Executive Director
The Executive Director reports to Minnesota Center for Book Arts’ board chair and serves as the organizational leader. This position provides vision, strategic planning, and management practices to effectively carry out the mission of MCBA. The Executive Director represents MCBA’s interests to its diverse constituencies, including the arts and book arts communities, educators, individual donors, the cultural and philanthropic communities in Minnesota and nationally, and the media. The Executive Director is an ex-officio member of the board and of the board’s Executive Committee.
The Executive Director is responsible for the overall programmatic direction and for ensuring the appropriate organizational structures to accomplish annual goals. The position also oversees administration of MCBA’s programs and activities, a staff of 13 and an average budget of $1.3M. Building on a period of organizational growth, the Executive Director will continue to develop a sustainable economic model for MCBA by strengthening earned income opportunities, investing in donor relationships, and creating collaborations across communities and with other arts organizations.
Strategic Planning:
- Create and communicate a clear strategy for achieving our mission to staff, board, and stakeholders.
- Develop and implement long- and short-term strategies and goals to assure that MCBA fulfills its mission, is true to its core values, and uses its resources effectively.
- Monitor and evaluate the outcomes and impact of MCBA programs and initiatives and make improvements or changes as necessary.
Organizational Leadership:
- Recruit, retain, motivate, and mentor the management team for continuous improvement, productivity, and excellence.
- Provide and model participative leadership for staff in a manner that promotes initiative, a healthy workplace, and creates individual growth opportunities.
- Manage MCBA’s leadership team of four direct reports (Associate Director, Director of Education, Director of Exhibitions & Artist Programs, and Director of Retail & Visitor Services) and inspire them to excellence in programs and processes.
- Lead evaluation of all MCBA programs and activities to ensure relevance, impact, quality, mission alignment, and effective use of MCBA’s resources.
- Build a culture of teamwork, diversity, and inclusiveness with agility and strategic risk-taking.
Fiscal Responsibility:
- Develop appropriate annual and long-term financial objectives; lead MCBA in consistently achieving these objectives, including a balanced operating budget.
- Manage the budget to strategically grow earned and contributed revenue for the organization, implement growth plans; and help build MCBA’s financial reserve.
Fundraising:
- Set and attain fundraising goals per annual fundraising plan with regular assessments.
- Nurture, directly solicit, and sustain close, productive relationships and collaborations with key donors, colleagues, and supporters of MCBA who are in a position to advance the mission.
- Participate actively in fundraising for special campaigns and annual gifts, sponsorships, foundation and government grants, and other needs as they may arise.
Board Relations:
- Engage the board of directors in shaping the strategic vision for MCBA’s future, actively soliciting their input on key priority issues in a timely, effective manner, and formulating recommendations for consideration by the board and/or its respective committees based on that input and other considerations.
- Communicate, inform, discuss, and guide the board in affairs of MCBA and on issues that require decisions, evaluations, and direction for new policies, procedures, or programs to improve overall operations.
- Work with the board to identify and recruit potential board members to diversify and expand the outreach of MCBA and to establish board expertise in identified skill sets.
Community Advocacy and Public Relations:
- Serve as the brand ambassador and lead external spokesperson for the organization to constituents and stakeholders including funders, students, teaching artists, and the book arts and arts field.
- Build and maintain a strong relationship with the Artist Collective and its artist members.
- Build collaborative strategic alliances to further advance MCBA’s mission, including building relationships with diverse community and arts groups.
- Promote MCBA’s mission and leadership role in the field while also supporting a supportive collegial atmosphere among partner organizations.
- Generate awareness of MCBA, its mission, programs, and accomplishments via the media, reinforcing the organization’s leadership in arts locally, and in book arts globally.
Open Book:
- As a founding partner of Open Book, serve on the board of directors of this independent
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS
- A track record of being an inspiring and service-oriented leader who has long-term vision and can effect change, motivate others, and impart credibility, trust, integrity, and enthusiasm.
- Experience building a sustainable non-profit business model, including leveraging and growing earned income.
- Experience successfully leading significant fundraising initiatives that have led to lasting growth.
- Forward-thinking vision of a healthy and vibrant nonprofit sector, recognizing the importance of infrastructure and operations as the backbone of MCBA’s ability to achieve its mission.
- Demonstrated connection to the book arts and ability to speak compellingly and persuasively of its historical and contemporary impact.
- Strong collaboration and communication skills; including the inclusion of diverse perspectives and voices.
- A track record of managing people, projects, and budgets.
- Demonstrated financial leadership and financial management skills.
- Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant area.
- Meaningful nonprofit experience (5–10 years), with a minimum of 5 years in non-profit leadership roles with a track record of success.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s in Arts Administration or Nonprofit Management.
- Strategic planning and implementation experience.
- Strong understanding of non-profit finance and GAAP, including experience developing organizational budgets, analyzing P&L’s and balance sheets, and managing restricted grant funds.
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, QuickBooks, and CRM database management.
● Separate paid vacation and sick time accrual, an annual personal day, 10 paid holidays a year, and annual winter holiday closure
● 401(k) plan
● Health insurance (85% employer paid) and dental insurance (50% employer paid) ● Employee-paid flexible spending accounts, vision insurance, accident insurance, short-term disability, hospital insurance, and voluntary life insurance
● Pre-tax transportation benefits
● Free studio rental, discounts on workshop registrations, and discounts on retail and consignment purchases
● Professional development opportunities
● A supportive, creative, and light-hearted staff and board team to work with
Visit https://mnbookarts.org/employment to apply.