Reporting to the President of the Board, the Director of the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE) will help shape a compelling vision and strategy for the Museum. The director will give particular attention to revenue growth, fundraising, programmatic expansion, and MPCE’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The director will work collaboratively with board members, volunteer team leaders, and contracted staff to effectively manage communications, virtual and temporary exhibits, educational programs, and the collection. The person will foster a culture of teamwork while overseeing the national reputation of the Museum and championing its social impact mission.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop a multi-year strategy to increase fundraising.
- Cultivate MPCE donors and members and inspire legacy gifts to the Museum.
- Develop a grant strategy, identifying pertinent funders and funding opportunities.
Leadership
- Maintain open communication with the board. Serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the volunteers and staff.
- Liaise with National Peace Corps Association, affiliate groups, and the Peace Corps.
- Actively seek opportunities to engage within and beyond the Peace Corps community and represent the museum through public talks.
- Forge and steward institutional partnerships at the regional and national levels.
- Develop productive working relationships with colleagues at other museums, archives, and cultural organizations.
Operations
- Support and coordinate the work of volunteer teams and team coordinators.
- Recruit volunteers and hire staff for appropriate positions within the Museum.
- Continue to expand the museum’s policies in accordance with American Alliance of Museums best practices.
- Prepare and manage annual operating budget and provide regular updates to the Board of Directors.
- Lead development and implementation of a marketing plan.
Maintain museum calendar and coordinate events and programs.
Exhibitions, Education, and Collections
- With input from the Board, guide the Museum’s exhibits, programs, and collection.
- Maintain standards of excellence for all exhibits, education, and the collection.
Qualifications
A Master’s degree is preferred with a minimum of 2-3 years of museum management experience. Qualified candidates must have experience working in a team environment and have
- Demonstrated success in a museum or cultural organization
- Strong project management and communication skills
- Track record of building new programs with limited resources
- Experience with fundraising including membership programs and grant writing
- Familiarity with museum best practices
- Experience developing virtual presence and knowledge of museum collection software, such as PastPerfect
- Flexibility in working hours to accommodate differing time zones and schedules of volunteers
- Experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer or as a member of the Peace Corps community is preferred
- Be able to commute to Washington D.C.
Museum Mission
Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect and preserve stories and objects of material culture donated by volunteers who served in communities around the globe. Through virtual and temporary exhibits and programs, the museum fosters cultural understanding and encourages visitors to serve—wherever they live, however they can.
Museum History
MPCE was established in 1999 by a group of returned Peace Corps Volunteers in Portland, Oregon. The group began assembling a collection, organized temporary exhibits, and pursued funding sources. In 2016, the Portland committee expanded its vision to the national level and enlisted representatives from across the country to develop a strategy for launching a national collaboration. The strategy included an expanded volunteer management team and multi-step process for growing the museum’s operations and visibility.
Since then, MPCE has developed systems for pre-accessioning and storing the growing collection, reestablished a Board of Directors, and produced temporary and virtual exhibits on both coasts. In 2022, MPCE will move into Peace Corps Place, the new National Peace Corps Association headquarters in Washington, DC where the museum will have an office and modest exhibit space. MPCE plans to launch a major financial and programmatic expansion in order to secure funding for additional staff, audience growth, virtual exhibits, and a future building.
Instructions to Apply:
Submit a cover letter as an email and tell us why you are interested in this position. Describe a fundraising experience you were involved with, initiated, or led. Include a link to your Linked-In profile.
Attach your resume as a PDF file to the email and send it to pcmuseumhr@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed on August 15 2022.
The Committee for a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization and a National Peace Corps Association affiliate.
