Director of Education and Public Programs at The Morgan Library & Museum
Job Title: Director of Education and Public Programs
Job Status: Full-time
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $125,000 – $145,000
About the Morgan Library & Museum
A museum and independent research library located in the heart of New York City, the Morgan Library & Museum (the Morgan) began as the personal library of financier, collector, and cultural benefactor Pierpont Morgan. The Morgan offers visitors close encounters with great works of human accomplishment in a setting treasured for its intimate scale and historic significance. A global institution focused on the European and American traditions, the Morgan houses one of the world’s foremost collections of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings, and ancient and other works of art. These holdings comprise a unique and dynamic record of civilization, as well as an incomparable repository of ideas and of the creative process from 4000 BC to the present.
In addition to serving as a venue for the exhibition of art, literature, and music, the Morgan is an important international research center, housing the Sherman Fairchild Reading Room and the Drawing Study Center, which offer direct access to rare material from the museum’s collections to scholars, artists, and writers. The Thaw Conservation Center is a world-class laboratory for the conservation and technical study of the Morgan’s holdings and the Morgan’s rapidly growing digital archive is used by students and scholars the world over.
Through its educational and community outreach, which includes school programs, lectures, tours, concerts, film screenings, and other initiatives, the Morgan creates opportunities for visitors of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the collection and exhibitions. In fiscal year 2023, the Morgan’s public and educational programs reached more than 14,000 adults and children. In total, the Morgan hosted more 225,000 visitors annually to its 150,000 square foot campus that encompasses four architecturally and historically significant buildings: J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library (1906), the Annex (1928), the Morgan House (1852), and an addition designed by Renzo Piano (2006).
It has an annual operating budget of approximately $25 million with a staff of around 120 full-time and 70 part-time employees.
Learn more about the Morgan on the Library & Museum’s website.
The Opportunity and Key Responsibilities
Position Profile
Drawing inspiration from the Morgan’s collection and its temporary exhibitions, the Director of Education and Public Programs is responsible for the strategic vision and implementation of the Morgan’s educational and community outreach, including public programs, concerts, and school programs in order to deepen participants’ understanding and appreciation of art, history, literature, and music, and expand the Morgan’s audience.
The Morgan seeks a collaborative, experienced, and team-oriented leader to serve as the Director of Education and Public Programs. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing a compelling and inclusive vision for the institution’s Education department, in alignment with the Morgan’s mission and values, and diversity, equity, access, inclusion goals.
The Director of Education and Public Programs role is an exciting opportunity for a visionary, collaborative, and empathetic leader to strengthen and shape an innovative, service-oriented 21st century education department focused on visitor and community engagement, PreK-12 students and teachers, colleges and universities, and scholars and researchers.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Director of the Morgan (Colin B. Bailey), the Director of Education and Public Programs is head of the Department. The position supervises a staff of ~6 full-time staff plus part-time educators and docents and oversees the department’s annual budget (currently ~$1.1M including staffing). The department comprises a Manager of Education, Assistant Manager of School Programs, Education Coordinator, Docent Supervisor, Manager of Public Programs, Public Programs Associate, Consultant for Music Programs, Educators (part-time/occasional), and Docents/Volunteers.
The Director collaborates with staff across the organization and in particular with the curatorial and conservation departments. They attend monthly Department Head and Curatorial Forum meetings and presents at select board meetings. The Director is also involved in strategic planning together with the rest of the senior staff.
The Director of Education and Public Programs is responsible for:
School and Family Programs
• Oversee offerings and pedagogical approach for K-12 school and family programs.
• Broaden the reach of school programs through partnerships, active promotion to NYC schools, and online curricula and other virtual engagements.
Adult Programs
• Oversee the research, planning, and production of an engaging range of public programs centered around the Morgan’s exhibition program and collection in consultation with curators and other staff.
• Spearhead the identification of a diverse group of speakers and artists to interpret collections and exhibitions to both specialized and general audiences.
• Determine effective program formats, such as lectures, conversations, symposia, films, tours, readings, concerts, workshops, and virtual events.
Music Program
• Oversee the development and implementation of dynamic seasons of chamber music concerts ranging from early to contemporary music, vocal and instrumental, featuring renowned, emerging, and BIPOC artists in alignment with music program funding.
• Create complementary activities such as pre- and post-concert artist talks and interviews with composers/musicians.
Docent Program
• Oversee the Morgan’s docent program, through which the Morgan offers onsite and online tours for adult audiences in order to expand visual literacy and enhance the public’s engagement the collections and exhibitions.
• Review training materials and oversee the recruitment and management of the docent corps.
General
• Serve as an effective ambassador for the Morgan; forge partnerships to increase the Morgan’s audience and promote diversity in programing and interpretation.
• Collaborate with Development to identify funding opportunities and participate in cultivating and reporting on grants.
• Create and track the department’s annual budget, including revenue generating programs; working with Finance and Administration, ensure appropriate contracts are put in place and managed for all programs.
• Supervise and mentor staff in the department; work with Human Resources to ensure that department staff, docents, volunteers, and interns are properly brought into the organization, trained, managed, and evaluated.
• In collaboration with Communications and Marketing, develop and implement impactful marketing strategies and consider event formats to maximize the reach of our educational offerings.
• Work with Facilities and Visitor Services to ensure smooth execution of all onsite programs.
• Implement systems to assess effectiveness of the Morgan’s educational outreach.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no one candidate will bring every desired skill, characteristic, and experience, the following offers a reflection of the ideal candidate profile.
A bachelor’s degree in the humanities is required; an advanced degree and studies in art history, education, or in a field related to the Morgan’s collections is preferred; deep professional and leadership experience in a comparable setting will also be seriously considered.
Creativity & Innovation in Programming
The Director of Education and Public Programs will bring tested management, organizational, and administrative experience and demonstrate eight-to-ten years of public-facing educational or programmatic leadership experience in a cultural institution, special collections library, or comparable environment. The ideal candidate will have three to five years in a senior role with a strong track record of providing creative leadership designing and delivering impactful educational, public programming, and community building experiences. This leader is strategic and collaborative, unflappable; pragmatic, grounded, decisive, and an effective communicator. Preferred candidates will have a strong knowledge of best practices, theories, methods of museum education, and current and emerging educational trends, conversations in the museum, special collections and creative fields, and public programming. They will possess deep knowledge of and passion for the humanities, commitment to education and lifelong learning, intellectual curiosity, a dedication to visitor and community engagement, as well as a strong desire to expand the Morgan’s potential in the local and broader communities.
This leader has a deep commitment to making art, printed books, and special collections accessible through innovative and audience-centered strategies, on-site and online, and is digitally adept and is attuned to ways technology, education, and communications mutually support and improve each other’s objectives and the institution overall. The Director of Education and Public Programs is able to look across departments and the external environment to understand root causes of issues and opportunities for improved service and is comfortable with change and innovation. They must possess a commitment to working with youth and families and have experience working with diverse audiences and cultures in authentic and meaningful ways.
Building Relationships
The Director of Education and Public Programs builds, leads, and manages teams with empathy, self-awareness and high emotional intelligence and is able to reflect on their own improvement and model that commitment to the team. They hold a high standard of excellence, accountability, and inclusivity, which strengthens their ability to deliver results as a team. This individual fosters trust and collaboration among departmental members and with curatorial and conservation staff and possesses the ability to manage through change with flexibility, poise, and a sense of humor. They are an accomplished manager comfortable with managing budgets, staffing, deadlines, deliverables, and competing agendas and possesses a strong ability to organize, set priorities, create an action plan, and empower staff. This leader cultivates relationships across all levels of the organization and understands the need to learn the history and culture of the Morgan and appreciate its complexities before making recommendations.
Ambassadorship
The Director of Education and Public Programs is a gifted leader who will serve as an ambassador for the institution in the education, public programming, and community building domains and beyond. A charismatic spokesperson, this leader offers superlative communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills grounded in excellent judgment. They are a passionate, articulate, and effective advocate for the Morgan to a wide range of constituents and believe deeply in building and nurturing a robust network of relationships to advance the organization’s mission. The Director of Education and Public Programs is entrepreneurial and creative when thinking about how best to cultivate new groups of constituents to support the mission of the Morgan and create a welcoming environment for all visitors and program participants.
Compensation and Benefits
The target range for this role is $125,000 – $145,000, commensurate with experience. The Morgan Library & Museum offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, paid time off, and a 403(b) retirement plan.
Contact
Stephen Milbauer of Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this search. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or email Stephen directly at smilbauer@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
The Morgan is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws. The Morgan provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Our client strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
Vaccination Requirement
To ensure the overall health and safety of the Morgan Library & Museum campus, all staff of the Morgan are required to be fully vaccinated and have received booster vaccines against the virus that causes COVID-19, absent qualifying exemptions for medical, religious, or other reasons in accordance with applicable laws.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Learn more about how we can help you with your search on the Koya Partners website.