Description

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a leader in historic preservation and manages a number of historic sites, museums and programs that celebrate Prince George's County's rich history. Coordinated by the Natural and Historic Resources Division (NHRD), there are 22, M-NCPPC historic sites that are open to the public, including the College Park Aviation Museum (CPAM).

CPAM is a 27,000-square-foot, innovative facility located on the grounds of the world's oldest continuously operating airport in College Park, Maryland. The museum shares stories of military and general aviation firsts that have continued to occur at the airfield for the past 113 years.
The Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting aviation innovations in College Park Airport and in Prince George’s County. We engage and inspire our community and visitors with diverse stories through education, exhibitions, and programming.

CPAM is seeking a thoughtful, creative, engaging leader to serve as the next Museum Director. The Director will provide professional museum management, leadership, and vision for this Tuesday-Sunday operation, as well as superb personnel management for 20 – 25 staff, both full and part-time. The Director will lead the museum towards intentional community engagement, partnerships, and collaborations. The Director is expected to implement the division’s Impact Planning Framework and Inclusive Interpretation plans set forth by division leadership.

An exceptional incumbent will have knowledge in American and Aviation History or show the willingness/desire to learn aviation history. In addition, they will have experience with public history and ability to demonstrate museum standard methodologies.
An exceptional candidate will demonstrate the Division’s strategic pillars listed below in their professional work:

• Enhance the Visitor Experience: Quantity and Quality
• Leaving a Legacy: Transforming Education into Advocacy
• Strengthening Inclusivity, Diversity, and Belonging
• Acting with Integrity, Respect, and Trust

Examples of Important Duties

Leadership

• 
  Builds a culture of collaboration and innovation
• Provides dynamic leadership, vision, and direction for the museum team.
• Represents the museum and M-NCPPC at local, regional and national meetings – delivering engaging public presentations
• Develops and implements strategic plan, action plan, programming oversight, outreach direction, and audience engagement strategies with Museum Operations Manager.

Management

• Works closely with the Museum Operations Manager to ensure that staff is all working together to align the museum’s activities with the mission of the museum, division, and larger organization.
• Identifies funding sources and works with colleagues on grant applications to support special exhibits, collections or programming opportunities. Grant administration and reporting are also part of this role.
• Facilitates long-term exhibit planning (both updating permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits), design, fabrication and installation in collaboration with Curator of Collections Manager and Exhibit Coordinator

Outreach

• Coordinates marketing/social media with internal team as well as NHRD Outreach & Communications Coordinator and Public Affairs and Community Engagement office
• Works across the various divisions within Parks and Recreation and with external community partners to foster important partnerships, engaging programming, and to generate effective marketing strategies and materials.
• Collaborates with Board of Directors of the Field of Firsts Foundation, which is an independent, 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to further the educational and historic preservation mission of the museum through fundraising and advocacy. Assists in developing strategies for recruiting, maintaining, engaging, and growing FOFF membership support and donors.

Administration/Operations

• Director works together with support staff to facilitate building maintenance, capital improvement plan, and exhibition fabrication/repairs
• Monitors, approves, and facilitates expenditures to stay within operations budget
• Completes organizational paperwork and reports, including annual evaluations with support from the Office Administrator
• Develops annual reports and impact documentation to division leadership

Successful candidate will have the following characteristics:

• Ability to provide vision, lead, support, mentor, engage with their team.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Highly organized and able to successfully prioritize multiple targeted completion dates and tasks with excellent attention to detail.
• Able to work independently and be a self-starter.
• Great team and an effective manager of others.
• Ability to listen actively and be responsive to teams and guest needs and expectations.
• Strong commitment to excellent customer service, both internal and external.

Highly desire candidates will possess qualifications:

• Proven track record of leading a team of over 15 people is crucial.
• High propensity of emotional intelligence.
• Consistent track record of working positively with community partners.
• Problem-solver and can handle difficult issues.
• Success in a large or sophisticated work environment.
• Candidate with working knowledge of aviation history and/or experience managing an aviation or science museum is a plus.
• Fluent in Spanish, both speaking and writing, a plus.
• Candidate should have at least five (5) years of advanced experience with museum management, and administration, exhibits and managing staff.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in history, American studies, museum studies, archaeology, education, historic preservation, or a related field; and

2. Five years of progressively responsible experience, including two years as a program coordinator or supervisor; or

3. Master's degree in one of the above fields; and three years of related experience; or

4. An equivalent combination of education and experience.

5. A valid driver's license, or the ability to acquire one.

Supplemental Information

Classification Specification: History Coordinator/Museum Manager II

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate a workplace culture of diversity, equity and inclusion without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other non-merit factor.

Person(s) hired for this position must provide proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (with limited religious or medical exceptions).