EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director works together with the leadership team and staff to ensure that MoMI fulfills its mission and realizes its goals for programmatic, financial, and organizational success. The Executive Director is the driver of MoMI’s strategic vision, as well as long-term planning and goal setting. They have overall responsibility for internal leadership, including senior team management, program development and administration, fundraising, marketing and communications, operational business management, and financial sustainability. 

They also play the lead role in representing MoMI externally to the relevant stakeholders, communities, and industries. The Executive Director will build and sustain new and existing relationships with a wide range of individuals who are part of the MoMI community, including individual donors, New York residents, as well as cultural, business, education, and civic leaders. 

Job Responsibilities:

▪ Board Relations: the Executive Director will work with the Museum Board to set goals and strategic vision. They will engage the Board to facilitate strategic goals and operational processes that strengthen and refine MoMI’s mission; work with Board on development and execution of all fundraising activities; identify and recruit new Board Members; and represent staff to Museum’s Board of Trustees 

▪ Fundraising: the Executive Director of MoMI will serve as Museum’s chief fundraiser, leading efforts to raise funds from government, corporate, individual, and foundation sources. They will work with Board to continue a capital campaign to transform the museum’s core exhibition and provide for future expenditures. They will cultivate donors, create new funding mechanisms and revenue streams, guide development departments in efforts reaching beyond its capital campaign; develop and increase earned income opportunities revenue streams; work with the Development Department to craft and execute fundraising plans, including prospect identification and cultivation, and development of strategic initiatives, exhibitions, and film series that attract donor interest; and work with the Board and Development Office on creating and executing two large-scale fundraising events per year. 

▪ Strategic Development: The Executive Director works with marketing and development team to build MoMI’s brand and reputation among current and potential funders, City, State, and Federal entities, community stakeholders, partner organizations, the media, and the general public. They will build and maintain strong relationships with diverse stakeholders and create multi-disciplinary partnerships involving corporate, individual, foundation, and private sources. 

▪ Management: The Executive Director will be responsible for developing and overseeing MoMI’s organizational vision. They are responsible for Museum’s overall strategic vision for exhibitions, public and educational programming and lead development of new strategic plans. In terms of management responsibilities, they will directly manage five senior staff members (Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, Deputy Director of Film, Deputy Director of Education, COO/CFO, and Deputy Director of Development; recruit, develop, and retain a high-quality professional staff that is diverse and inclusive; and foster an environment of creativity, innovation, collaboration, and mutual respect, creating a healthy and productive work environment. 

▪ Programming: The Executive Director is expected to maintain and evolve Museum’s leadership position within the museum field, including supporting and broadening the range of audiences the museum reaches. 

▪ Leading on DEAI: It is the responsibility of the Executive Director to ensure that the Museum upholds the highest standards regarding Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion. They will recruit, develop, and retain a high-quality professional staff that is diverse and inclusive. 

Qualifications:

The Museum of the Moving Image seeks a welcoming, flexible, and entrepreneurial leader to be its next Executive Director. This individual will be a strategic thinker and skilled decision-maker with a big-picture view of the cultural sector and a track record of evaluating options and achieving positive outcomes. The ideal candidate will have a deep appreciation for the mission of MoMI and both the desire and the ability to advance a vision for the years ahead. 

The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to build passion and financial support for major initiatives, to cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, to solicit funds effectively, and to provide excellent stewardship of relationships on behalf of the Museum. The Executive Director will have a track record of success managing teams and resources, including being a careful steward of organizational assets and cultivating new revenue streams. The next Executive Director will embody core values that set a standard for institutional culture that insists on diversity equity, access, and inclusion in thought and opportunity. 

Strategic Thinking and Vision 

▪ An entrepreneurial and creative thinker with the ability to develop and implement a creative and strategic vision. This individual will demonstrate a passion for the key global trends influencing MoMI’s mission. 

▪ Ability to guide, shape, and continually enhance MoMI’s organizational identity including its vision, mission, culture, and strategy while protecting the integrity of its uniquely imaginative and courageous spirit and mix of innovation, and collaboration. 

▪ Track record of strong fiscal and strategic discipline and outcomes; results-oriented, thoughtful, and courageous; will take calculated risks and use resources creatively in terms of innovation while demonstrating pragmatism with respect to both expenses and revenues. 

Fundraising and Resource Development 

▪ Experience in building an institution’s funding base – including from individual, corporate, and foundation funders – as well as through fresh pathways for earned income; demonstrates an ability to engage prospective funders and partners locally, nationally, and internationally. 

▪ Proven success forging and maintaining mutually productive relationships with peer institutions and partners to further MoMI’s impact. 

Communication and Relationship Building 

▪ A truly skilled internal and external communicator with an ability to engage effectively and inclusively with a diverse range of audiences, partners, and audiences. 

▪ Exhibits a consensus-seeking, but decisive approach to problem solving that enables them to effectively build support for MoMI’s initiatives. 

Inclusive Leadership 

▪ Deep personal commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all aspects of their work; track record of building and championing teams that are substantively diverse and reflective of the diversity of the community their institution serves. 

▪ Demonstrated commitment to inclusive leadership, displaying cultural competence while operating in an environment with a range of diverse constituents and communities. 

Management of Teams and Resources 

▪ Demonstrated success enabling a team to translate organizational strategy into clear goals and objectives as well as aligning key constituents around key institutional decisions. 

▪ Proven ability to carefully steward organizational assets, balance budgets, and make smart decisions with limited financial resources. 

▪ Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, and able to adapt quickly and flexibly to unforeseen challenges and lead others through complex situations; capable of flexing between practical and operational problem-solving and long-term strategy. 

▪ Recruits and develops top talent, delegates effectively, and manages performance with accountability; widely viewed as a leader who develops others, and who trusts and leverages the expertise of staff; fosters a culture of collaboration, respect, and empowerment. 

▪ Brings deep personal commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all aspects of the organization’s work 

Compensation

The compensation available for the role considers a variety of factors including, but not limited to, work location, individual skill set, previous/applicable experience, and other business needs. The estimated salary range for this role is $300,000 to $350,000. 

Contact 

Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search. Given the need for confidentiality throughout this process, prospective candidates are invited to reach out directly to our search consultants at MoMI@russellreynolds.com with a CV and brief explanation of interest.