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Executive Director

Organization

Founded in 2012, the Design Museum of Chicago's (DMoC’s) mission is to inspire, educate, and foster innovation through design. 

It has annual revenue of approximately $800,000 with lifetime revenue exceeding $5,000,000.

We celebrate how design influences our lives every day – how we live, work, and engage in our communities. We bring people together to illustrate how created things – buildings, products, experiences, systems, and communities – shape and reshape Chicago. We do this by:

  • Elevating the value of design in our lives: Showcasing how design can be practical, ephemeral, or permanent, and always transforming.

  • Engaging and connecting communities across Chicago: Collaborating is the essence of design.

  • Celebrating Chicago’s design legacy: Inspiring the next generation.

About the Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the museum, staff (3), programs, expansion, and successful delivery of its mission. The ED will develop a deep understanding of the organization, its key partners, core programs, operations, and business plans.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

  • Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve strategic goals.

  • Actively engage and energize board members, partners, funders, and committees.

  • Develop, maintain, and support a strong board of directors, serve as ex officio of each committee, and seek and build board involvement with strategic direction. 

  • Lead, manage, coach, develop, and retain DMoC’s high-performance leadership team and staff.

  • Ensure effective systems to track project progress, regularly evaluate program components to ensure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.

Development & Communication

  • Expand local revenue-generating and fundraising activities, including a mix of sponsorships, individual donors, and foundations, to support existing program operations. 

  • Build and maintain a healthy, diverse funding mix: individual donors, foundations, sponsorships, and earned revenue.

  • Serve as the museum’s primary fundraiser and relationship-builder, cultivating supporters with authenticity and respect.

  • Support the Development Manager in developing and implementing the development strategy, including the annual benefit, fundraising campaigns, relationship building, etc. 

  • Deepen and refine all aspects of communications to create a stronger brand, including the oversight of the newsletter, website, and social media accounts. Leverage external presence and relationships to develop new opportunities.

Programs & Exhibits

  • Support a robust slate of exhibits, events, and programs both in the museum and in Chicago neighborhoods, and other locations and programs both downtown and in communities across the city. 

  • Encourage innovation, risk-taking, and reflection in the development and presentation of all programming.

  • Support the curatorial work that reflects Chicago’s diversity and supports artists and designers in meaningful ways.

  • Support innovation, risk-taking, and reflection in the development and presentation of all programming. 

Community & Public Engagement

  • Represent the museum and the role of design in civic life across a wide range of settings, from neighborhood meetings to national panels.

  • Develop and maintain partnerships with schools, artists, cultural organizations, and city agencies.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's of Arts in design or related field

  • At least 7-years of experience leading an organization

  • Demonstrated excellence in management, development, communications

  • Familiarity with financial tools (Quickbooks), development tools (Little Green Light) (fundraising), communications tools (Web platform, social others)

Compensation

Salary: $100,000 annually
Job Type: Full-time, salaried
Benefits include: Flexible vacation policy: 21 days per year suggested. Healthcare stipend: $500 per month. SIMPLE IRA: matched up to 3% annually.

To Apply

Please submit your resume and cover letter to search@designchicago.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

Non-Discrimination Policy

At the Design Museum of Chicago (DMoC), inclusivity and equity are core to our mission of celebrating design’s power to improve lives and build stronger, more connected communities. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect, belonging, and opportunity for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity.

DMoC does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

DMoC is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.