LAAM - Executive Director

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum, an AAM-accredited institution located in New London along the Connecticut coast, seeks an Executive Director to lead the Museum into its next phase of growth and community impact. Founded in 1932, the Museum holds a collection of more than 20,000 objects and is particularly known for its American art, decorative arts, and Louis Comfort Tiffany holdings. With an active exhibition and education program and a twelve-acre campus, the Lyman Allyn is poised at a pivotal moment as it advances a major initiative to transform its grounds into a dynamic art park, while also strengthening financial sustainability, expanding its audience, and elevating its regional and national profile.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director (ED) will follow the retirement of a highly respected and long-serving leader who significantly elevated the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, and community presence. Building on this strong foundation, the next ED will have the opportunity to guide LAAM into its next phase—strengthening its financial position, expanding its audience, and advancing a more visible and impactful role within the region.

The ED, in partnership with the Board and Staff, will focus on key opportunities:

• Develop and implement a clear, forward-looking strategic plan.
• Strengthen financial sustainability: Expand both contributed and earned revenue, build a broader donor base, grow the endowment, and bring greater institutional consistency to financial planning and cash-flow management.
• Elevate fundraising and external relations: Serve as the Museum’s primary ambassador, deepening relationships with existing supporters while cultivating new major donors, partners, and institutional funders at the regional and national levels.
• Advance the Lyman Allyn Park project: Provide leadership for the Museum’s most ambitious initiative as the campus is transformed into a dynamic public space.
• Grow and diversify audiences: Increase visitation and engagement, strengthen connections with the City, and position the Museum as an inclusive and welcoming resource for a broader public.
• Enhance partnerships: Build stronger relationships with local, regional, and academic institutions, and expand the Museum’s civic presence.
• Support and align a strong staff team.

Responsibilities, and Expectations

The Executive Director will be an accomplished leader with experience in nonprofit or mission-driven organizations such as museums, cultural institutions, academic environments, or related fields. The successful candidate will bring strategic vision, strong fundraising capability, and a collaborative leadership style, along with a genuine passion for the arts and community engagement. Expectations include:

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• Provide strategic leadership and direction: Guide the Museum in developing and implementing a clear strategic plan that advances institutional priorities, aligns resources, and positions the organization for sustainable growth.
• Partner effectively with the Board: Support strong governance practices, engaging the Board as partners in fundraising, advocacy, and strategic decision-making.
• Lead and align a collaborative staff team: Sustain a culture of trust and empowerment strengthening communication cross-departmental alignment.

FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

• Strengthen financial management and sustainability: Provide disciplined oversight of finances, improving consistency in revenue, cash flow, and planning. Identify opportunities to grow earned income.
• Lead and execute fundraising efforts: Serve as the chief fundraiser in collaboration with the Development Director, actively cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, grants, capital campaigns, and public sources. Work closely with the Board to expand and diversify the donor base, building regional and national relationships.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

• Serve as spokesperson and advocate: Represent the Museum locally, regionally, and nationally, bringing an energetic voice that elevates the institution’s profile.
• Act as the Museum’s primary ambassador, spending significant time externally building relationships with civic, cultural, educational, and business partners, and strengthening the Museum’s presence in New London and the region.
• Expand and diversify audiences: Increase visitation and participation by broadening the Museum’s appeal, addressing perceptions that may limit engagement, and positioning it as accessible and welcoming for a wide range of communities.
• Community involvement: Become actively involved in the life of the New London community.

MUSEUM PROGRAMMING AND VISITATION

• Support and advance exhibitions, collections, facilities, and programs: Work collaboratively with an experienced curatorial and program staff to sustain the Museum’s strong exhibition program and growing reputation. Support the collection’s continued development, including expanding the representation of historically underrepresented artists and voices, and engaging with regional artists. While the ED need not be a curator, they must bring enthusiasm for art and the knowledge and credibility to support the Museum’s curatorial vision.
• Advance the Lyman Allyn Park project while maintaining core operations: Lead the programming and fundraising for the Park initiative, while ensuring appropriate attention to current infrastructure and day-to-day operations.

Experience, Skills, and Attributes

• Leadership experience: A minimum of five years of senior-level leadership experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization such as a museum, cultural institution, academic environment, or related field.
• Strategic thinking and execution: Ability to successfully develop and implement strategic plans.
• Fundraising success: Track record of securing significant philanthropic support, including cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, working effectively with boards and development teams, or more limited experience and the desire and ability to perform this function.
• Financial acumen: Experience overseeing budgets and ensuring sound fiscal practices, with an understanding of the challenges of revenue variability and cash flow in nonprofits.
• Relationship-building and external presence: Interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to serve as a visible and effective ambassador. Must enjoy building relationships with donors, community leaders, partners, and stakeholders.
• Community engagement: Commitment to engaging diverse audiences and fostering inclusive, welcoming environments to serve a broader community.
• Team leadership and organizational management: Experience leading and motivating professional staff, fostering collaboration, and supporting a positive culture.
• Experience collaborating with boards or governing bodies, supporting effective governance.
• Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience; advanced degrees or relevant scholarly background are valued but not required.
• Appreciation for art and cultural mission: A genuine enthusiasm for art and museums, with sufficient knowledge and credibility to support curatorial work, engage with artists and collectors, and represent the institution with confidence.

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this position.