately $900,000.00. The Society relies heavily on an active group of over 300 volunteers to plan, staff and execute a variety of tours, educational programs and events attended by approximately 50,000 visitors a year. The Lewes Historical Society is an equal opportunity employer.
Lewes Delaware:
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Located in Family-Friendly and diverse Southern Delaware
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Has an exceptional quality of life
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Has nationally ranked beaches and boardwalks by Parents Magazine, National Geographic, Travel and Leisure, and American Profiles
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Offers endless recreational activities including kayaking, boating, biking, and more
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Southern Delaware has superb, nationally recognized dining, fine arts and theatre, and many more culturally diverse options
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Excellent private, charter and public school options with school choice
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Low taxes and no sales tax with a low cost of living
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Close proximity to many major East Coast cities and airports, including Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City
Contact: |
Email CV to: lewesHSemployment@gmail.com
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Website: | http://historiclewes.org |
Primary Category: | Local History |
Secondary Categories: | None |
Posting Date: | 05/03/2019 |
Closing Date | 06/03/2019 |