POSITION: Chief Program Officer SUPERVISES: Wisconsin Historical
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POSITION: Chief Program Officer SUPERVISES: Wisconsin Historical Society Sites, Museums, Programs and Outreach REPORTS TO: The Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO LOCATION: Madison, Wisconsin VISION STATEMENT Enriching and transforming lives through unparalleled access to history. MISSION The Wisconsin Historical Society connects people to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. VALUES Embrace a spirit of service. Engage our expertise. Spark enthusiasm. Cultivate inclusion. Exceed expectations. Think big and grow with purpose. ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. At its core, the Society believes that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural, and economic benefit. The Society’s values are to Embrace a Spirit of Service, Engage our Expertise, Spark Enthusiasm, Cultivate Inclusion, Exceed Expectations, and Think Big and Grow with Purpose. Its collections, historic sites and museums, historic preservation office and extensive educational programs are highly regarded by peers and historical scholars throughout the world. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of programs and services at many sites throughout the state. The programs and resources the Society provides include: Interactive Historical Experiences: Twelve museums and historic sites, including two National Historic Landmarks, provide interactive experiences for guests of all ages, and 530 official state historical markers help tell the story of Wisconsin’s rich heritage. Collections: As the largest North American History collection next to the Library of Congress, the Society's world-class collections contain an extraordinary range of artifacts and information from the archaeological past to current events. The Society maintains unrivaled collections in Wisconsin history as well as North American genealogy. Wisconsin History Educational Resources: The Society’s publishing arm, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, partnered with the Programs and Outreach team, create and provide extensive resources to teachers, students and history lovers alike to help them gain a better understanding of the rich history of Wisconsin. Family History Research: Curiosity seekers may search the Society’s more than three million birth, death and marriage records; newspaper clippings, photographs and other visual materials; and property records. The Society also hosts regular webinars and seminars on family genealogy. Public History Outreach: The Society provides expertise to more than 400 local history organizations to help them collect, preserve and share their stories. State Historic Preservation Office: The Society has several programs that serve to protect and interpret Wisconsin's archaeological and built environment resources. This team also 2 provides resources to homeowners, developers and business owners who wish to preserve and protect their properties. OPPORTUNITY The Wisconsin Historical Society is seeking to fill an exciting new senior leadership position. The Society is seeking an innovative and dynamic new Chief Program Officer (CPO) to join the senior leadership team and help connect all programmatic areas within a comprehensive, holistic, and synergistic vision of the Society. The Society’s first CPO will have the opportunity to fill key leadership positions, create a shared vision for Society programming, collaborate to shape the Society’s long-term goals, and develop the Society as a national resource. Specifically, the CPO will lead the Society’s 12 historic sites and museums throughout the state including the new Wisconsin Historical Museum on the Capitol Square in Madison. He or she will also oversee the Society’s extensive programming channels to deliver dynamic and diverse experiences, publications, exhibitions, digital resources, and educational services for one of the premier historical organizations in the United States. In addition, initial priorities will include advancing the Society’s plans for a new state history museum. POSITION DESCRIPTION This senior leadership position reports to the Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and works under general direction. The Chief Program Officer (CPO) is responsible for leading and uniting all of the Society educational and programmatic channels in delivering relevant, engaging, authentic, dynamic, diverse, and inclusive mission-based experiences, publications, exhibits, digital resources, and educational services. The CPO is also responsible for staff excellence and financial performance of the Museums and Historic Sites and Programs & Outreach divisions. This person will work institutionally to lead and guide the experience design process and will lead the creation, implementation, and coordination of a strategic direction for the Museums and Historic Sites and Programs and Outreach teams while insuring sustainability and ongoing performance improvement. This key individual will work intimately with the Director’s Office, Senior Leadership Team, and the Deputy Director/COO and will form key relationships with technical experts in all Society and Wisconsin Historical Foundation business units such as Finance, Human Resources, Communications, Marketing, Fundraising, IT, Retail, Facilities, Historic Preservation, and Collections. They must ensure that all venues, projects, exhibitions, and programs align and meet the Society standards, brand, and business goals. Specific areas of responsibility include the following: 40% A. Programs and Products Leadership A1. Leads, manages and coaches Museums, Historic Sites, Programs & Outreach leaders and provides leadership in the creation, execution and fulfillment of strategic operational and annual tactical plans. A2. Leads and mentors the development of a common agenda and vision for the Museums, Sites, Programs & Outreach Teams by engaging with senior leaders, team 3 members and front-line staff, obtaining competitive knowledge about trends in the broader world, and keeping up with developments in the profession and communicating them effectively. A3. Responsible for development of creative work which includes, but is not limited to, publications in any medium, product and program development and design, and all related collateral materials. 25% B. Experience Design Leadership B1. Leads, coaches and mentors experience design team members to ensure the fulfillment of the Society’s mission by constantly advocating for the guest perspective, designing dynamic experiential storytelling, and delivering high quality projects and programs on- time and on-budget through a shared vision, collaborative processes and clear communication. B2. Responsible for sponsoring and leading the experience process, directing and guiding the planning, budgeting, scheduling, communication and implementation of major exhibitions, programs, restoration and reinstallation projects, and making other improvements and adjustments to guest experiences through collaboration with business units, individual staff members and external partners. B3. Works with Deputy Director/COO and institutional leaders to develop, coordinate, and execute business strategies and to review and evaluate experiences, programs, exhibitions, and other products. 30% C. Strategic Planning and Leadership C1. Drives team formation and coaches team leadership to develop and maintain a strong mission- and goals-based perspective and effective and efficient implementation. C2. Responsible for the financial performance, preparation and negotiation of the annual budget and work plans for the Museums, Sites, Publications, Programs, Outreach, Education, Experience Design, and institutional projects. C3. Works closely with the Deputy Director/COO, and the Division of Administrative Services, Communications, Collections, and Historic Preservation leaders to ensure responsible spending and accounting, and responsive adjustment and negotiation of contractual and budgetary matters. C4. Represents Museums, Sites, Programs & Outreach internally and externally, as well as to the Board of Curators, in addition to helping raise funds toward the realization of institutional goals. 5% D. OTHER JOB DUTIES D1. Manage other projects as assigned by the Society Director. The salary for this unclassified position will not be less than $110,000 per year depending on qualifications and includes a robust benefits package. 4 QUALIFICATIONS Applicants should have at least five years of senior leadership experience in a complex organization with a proven track record of success. Qualified candidates will have demonstrated knowledge of best practices and benchmarks in the public experience and attractions field, as well as demonstrated knowledge of museum operations or museum theory and practices. Candidates should be skilled in the principles of experience development for a variety of audiences; marketing and public relations project management; exhibition development; and public presentation. The ability to envision and implement new strategic goals is key. Critical personal qualities include the ability to engage and interact effectively with a wide range of people, internally and externally, to accomplish common goals, and to resolve potential conflicts.