Historic Deerfield, President and CEO

Historic Deerfield, a nationally recognized, AAM-accredited museum and historic village in Deerfield, Massachusetts, seeks a thoughtful, dynamic, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next President and Chief Executive Officer. Stewarding one of the best-preserved villages and rural landscapes in North America, Historic Deerfield offers immersive encounters with the people, places, objects, buildings, and stories that have shaped New England and the United States. The next President and CEO will build on Historic Deerfield’s strong foundation, advancing its mission, expanding its reach, strengthening its national profile, and guiding the organization through its next phase of growth and impact.

Opportunities and Strategy

Historic Deerfield offers a distinctive leadership opportunity: to guide a nationally respected museum and historic site with exceptional collections, an extraordinary physical setting, a strong financial foundation, and a deeply engaged Board and staff. The next President and CEO will build on the organization’s strong leadership legacy and its recent momentum, advancing Historic Deerfield’s mission while helping shape its next phase of growth, visibility, and public impact.

At its core, this is a role that calls for balance. Historic Deerfield’s strength lies in its ability to bring together rigorous scholarship, preservation of an extraordinary historic environment, meaningful public engagement, and sound organizational management. The next leader will be asked to sustain and deepen this integration, ensuring that the organization continues to serve as both a center for intellectual inquiry and a welcoming, accessible destination for a broad and evolving audience.

The President and CEO, in partnership with the Board and staff, will focus on several key opportunities and strategic priorities:

• Expanding audience and visibility. Build on Historic Deerfield’s strong reputation to broaden awareness, deepen engagement with existing audiences, attract new and younger visitors, and strengthen the organization’s profile regionally and nationally.
• Advancing interpretation and storytelling. Continue Historic Deerfield’s evolving interpretive approach by deepening and expanding the stories it tells, including those of historically underrepresented individuals and communities, while remaining grounded in scholarship, collections, and place-based experiences.
• Strengthening philanthropy and organizational capacity. Support the organization’s long-term ambitions by working with the Board and development team to grow philanthropic support, enhance organizational capacity, and align resources with strategic priorities.
• Evaluating facilities and infrastructure needs. Work with the Board and staff to assess opportunities related to collections storage, program space, preservation priorities, and other long-term capital and infrastructure needs that will support Historic Deerfield’s mission and visitor experience.

Responsibilities, and Expectations

The President and Chief Executive Officer will be a thoughtful, dynamic, and collaborative leader with experience in nonprofit or mission-driven organizations such as museums, historic sites, academic environments, or related fields. The successful candidate will bring strategic judgment, organizational and financial acumen, fundraising capability, and a genuine passion for history, preservation, and public engagement. They will be comfortable working at the intersection of scholarship and visitor experience and will demonstrate the ability to lead a complex organization while building strong relationships with staff, trustees, donors, scholars, and community partners. Expectations include:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction. Guide the implementation and ongoing refinement of Historic Deerfield’s strategic plan, setting clear priorities and aligning resources to achieve institutional goals.
• Advance fundraising and external engagement. Lead fundraising efforts in partnership with a talented development team and the Board, strengthening philanthropic support and helping advance the organization’s long-term ambitions. Serve as Historic Deerfield’s primary ambassador and cultivate relationships with donors, collectors, scholars, community leaders, legislators, and regional partners, including Deerfield Academy, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, and the Five Colleges consortium.
• Oversee a complex and multifaceted organization. Provide leadership across a broad enterprise that includes historic properties, collections, educational programs, the Deerfield Inn, and the museum store, ensuring effective operations aligned with mission and strategy.
• Preserve and steward historic assets. Oversee the conservation and preservation of Historic Deerfield’s buildings, landscapes, and collections, and work with the Board and staff to plan for and support future capital and infrastructure initiatives.
• Partner effectively with the Board of Trustees. Build strong, collaborative relationships with an engaged Board, supporting governance, facilitating informed decision-making, and working closely with Trustees on strategic and fundraising initiatives.
• Lead and support a talented staff. Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing organizational culture; support professional development; and ensure clear communication, accountability, and alignment across departments.
• Strengthen financial performance and sustainability. Oversee budgeting and financial management; work with the Board and staff to grow and diversify revenue through both contributed and earned income; and steward the endowment in partnership with the Board.
• Enhance the visitor experience and public engagement. Support the continued evolution of exhibitions, programs, interpretation, and marketing to ensure Historic Deerfield remains dynamic, relevant, welcoming, and grounded in scholarship and authenticity.
• Support scholarly and interpretive excellence. Ensure that Historic Deerfield continues to be recognized nationally for the quality of its collections, exhibitions, scholarship, educational programs, publications such as Historic Deerfield Magazine, and contributions to the broader museum and history fields.

Experience, Skills, and Attributes

• Leadership experience: A minimum of seven years of senior-level leadership experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization such as a museum, historic site or organization, academic environment, or related field.
• Strategic leadership: Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic plans, setting priorities, and guiding an organization through a period of thoughtful growth and change.
• Fundraising success: Track record of securing major philanthropic support, including cultivating and stewarding donor relationships, working effectively with boards and development staff, or more limited experience paired with the capacity and willingness to lead in this area.
• Financial acumen: Experience overseeing budgets and organizational resources, with an understanding of complex revenue models that include both contributed and earned income.
• Board engagement: Experience working effectively with governing boards and navigating diverse perspectives.
• Team leadership: Experience leading and managing professional staff, fostering collaboration, and supporting a positive and inclusive organizational culture.
• External presence and relationship-building: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to serve as a visible and effective ambassador and build relationships with donors, scholars, community partners, legislators, and other stakeholders.
• Commitment to audience engagement: Interest in broadening and diversifying audiences and creating meaningful, accessible visitor experiences.
• Passion for history, preservation, and public engagement: A genuine enthusiasm for Historic Deerfield’s mission, with the ability to engage credibly with scholars, collectors, curatorial staff, and a broad public audience.
• Scholarly engagement: Advanced academic training, curatorial experience, or demonstrated engagement with scholarship, collections, or interpretation is valued, though not required.
• Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience is required. Advanced degrees are valued but not required.

We recognize that candidates may not bring every qualification listed above. If this opportunity aligns with your experience and interests, we encourage you to apply.Compensation

The salary range is $200,000–$275,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package, commensurate with experience. Housing is provided for the President/CEO in an important historic house in the village.

To apply in confidence, submit application online HERE by July 15, 2026.