Museum educator Jobs in Hartford, CT

About the Mark Twain House & Museum

The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, was the home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) and his family from 1874 to 1891. It was here that Twain wrote many of his famous works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

The house later served as a school, apartment building, and public library branch. In 1929, it was saved from demolition and became the Mark Twain Memorial. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962, the house opened as a museum in 1974 after restoration. In 1999, the museum began a capital campaign that led to the opening of the museum center in 2003, by which time the organization had been renamed The Mark Twain House & Museum. The new structure, strategically located and nestled in a hillside so as not to detract from the Mark Twain House, was designed by Robert A. M. Stern and was the first LEED-certified "green" museum in the United States.

The 2010 Centennial of Mark Twain's death was an occasion for a revival of activities in the house and museum. During that summer, as average museum attendance declined in the region, attendance at the Mark Twain House & Museum reached record levels. In 2021 Forbes magazine selected the MTHM as "America's Best House Museum," National Geographic said it was "one of the ten best historic homes in the world."

Today, the museum continues to receive local, national, and international visitors and promote education around Mark Twain's legacy and literacy everywhere.

Mission, Vision, and Values

We bring Mark Twain's words, spirit, and philosophy to diverse contemporary audiences.

During his life, Mark Twain was, for people in this country and around the world, the quintessential American. He was also one of the great humanists of the 19th and early 20th centuries whose humor, keen insight, and observations about the human condition were progressive in his own time and remain remarkably fresh today. The Mark Twain House & Museum is a center for critical discussions about literature, current events, satire, and society. From this house, Mark Twain changed the way the world sees America and the way Americans see themselves. We continue the conversation he began.

Informed by our mission and vision, we believe that everything we do and every decision we make should be informed and guided by what really matters to us :

• Our mission is central. Stewarding and projecting Twain's life, legacy, his family, and his historic family home guides our focus and work.
• We strive for greater diversity. Diversity, in all of its meanings, is the strength of our nation, a fact that is reflected in Twain's work and his thinking as a progressive figure in his own time. The roots of his progressive thinking are still a model in the 21st century. We seek diversity in our governance, our staff, our programming, and reaching a diverse audience is a prime motivator.
• As a National Landmark property, we strive to preserve our historic structures and collections to the highest professional standards to make them available as an educational resource for generations yet to come.
• Through our programs and exhibitions, we strive to be a center for critical discussions about literature, current, events, and society.

Strategic Priorities

Purpose of the Position

The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for strategic, visionary leadership of the organization and ensuring effective operations. The ED will collaborate with the Board of Trustees to articulate the vision and strategic direction of the organization, and execution of strategic initiatives. In addition, the Ed responsibilities include, but are not limited to, employee supervision, external relations, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and overall supervision of museum activities and operations, including collections, education, scholarship, public programs, and the museum store.

The ED serves as the Museum's public face and spokesperson and must be visible and proactive in the community. The ED is responsible for reaching annual development goals (as determined by the Board with input from the ED) and works closely with the Board and the staff to cultivate new and established donors and to continue to grow productive partnerships with business, cultural, governmental and academic entities. Leading a talented team of 22 full-time employees and 45 part-time employees, the ED has the authority and responsibility for the museum's budget, and its physical and human resources.

Key Responsibilities

The Mark Twain House & Museum seeks an executive with the passion, skills, and qualifications to successfully lead the organization through its next phase of development and impact. This is an incredible time in the institution's history to capitalize on an established brand with ample potential to further build, engage, and create significant impact.

The ED will be a visionary and dynamic leader who values and promotes MTHM's rich history and mission and who can leverage their people management, relationship building, and strategic fundraising skills for the benefit of the organization. The ED will assume ultimate responsibility for the leadership, vision, strategy execution, and overall management of the Mark Twain House & Museum, as well as its operating budget. The new executive leader will have an opportunity to shape a new strategic plan in 2025 in partnership with board, staff, and stakeholders. The ED must have demonstrated experience with and passion for mission-centered programming, community engagement (regional, national and international), financial and budget acumen with museum and / or historic building operations and fundraising leadership experience. There is a need for comfort within change management and a decisive style to be able to prioritize multiple project timelines. Specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to the following :

Executive Leadership and Strategic Vision

Operations and Financial Management

Board Engagement

External Relations and Resource Development

Professional Qualifications

The successful candidate will bring passion and enthusiasm for the MTHM's mission and have comparable executive leadership experience in an organization of similar or larger size and complexity. They will be a very strong culture builder, stellar communicator, strategic thinker, and a proven leader who will articulate a vision that others embrace and follow. Other desired qualifications and leadership characteristics include :

Additional Information

Education

A master's degree, doctorate preferred, in history, museum studies, preservation, art history, or a related field.

Compensation

Compensation and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with experience.