Director of Public Engagement

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores art, architecture, and design from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in exhibitions and programs that illuminate the history and culture of this period, primarily in the United States and Europe. Located just steps from the Magnificent Mile, the Museum sits squarely at the center of Chicago’s cultural dialogue.

About the position

We are seeking a Director of Public Engagement to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive range of programs in support of the Museum’s mission, annual plan, and income goals. Additionally, the Director supervises Guest Services Coordinators whose focus is on front-of-house staffing, tours and interpretation, and member services; assists with the training of front-of-house staff; and supports the daily operations of the Museum.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leading the department staff in all the planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating programs for members and public audiences.
• With the support of the Executive Director, guide the strategic vision for programming as well as interpretation approaches and learning methods in a way that aligns to the Museum’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Ensure interdepartmental alignment with curatorial/exhibitions, marketing, and operations to achieve program goals and audience outcomes.
• Manage full and part-time staff within the department who further design, develop, and run programs, experiences, and educational resources.
• Manage department-wide administrative functions and projects while modeling and fostering collaboration within and across departments, externally, and with diverse communities and collaborators.
• Manage timelines and ensure the successful development, implementation, and evaluation of programs.
• Maintain program records collection, tracking, and analysis of program data for all public programs for internal reporting to Museum Staff and Board and to other stakeholders, to secure funding, and for evaluation of program operations, cost, and impact.
• Develop and track budgets (expenses, revenue, grants, etc.) for individual or a series of programs, as well as an overall budget for an entire operating year.
• Collaborate with Executive Director in the identification of various sources of revenue to support the annual public programs budget.
• Participate in writing grants for public programs and reporting to funders on the success of programs.
• Integrate best practices and trends in museums, art/architecture/design history, cultural, and community engagement to envision and design learning programs, experiences, and resources for multiple audiences, focusing on the interpretation of the Museum’s building, permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and related histories.
• With other Directors, steward the ongoing development and evaluation of programs, tours, and partnerships as they fulfill a long-term vision, achieve short-term goals, and align to strategic and audience priorities.
• Collaborate with Executive Director and other managers to develop a long-term strategy for engaging diverse audiences; develop and sustain relationships with various communities.
• Seek input and feedback from colleagues, program evaluation, and external community partners to inform program development and long-term planning.
• Develop and oversee an updated plan for programs production, staffing, and professional development.
• Participate in networking and professional opportunities within local/national museum, education, art/architecture/design history, and audience engagement communities.
• Occasionally interacts with staff from Driehaus Enterprise Management, Inc. (DEMI), Driehaus Capital Management LLC (DCM) and other Driehaus affiliates.
• Collaborate with other departments to prioritize a streamlined, communicative, and efficient workflow around education and public engagement, as well as promotion and funding of programs.
• Fulfill other duties as assigned in response to departmental or museum-wide collaboration.

Position Specifications:

Knowledge and Skills

• Five to seven years of experience in planning and delivering programs to diverse audiences.
• Three to five years of experience leading and managing a team or with leadership responsibilities.
• Three to five years of experience in forging programming collaborations across organizations and communities.
• Advanced degree in Art History, Museum Education, Museum Studies, or related field preferred.
• Working knowledge of museums and historic houses a benefit. Experience working with partner museums, community, and arts organizations in the development of programs.
• Knowledge of and experience with inclusive practices in museum education and public programs.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with Museum staff members, Driehaus colleagues and management, volunteers and a variety of external organizations and partners.
• Understanding of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility issues.

Communication

• Strong speaking, listening and presentation skills in various settings and with various age groups; fluency in other language(s) is a plus.
• Strong communication (written and verbal), time management, project management, problem-solving, and digital technology skills.
• Ability to supervise staff, volunteers, and interns.
• Ability to recognize and respond to guest and member issues or emergencies and take appropriate action.
• Excellent customer service disposition and mindset, in person and through writing, email or phone.
• Commitment to learning, open-mindedness, positivity, teamwork, collaboration, and personal growth.

Technical

• Knowledge of program evaluation practices.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite of products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Basic knowledge of Blackbaud platforms (Altru, Raiser’s Edge, etc.) and/or database experience an asset.
• Must be flexible with schedule. Some early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays may be required.

Work Schedule:

The weekly work hours typically fall between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, from Monday to Friday. Occasionally, there may be evening, and weekend hours required for special events.

Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, we will only be able to contact candidates who meet our qualifications. If you are selected, we will reach out to schedule an interview.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.