Organization

The Bruce Museum, Inc. (the Bruce) is an American Alliance of Museums accredited institution that highlights art, science, and natural history in numerous permanent and changing exhibitions. Ahead of its time for taking this multidisciplinary approach over a century ago, the Bruce is a leader in bringing together art, science, technology, and creativity to generate moments of discovery and dialogue. The Museum plays an integral role in the cultural life of area residents and attracts approximately 100,000 visitors annually.

In April 2023, the Bruce opened its expanded facility following a transformative $68 million capital campaign. The three-story, 43,000-square-foot addition more than doubled the size of the Museum and includes cutting-edge exhibition galleries and new education and community spaces. The nearby Seaside Center offers seasonal maritime experiences. The Bruce cultivates discovery and wonder, engaging a broad audience through the power of art and science. Its vision is to be a center for inspiration and learning, where extraordinary art and science spark conversation, connection, and creativity.

Current major exhibitions include a retrospective of Passamaquaoddy weaver Jeremy Frey’s work and On Thin Ice: Alaska’s Warming Wilderness, which explores the startling impacts of climate change using taxidermy mounts and interactives. Art exhibitions currently on view include selections from the collection of William L. Richter, Hockney/Origins: Early Works from the Roy B. and Edith J. Simpson Collection, Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror in the Sculpture Gallery, The Art of Work: Painting Labor in Nineteenth-Century Denmark from the collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., and landscape highlights from the Museum’s permanent collection. Permanent science installations include The Robert R. Wiener Mineral Gallery and Natural Cycles Shape Our Land.

The Bruce is governed by a 36-member board of trustees led by Co-Chairs John C. Hart and Karen S. Keegan, and the position reports to Dr. Mary-Kate O’Hare, the Susan E. Lynch Executive Director & CEO. There are 55 full-time and 20 part-time staff members. The total operating revenue in fiscal year 2025 was $8.2 million, including approximately 56% from contributions, grants, and special events, 6% from admissions and other programs, 9% from earned revenue, and 29% from municipal and investment income. The operating budget for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $10 million.

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Bruce and be an active and positive agent of change. This key leadership role offers a unique opportunity to join one of the region's most dynamic cultural institutions at an exciting moment following its transformative expansion. The COO will build strong relationships throughout and across the organization while serving as a strategic advisor and implementation partner to the Executive Director. They will be an important public face of the Bruce with the Town of Greenwich and neighboring communities. The COO will supervise a significant portion of the Museum's staff, with direct oversight of Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Security & Facilities, Visitor Services, Museum Store, and Café. Peer Departments include Audience Engagement, Collections Management & Registration, Curatorial Art, Curatorial Science, Development, Exhibitions, and Marketing.

Principal Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Implementation

• Collaborate closely with the Executive Director and COO's peers to create and implement an inspired multi-year strategic plan, as approved by the Board of Trustees.
• Translate strategic priorities into annual, concrete, actionable projects with defined leadership, budgets, staffing, special resources, and timelines; while conducting periodic, collaborative execution reviews.
• Guide the creation and management of the site master plan and related policies as governed by and in collaboration with Town of Greenwich officials.
• Make timely and effective decisions that advance institutional priorities and solve operational challenges, relying upon sound data and transparent dialogue with important stakeholders.
• Lead with a continuous improvement mindset, guiding change management consistent with the Bruce's culture to improve internal systems (streamline, eliminate duplication of effort, repurpose talent to higher value add), keeping an eye on balancing future needs and budget realities for growth.
• Embrace other strategic planning and implementation duties as needed.

Financial Oversight and Institutional Advancement

• Provide strategic financial leadership while managing the Director of Finance & Accounting and related teams.
• Guide the development of annual, coordinated operating budgets, capital budgets, and financial forecasts.
• Ensure best practices in financial systems, controls, and procedures.
• Participate in financial reporting to the Board, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, Audit Committee, and external stakeholders.
• Play a key role in an upcoming endowment campaign, providing operational perspectives, and supporting Development as a partner engaging with high level donors, corporations, and foundations.
• Embrace other financial oversight and institutional advancement duties as needed.

External Relations and Town Partnership

• Navigate complex political environments with diplomacy and strategic insight.
• Serve as a primary liaison with the Town of Greenwich to maintain relationships and secure ongoing support.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with local businesses, cultural and educational organizations, community groups, and civic forums in partnership with peer leaders.
• Embrace other external relations and town partnership duties as needed.

Project Management and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Oversee the development and expansion of the Bruce’s project management system, serving as an expert advisor for departmental and cross-functional teams’ application to major initiatives and capital projects.
• Conduct comprehensive project planning, including critical path analysis, resource allocation, and prioritization/agile re-prioritization across the full suite of initiatives.
• Lead identification of pre-emptive project course correction and/or process improvement to free up valuable resources and eliminate duplication of effort/waste.
• Translate execution learnings simultaneously across all existing programs to strengthen departmental and cross-functional team performance as tracked by an internal metrics dashboard.
• Embrace other project management and cross-functional leadership duties as needed.

Direct Line Leadership of Operation Departments

• Manage the successful operation of the Museum Store by developing a sound business plan supported by staff and offerings consistent with the Bruce visitation experience.
• Lead the successful performance and value-add of the Cafe to the Bruce visitation experience, a part of the operation that is 100% provided by an outside partner.
• Oversee the management of the Bruce's newly expanded facilities, grounds, and total historically significant campus via sound environmental, health, and safety best practices.
• Ensure all People and Technology systems, including those that support emergency preparedness and business continuity, maximize visitor experiences while preserving the collection and all objects in the institution's care.
• Administer vendor relationships and service contracts to enhance skills/training and operational effectiveness.
• Make critical decisions and steward facility improvements, managing preventative and episodic maintenance priorities, and capital investments in a cost-effective way.
• Guide the development and implementation of a Digital Transformation Plan, providing contemporary technology (innovation investments, integrated common tools, shared file systems, etc.) that enhances each Department and the integrated Enterprise’s efficiency and effectiveness.
• Guarantee data security and privacy in all Museum operations, including the appropriate use and management of social media and internet platforms.
• Embrace other direct line leadership of operation departments duties as needed.

Human Resources and Team Leadership

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive workplace culture that embodies the Museum's values and is extended to all staff—full-time, part-time, contract, volunteer, and partner vendor services coworkers.
• Nurture an environment of trust, collaboration, and transparent communication to skillfully guide the organization through periods of change and growth with an eye on talent development for the future.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a talented team of operational staff, serving also as a visible, approachable sounding board, role model, and resource for peer leaders.
• Manage the staff recruitment, hiring, performance evaluation, professional development, and retention processes for the full institution.
• Make decisive personnel decisions in concert with Senior Leadership to maintain and advance total organizational health and excellence.
• Embrace other human resources and team leadership duties as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The COO will be a collaborative and people-oriented professional who is receptive to new ideas and innovative approaches. Proficient in setting, pursuing, and achieving goals in a timely manner, the COO will be driven to support others while ensuring that organizational goals are met. They will be a results-oriented relationship builder who maintains an engaged professional profile. They will value community commitments and work internally and externally to ensure they are met. Highly versatile, the COO will be a change agent who understands and can successfully manage the challenges associated with organizations that have undergone major change, either positive or negative. They will have the ability to move from dialogue to timely decision-making and action.

Other key competencies include:

• Diplomacy and Personal Accountability – The integrity to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues, while taking responsibility for personal actions and decisions.
• Project Management, Planning, and Organizing – The ability to identify and oversee all resources, tasks, systems, and people, establishing courses of action to mitigate risk and ensure work is completed effectively.
• Self-Starting and Decision Making – The acumen to demonstrate initiative, analyzing all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
• Teamwork – The capacity to collaborate and cooperate to meet objectives, inspiring others to do the same.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree with at least 15 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, finance, and administration in a multi-faceted customer/visitor and community-facing organization. Candidates from museums or cultural nonprofit institutions, as well as the private sector and academic settings encouraged. Advanced education and relevant certifications/licenses or relevant cross-sector expertise are highly attractive. Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, analysis, and reporting to enable timely data-driven decision making with measured risk, is essential. Proven managerial capabilities with significant experience overseeing a portfolio of independent yet integrated operations are crucial. Demonstrated expertise in program/project planning and execution, change management, organizational design, and cross-functional leadership is highly valued. A track record of decisive decision-making and effective judgment in complex organizational settings, including governance interfaces or board of trustees, is a plus. Experience with strategic planning and year-over-year execution experience with a proven history of implementing initiatives, and/or experience with process improvement methodologies and culture building is desired.

Leading candidates will bring experience with capital projects, ideally in a museum or cultural setting, as well as experience building relationships with government entities, donors, and community educational, business, and commerce partners. Proven mindset of continuous improvement, relying upon knowledge of contemporary organizational best practices and industry standards (functional and sector specific) required. A candidate who does not meet all the qualifications but possesses transferable or equivalent skills, relevant tangential leadership experience, and/or education (academic/continuous learning institution) is encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is anticipated to be in the range of $225,000 to $250,000. Employee benefits include group health and life insurance, an HSA account, vacation time, and a 401k plan. Relocation assistance is available. As a place-based institution, the position will have a hybrid work schedule available in accordance with museum policy.

Community

Greenwich, Connecticut, features outstanding cultural and recreational offerings, an active restaurant scene, charming shops, and scenic beauty, providing an enriching experience to residents and making it an ideal destination for visitors from New York City and surrounding towns. Known as the gateway to New England, Greenwich is a picturesque 50-square-mile town of over 60,000 residents on the shores of Long Island Sound in Fairfield County. In recent years, with the rise of work-from-home arrangements, Greenwich has experienced an influx of New Yorkers and others relocating to the community for its unique blend of suburban charm, vibrant Greenwich Avenue retail and restaurant district, outstanding schools, and community amenities, all a short train ride from New York City. Close proximity to major highways and four train stations makes Greenwich a very commutable town. Fairfield County has the fastest-growing population of any county in Connecticut and is the second-most diverse.

Immediately north on I-95 from Greenwich is Stamford, Connecticut’s second most populous city. It has a bustling downtown, quiet neighborhoods, and ample green space. Stamford, like Greenwich, boasts easy access to New York City, Upstate New York, and beach communities along the Long Island Sound. Known for events and festivals that celebrate its diverse community, Stamford offers a blend of urban opportunities paired with suburban charm.

Greenwich offers easy access to Westchester County and its cities of New Rochelle, Yonkers, and White Plains. Westchester boasts grand Rockefeller properties, well-preserved 18^th-century homesteads, world-renowned universities and colleges, and family-friendly attractions like the Long Island Sound amusement park, Playland. Outdoor adventurers are part of Westchester County, which has nearly 50,000 acres of open spaces featuring breathtaking vistas, nature centers, mountain bike trails, and thousands of acres of parkland.

Sources: greenwichct.gov; greenwichhistory.org; neilsberg.com; ctvisit.com; stamfordct.gov; visitwestchesterny.com

Application and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments, please click here or visit ArtsConsulting.com/OpenSearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Josyanne Roche, Vice President

Todd Ahrens, Vice President

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2801

Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 245 (Roche) or Ext. 216 (Ahrens)

Email    TheBruceCOO@ArtsConsulting.com

The Bruce Museum is governed and administered in a manner welcoming to all who promote its Mission and Vision. In all dealings, the Bruce shall not discriminate against any individual or group for reasons of race, color, religion, sex gender identity, gender expression, age, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, economic status, disability, or any category protected by state or federal law.

The Bruce is dedicated to advocating for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its activities, including, but not limited to, staff, partners, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, members, and exhibitions.