Executive Director

The Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM), a nonprofit, community-focused nonprofit, seeks an accomplished, mission-driven Executive Director to provide strategic and operational leadership for the organization and advance its mission of preserving, interpreting, and sharing Minnesota’s transportation history. Nonprofit or business management experience required. Fundraising and volunteer management is helpful. Competitive Salary and benefits.

$90,000.00 - $ per year

The Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM), a dynamic community-centered nonprofit organization with a mission of preserving, interpreting, and sharing Minnesota’s transportation history, seeks an accomplished, mission-driven Executive Director to provide strategic and operational leadership for the organization.

The Executive Director serves as the organization’s chief executive and is responsible for overall leadership, financial sustainability, fundraising, staff and volunteer development, museum operations, collections stewardship, educational programming, community engagement, and the safe and successful operation of MTM’s seasonal tourist passenger railroad.

Working closely with the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, members, donors, visitors, and community partners, the Executive Director will build on MTM’s history while positioning the museum and its railroad operations for continued growth, relevance, and long-term sustainability.

This is an opportunity for a dynamic leader who is passionate about history, transportation, museums, railroading, education, tourism, and community service and who can inspire employees and volunteers around a compelling vision for the future.

• Develop and execute a clear strategic vision that advances MTM’s mission and strengthens its position as a leading transportation museum and heritage tourism organization.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to establish organizational priorities, measurable goals, policies, and long-term plans.
• Lead organizational growth and change while maintaining the museum’s core values, history, and mission.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, safety, innovation, inclusion, and service.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and public representative of the museum.
• Balance the preservation and educational mission of the organization with the operational and financial realities of running a visitor-focused seasonal railroad.

• Provide overall leadership for the day-to-day operations of the museum and its seasonal tourist passenger railroad.
• Oversee the planning and execution of seasonal passenger train operations, including operating schedules, special events, excursions, visitor services, staffing, volunteer assignments, and coordination among operational departments.
• Ensure railroad operations are conducted safely, professionally, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and industry requirements.
• Establish and maintain appropriate operating policies, procedures, training programs, safety practices, emergency plans, and risk-management protocols.
• Work with qualified railroad personnel, contractors, staff, and volunteers to ensure locomotives, passenger cars, track, signals, facilities, and other railroad assets are properly maintained and ready for service.
• Coordinate the operational needs of the railroad with museum programs, special events, rentals, educational activities, and other visitor experiences.
• Monitor passenger service quality and continuously improve the visitor experience.
• Develop strategies to increase ridership,…