Executive Director, Organizational Renewal & Growth

Executive Director, Organizational Renewal & Growth

Part Time, 24 Month Contract Position

The Minneapolis Athenaeum seeks an entrepreneurial, creative, and relationship driven Executive Director to help shape the next chapter of one of Minnesota's oldest cultural institutions.

Founded in 1859, the Minneapolis Athenaeum is a nonprofit literary organization dedicated to preserving and sharing a remarkable collection of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and literary history. For more than 165 years, the Athenaeum has served as a steward of knowledge, literature, and civic engagement in Minnesota.

Today, the organization stands at a pivotal moment. After an extended period of organizational dormancy, the Athenaeum is experiencing renewed momentum through new acquisitions, expanded communications efforts, public programming, strengthened relationships, and a renewed commitment to community engagement.

While the Athenaeum benefits from a rich history and significant collections, much of its future infrastructure remains to be built. This role offers a unique opportunity for a leader who enjoys institution building and is energized by helping shape systems, partnerships, programs, governance structures, and community engagement efforts that will support the organization's next chapter.

Working closely with a small and committed Board of Directors, the Executive Director will help guide strategic priorities, strengthen organizational capacity, cultivate partnerships, support fundraising efforts, and position the Athenaeum for long term sustainability and growth.

For the right candidate, this is an opportunity not simply to lead an organization, but to help define what a historic literary institution can become in the twenty-first century.

This position is structured as a 24 month contract appointment and is expected to average approximately 20 hours per week. The anticipated start date is mid to late September 2026.

The appointment may be extended, modified, or evolve into a different leadership structure based on organizational needs, funding opportunities, and strategic priorities that emerge during the contract period.

The Executive Director will serve as the organization's primary staff leader and strategic partner to the Board of Directors, helping advance organizational goals, strengthen external relationships, support fundraising, coordinate programming, and build organizational capacity during an important period of renewal and growth.

• Organizational Renewal & Capacity Building
• Institutional Partnerships & Lease Renewal
• Community Engagement & Programming
• Fundraising & External Relations
• Operations & Administration
• Collection Stewardship

Organizational Renewal & Capacity Building

• Partner with the Board of Directors to implement strategic priorities and support organizational growth.
• Help articulate and advance a compelling vision for the future of the Athenaeum.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen organizational sustainability, visibility, and community relevance.
• Support the development of board capacity, volunteer engagement, and organizational infrastructure.
• Help build systems, relationships, and practices that support long term success.

Institutional Partnerships & Lease Renewal

• Serve as the primary liaison to Hennepin County Library leadership and other key institutional partners.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships that support the Athenaeum's mission and future growth.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to prepare for the Athenaeum's lease renewal process and related strategic discussions scheduled for 2027.
• Assist the Board in evaluating future space, partnership, and operational opportunities.

Community Engagement & Programming

• Provide leadership for a modest calendar of public programs, exhibitions, and community engagement activities.
• Build relationships with cultural organizations, educational institutions, donors, members, and community stakeholders.
• Help increase awareness of the Athenaeum's collections, programs, and mission through strategic outreach and partnerships.

Fundraising & External Relations

• Partner with the Board of Directors to develop and build fundraising efforts to diversify revenue sources.
• Identify and cultivate grant opportunities and prospects, sponsorship development, and donor cultivation.
• Serve as an ambassador for the Athenaeum within the broader literary, cultural, philanthropic, and civic communities.

Operations & Administration

• Coordinate organizational communications, scheduling, and administrative activities.
• Support board meetings and planning efforts
• Help establish systems and practices that strengthen organizational effectiveness and sustainability.
• Maintain effective communication between board members, partners, and stakeholders.
• Collaboratively establish an annual budgeting process for the Board to approve for 2027 and 2028.

Collection Stewardship

• Support the responsible stewardship and accessibility of the Athenaeum's collections in collaboration…