About Forbes House Museum:
The Forbes House Museum (FHM), built in 1833, is a historic Greek revival mansion designed by renowned Boston architect Isaiah Rogers. The house was built for Margaret Perkins Forbes by her sons, Robert Bennet Forbes and John Murray Forbes, who earned much of their wealth in the early American China trade. Their business, philanthropy and civic involvement contributed to our history at the local, national and even international levels. Four generations of the family lived in the house up until 1962. The house became a museum in 1964.
The Museum collection comprises Chinese export porcelain and silver, and American, European and Chinese art, artifacts and furniture. It also includes Mary Bowditch Forbes's collection of President Lincoln and Civil War artifacts and memorabilia; Mary even had a replica of Lincoln’s log cabin built on the grounds of the estate, which continues to welcome visitors today. The Forbes House Museum is located on Milton Hill, overlooking the Boston city skyline, Neponset River Marshes and Boston Harbor. It has 6.5 acres of property and a carriage house and barn currently undergoing extensive restoration work. Once the work is complete, the building will house new office space and flexible event space.
Our Mission:
Inspired by the Forbes family legacy of entrepreneurship, social action and philanthropy, the Forbes House Museum fosters discourse around civic engagement and cultural awareness.
Learn more by visiting: www.forbeshousemuseum.org
About the Role:
Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Assistant Director (AD) is a new position and will be joining the FHM at a pivotal point in time as we embark on an ambitious capital campaign that will dramatically reshape the museum’s place in the community, and financially position the museum for long-term stability and success.
The Assistant Director supports the Executive Director in all aspects of museum administration, and will have the primary responsibility for managing development in support of the capital campaign and the Annual Fund. The AD will foster meaningful connections with the community by planning and attending events and programs, and will directly manage social media and the website. The successful Assistant Director will be highly flexible, creative, energetic and at all times a team-player. The AD will perform other duties as needed to support effective museum operations and advocacy.
Primary Responsibilities:
1-Drive Development and Donor Relations
- Write Membership letters, Annual Fund appeals, acknowledgement letters and other communications
- Work with the ED to enhance the Membership program
- Help prepare grant requests and reports and manage awards
- Support the Capital Campaign Leadership Group by conducting donor prospect research, creating presentations, scheduling and attending meetings
2-Manage Events
- Represent the FHM at events, including evenings and weekends, to network and meet prospective donors
- Plan and manage 1-2 social events yearly for Members/Volunteers, with support from other staff and vendors as needed.
- Plan and manage community barn events
- Help plan the Museum’s largest annual fundraiser, the Keechong Dinner
- Respond to rental inquiries
3-Manage Programs and Exhibitions
- Assist the ED in the planning and implementation of programs and exhibitions
- Become a resident expert on the history of the museum, collection and family and contribute to ongoing research efforts
- Lead the training and development of volunteers to lead tours and staff events
4-Supporting Marketing and Communications
- Manage social media sites, including profile enhancements, follower growth, and engagement through regular postings
- Manage the website, including content updates
- Prepare monthly Trustee Connect newsletter for review by ED
- Liaison with the board of director’s development and marketing subcommittee
- Develop and implement standardized communications with guests following events
Qualifications and Expertise:
The successful Assistant Director candidate will have relevant experience in planning and development, office operations and software which can be referenced. They will have minimally a bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of experience in a related field, demonstrating the ability required to support a non-profit organization. Advanced social media platforms management and advanced writing are critical skills for the role. Experience in planning and development in a non-profit organization is highly desired.
This is a full-time position, with the need from time to time (minimally once per month) to be working certain evenings and weekends to support Museum events. Salary is market competitive and commensurate with experience and education. Includes health benefits and paid vacation and sick time off.
Forbes House Museum is an equal opportunity employer.
How To Apply:
To apply, please go to: forbeshousemuseum.bamboohr.com/careers. Any questions about this role at Forbes House Museum can be directed to: hiring@forbeshousemuseum.org.
Applications will be considered until November 30, 2024
