Executive Director | Beaumont, TX

Historic House Museum Executive Director

The McFaddin-Ward House Museum
Beaumont, Texas

Job Information

Location: Beaumont, Texas   United States                  

The McFaddin-Ward House was built in 1906 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial style. The immaculate preservation of its buildings and furnishings reflects the lifestyle of the prominent family who lived in the house for 75 years. The 12,800 sq. ft main house serves as the city's cultural and historic center offering docent led house tours. The museum hosts special community events, monthly lecture series, a curatorial intern program, children’s summer camp, and enjoys an active docent program. Behind the home is a two-story carriage house, complete with household staff quarters, autos, a gymnasium, hayloft, and horse stalls. A nationally recognized collections building sits behind the carriage house and a Visitor Center are also situated on the 5-acre campus. Uniquely, all furnishings are original to the home.

Associations: AAM, AASLH, TAM, National Register of Historic Places, 

Overview:                                                                   

Re-accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2020, the museum has successfully met the goals of its three-year strategic plan adopted in April 2023. As such, the museum is poised to launch a new institutional plan highlighting creative educational opportunities, broader community engagement and extended media growth. The Executive Director will have program input emphasizing his/her strengths and interests and lead the museum to meet its vision. The Director reports to a small, dedicated Board of Directors representing the McFaddin Family, as well as various community arts and history groups. Unlike most museums, the annual budget is fully funded by the family foundation which affords the Executive Director the opportunity to focus on meeting short and long-term goals without the distraction of having to raise funds.

Job Responsibilities: 

·         Review and implementation of new institutional plan.

·         Oversight of the lectures series, adult social and educational programs, children’s programs, online learning initiatives and curated special exhibits consistent with the mission of the museum.

·         Maintains strategic local, state, and national partnerships including universities, community groups, and institutions.

·         Represents the museum in the community for all public programming, related partnerships, and community engagement.

·         Oversees the preparation of the budget, ensures adherence to the budget, and maintains accurate financial records.

·         Creates financial forecasting reports.

·         Supervises the hiring and management of personnel, assigns job titles, duties, and salaries.

·         Develops and implements evaluation tools to analyze the outcomes of all programs, formulates reports, evaluates program effectiveness, and makes recommendations to the board.

·         Oversees the preservation and conservation of the historic house and carriage house, furniture, fixtures, objects of art, household goods, and personal possessions in the collection, and for the appropriate exhibit of same.

·         Communicates with the museum’s Board of Directors plans for the preservation and conservation of the historic properties and collections as well as proposals for exhibits and programming consistent with the mission of the museum.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

·         Knowledge and understanding of the museum’s Mission and Vision Statements, as well as the goals, objectives, and policies established by the Board of Directors, and the ability to carry out same.

·         Knowledge and understanding of optimum maintenance requirements for all structures situated on the five-acre campus.

·         Knowledge and understanding of optimum maintenance requirements for the lawns and gardens situated on the five-acre campus.

·         Ability to inspire and direct the museum staff in meeting the mission of the museum.

·         Excellent attention to detail; strong diplomatic and mediation skills.

·         Excellent organization and communication (both oral and written) skills and the ability to prioritize multiple projects.

·         Experience with and knowledge of applicable human resources rules and regulations. 

·         Willingness to work a flexible schedule that may include evening and weekends.

·         Ability to direct an effective social media presence.

·         Possess a global perspective with the ability to apply innovative approaches to interdisciplinary programming in a historic setting.

·         Ability to recognize and deal with internal issues using independent judgment and critical thinking skills.

·         Possess strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community.

Staffing/Funding:

·         Currently-26 employees

·         A budget of $1,500,000.00

·         Funded by the Mamie McFaddin-Ward Heritage Foundation

Physical Demands:

·         The museum campus covers 5 acres. The 4-story historic house, basement and upper levels of carriage house and collections building are only accessible by foot. Ability to access all parts of the property is required.

Minimum Requirements:  

·         Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in History and Museum Studies, Art, Art History, Art Education, or related field and two (2) years of experience in museum setting, museum management, or equivalent; or

·         Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in History and Museum Studies, Art, Art History, Art Education, or related field and four (4) years of experience in museum management, or equivalent experience.