Job Listing
🔗National Society of Colonial Dames, Executive Director

  • Full Time
  • Boston, MA
  • $80,000 - $90,000 USD / Year
  • March 28, 2025
  • Job Qualifications:

    ·        A minimum of five years of executive or management experience in a nonprofit environment or other mission-driven organization.

    ·        Academic degree and experience in history, museum studies, historic preservation, education, or another relevant field.

    ·        Pragmatic and successful experience as a project manager, ideally having engagement with building projects, collections care, interpretation visitor experience, and audience development.

    ·        Demonstrated enthusiasm for successful grant-writing including governmental funding sources.

    ·        Strategic planning skills that provide organizational vision, direction, and financial sustainability.

    ·        Emotional intelligence and people-oriented leadership skills that serve internal and external stakeholders. Ability to sustain strong relationships with the local communities in alignment with the NSCDA-MA’s values.

  • How to Apply:

    To apply in confidence, submit application by March 28, 2025, to: Ken Turino, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.

     

    Please include:

    1)     A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.

    2)     A résumé.

    3)     The names and contact information for three professional references, indicating their relationship with the candidate.

     

    Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. Nominations are welcome. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.

  • Contact Name: Ken Turino
  • Application Email: searchandref@museum-search.com
  • Application URL: https://museum-search.com/all-searches/2025/1/17/colonial-dames

Website National Society of Colonial Dames

The National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (NSCDA-MA) seeks a talented Executive Director to oversee three historic sites and lead the organization during a period of dynamic growth. Headquartered on Beacon Hill in Boston, the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts oversees three historic sites in the Commonwealth, all on the National Register of Historic Places: the William Hickling Prescott House in Boston, Quincy Homestead in Quincy, and Martin House Farm in Swansea. The Executive Director will embody the energy of the sites’ passionate stakeholders, communicate excitement about the mission, and skillfully navigate the logistics of moving the museums to a new place of relevance and engagement.

This position represents a significant growth opportunity for the museums, allowing an accomplished nonprofit leader to enhance the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts’ unique assets and elevate its public profile. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building organizational capacity, ensuring sustainability, and creating new engagement pathways across the Society’s three communities. Collaborating with a dedicated Board, staff, and volunteers, the Executive Director will guide the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts toward increased relevance and impact.

 

A successful candidate will have an appreciation for the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts’ mission and be sympathetic to community historical identity, as well as historical and curatorial issues specific to small museums and historic properties. The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to:

 

·        Transition the organization to new levels of professionalism and efficiency, providing strong leadership with the support of a dedicated Board.

·        Envision innovative pathways for sustainability, community engagement, and growth.

·        Seek out mutually beneficial opportunities for strategic partnerships in all three of the Society’s communities.

Responsibilities and Expectations
The Executive Director will have proven effectiveness as an executive or senior-level professional in nonprofit organizations such as museums, historic sites, preservation institutions, or other similar mission-driven organizations. The successful candidate will demonstrate accomplishment as a strategic thinker, team builder, innovator, and leader adept at translating vision into organizational action. They will:

 

·        Assume overall executive responsibility for the NSCDA-MA’s three museums, supervising daily operations and driving educational outreach, visitor experience, earned revenue streams, including four rental properties at the sites, and stewardship of the buildings and collections.

·        Provide curatorial and preservation oversight, to establish best museum practices including implementing the Massachusetts Colonial Dames Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) report.

·        Oversee the interpretive program, exhibitions, internships, and public programming at the three historic sites.

·        Develop a trusting and mutually supportive relationship with the Board and Committees, guiding them in optimizing their governance responsibilities, enabling effective committee and stewardship practices for the three historic properties and collections.

·        Provide financial supervision and sustainability; ensure fiscal integrity by budgeting revenues and expenditures that ensure the financial health of the organization.

·        Inspire and nurture a team of staff members and volunteers that display creativity, collaboration, and achievement.

·        Serve as the NSCDA-MA liaison representing the organization at meetings, events, and in the media, cultivating key relationships locally, regionally, and nationally.

·       The Executive Director is responsible for grant writing but not for individual-gift and membership fundraising; these tasks are managed by a committee with staff support.

Benefits

All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.

Eligible NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. To be eligible to earn a PLC certificate, an intern must be 30 years old or younger (or 35 if a veteran). Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Successful completion of a NCPE internship does not guarantee Federal employment. Contact manager@preservenet.org for more details.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be
*at least 18 years old;
*no older than 30 years of age (or 35 years if a Veteran) when beginning the internship; applicants who are 31 or older (or 36 or older if a Veteran) are not eligible;
*currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program at the college level (or recently graduated within the past 12 months)
*be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.

Interns are not allowed to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full-time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.

The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.

The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.

Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.

How to Apply

You may review NCPE's internship opportunities anytime without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.

Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your username or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.

Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. A PDF is preferred, labeled Your Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages are preferred. A PDF is preferred but jpg, png, doc, or docx file types are accepted. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.

Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during an application round; there is no limit at other times of the year. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!



Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.