Description

The Museum of Making Music offers access to the history, innovation, and leadership of the music products industry while serving as a unique cultural destination for the broader San Diego County community.

For the right leader, this is an exceptional opportunity to steward an institution with a strong foundation and shape its next chapter. We are seeking a visionary, collaborative, and community-centered Director who brings strategic leadership know-how; experience in museum management; strong operational and fundraising acumen; and a demonstrated ability to build partnerships, inspire teams, and expand audience engagement. The ideal candidate will honor the Museum’s unique connection to the music products industry while advancing its relevance within the greater San Diego County community.

Requirements

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide visionary leadership for the museum in alignment with the mission of NAMM and The NAMM Foundation
• Oversee museum operations, collections management, public programs, visitor services, and facilities
• Direct exhibition curation and installation
• Lead fundraising efforts, including donor cultivation, corporate sponsorships, grants, and growth in earned revenue
• Develop and manage the annual budget, ensuring strong financial stewardship and diversified revenue streams
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a professional staff of 3, volunteers, and contract personnel
• Serve as the Museum’s spokesperson
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with industry leaders, artists, educators, and community organizations

QUALIFICATIONS

• The ideal candidate will have:
• Minimum 7–10 years of leadership experience in a museum-related field
• Bachelor’s degree is required, master’s degree is preferred
• Fluency in museum management best practices
• Strong financial management, marketing, and fundraising skills
• Knowledge of CRM systems (Salesforce and/or Blackbaud Altru a plus)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Comfort with public speaking

EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic plans that drive audience growth, financial sustainability, and mission impact
• Ability to steward an institution with a strong legacy while identifying and implementing opportunities for innovation and growth
• Experience overseeing day-to-day operations of a museum, including exhibitions, collections and artifacts, risk management, compliance, public programming, education, and visitor services
• Ability to effectively manage facilities, vendor relationships, and contracted services.
• Financial acumen, including budget development and management, forecasting, and financial reporting
• Comfort serving as the chief fundraiser, including grant writing, making direct fundraising asks, and representing the organization in donor-facing settings
• Demonstrated ability to diversify revenue streams, including earned income, contributed revenue, and strategic partnership
• Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing staff and volunteers. Commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven workplace culture
• Understanding of, or ability to quickly develop fluency in, the history and innovation of the music products sector
• Experience building and sustaining partnerships with industry stakeholders, artists, educators, cultural organizations, and community leaders
• Ability to serve as a compelling public spokesperson at industry events, including The NAMM Show, and within the broader San Diego County community
• Demonstrated ability to engage guest artists, curators, and creative collaborators to deliver compelling, mission-aligned programming
• Track record of developing marketing and communications strategies that broaden reach and deepen community relevance
• Commitment to honoring the Museum’s industry roots and ties to NAMM while advancing its community relevance and accessibility