Executive Director

Background

The Madison Square Park Conservancy was established in 2002 as a non-profit organization to operate historic Madison Square Park, the 6.2-acre park located in the heart of Manhattan’s Flatiron and NoMad Districts. The Conservancy is dedicated to keeping historic Madison Square Park a bright, beautiful, and active public park. MSPC is responsible for 100 percent of the care and programming in the park and has established the highest bar for cleanliness, safety, transparency, and integrity. The Conservancy’s three core programs are designed to create an inclusive park that also furthers the mission of clean, green, and safe.

They include a world-class public art program; a superb horticulture program which now includes designation as a level-two Arboretum and as an American Public Garden; and the newly launched sustainability program, designed to play a leadership role within the community to respond to our climate emergency. With more than 3 million visitors annually, Madison Square Park is a premier public space and cultural arts venue in New York City and a destination for visitors from all over the world. Its development and restoration over the years have transformed not only the park but the entire neighborhood.

Position

Reporting to and working closely with the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director is responsible for the strategic leadership and engaged management of Madison Square Park Conservancy’s staff and resources. The Executive Director will provide leadership for all aspects of MSPC, including strategic direction-setting, fundraising, operations management, volunteer and donor relations, program development and management, financial management, broad community engagement, and institutional relations. MSPC is an ambitious, nimble organization with high standards; this leader will uphold them, model them, and inspire others to meet them.

The Executive Director will be an inspiring and galvanizing leader, as well as a disciplined and decisive manager, and will have proven strategic leadership and management experience in an organization with multiple internal and external stakeholders. They will be chief fundraiser for the organization, and therefore will have experience providing successful oversight for, and stewardship of, institutional fiscal assets, including operating and capital budgets and endowment funds. The Executive Director will be a forward thinker who is not afraid to take smart risks, and a skilled manager adept at developing, articulating, and executing strategies. The next Executive Director will be an inclusive and generous manager with a track record of motivating a team, delegating effectively, celebrating diversity, and managing performance. MSPC has a history of launching imaginative new initiatives (such as its sustainability program) and seeks a leader who can continue to bring creative ideas as well as foster a culture that empowers the team to bring their own creative ideas.

This is a multifaceted role calling for an experienced and confident leader and manager with a holistic vision for the unique mission and impact of MSPC. The Executive Director will work in close partnership with the committees of the Board, as well as the leadership team and staff, to determine and implement MSPC’s strategic objectives and cultivate relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders. They will have a warm, engaging, and inclusive leadership style, a genuine interest in horticulture, and an openness to learning and to new experiences.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership:

• Work with the board and staff to execute MSPC’s mission of clean, green, and safe. Effectively communicate goals and strategies both internally and externally so that all stakeholders – from trustees to major donors and staff – understand their role and responsibility in making the mission a reality.

• Be the primary advocate and champion for the park as a beautiful, active, and environmentally sustainable place that is relevant and accessible to the broadest possible audience and remains an outstanding resource to all New Yorkers and visitors.

• Lead and manage a strong, capable leadership team and staff so they are inspired to do exceptional work; be a positive and accessible presence to all who work at MSPC.

• Set high standards for professionalism, work product, and collegiality, and hold people responsible for maintaining them; support staff in their careers, ensuring people have opportunities for professional development that enhance their growth and their work.

• Ensure staff members understand how their specific roles contribute to the overarching mission and purpose of the organization, evolving the organizational structure as needed to allow for greater efficiency, increased communication, and a higher level of integration across departments.

External Relations:

• Be the organization’s primary fundraiser, working closely with the board and staff to raise annual and restricted support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government sources.

• Be the face and voice of MSPC, working actively to elevate its profile, promote and publicize its programming, and expand appreciation for its mission.

• With warmth and emotional intelligence, become a valued and visible member of the Flatiron/NoMad Districts and broader communities locally and beyond, with the ability to engage with people from a wide array of backgrounds, including funders, business leaders, city employees, and elected officials.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned, creative, visionary leader with a passion for MSPC’s mission and the ability to imagine its future. Specifically, the Executive Director will have:

• At least ten years of executive management experience in positions with significant external and internal responsibilities, and a track record of motivating results-oriented teams and taking an organization through its next stage of growth.

• Extensive experience fundraising with the ability to cultivate relationships and to close contributions from all revenue sources.

• Strong business sense, with a commitment to the ongoing financial sustainability of MSPC and proven skills in risk management.

• The ability to be a strategic and inspirational leader for staff, board members, and the community.

• Emotional intelligence, a winning personality, and the ability to engage board members and manage board development.

• Experience with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, community boards, and other government is a plus.

• A strong commitment to furthering diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all forms.

• Strong written and verbal communication abilities; a persuasive and passionate communication style and listening skills, with the ability to represent MSPC’s interests to its diverse constituencies and enthusiastically embrace a leadership role in the local community.

• Understanding of marketing and communications, including new and traditional media, to enhance the organization’s offerings and reach new audiences is a plus.

• A bachelor’s degree is required.

Compensation and Schedule

•Minimum $225,000

• Attractive, competitive benefits package

tO APPLY

Please send cover letter and resume as one PDF to MSPCED@pbrsearch.com with title format “Last Name First Name – Letter Resume.”

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted and interviews will be held in-person and on Zoom. We encourage applications from people with BIPOC identities.

Please be aware that Madison Square Park Conservancy has required Covid-19 vaccination for all employees. The organization will consider accommodations for a disability and religious-based reasons.

Madison Square Park Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The Conservancy prohibits discrimination against applicants for employment because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record or any other characteristic protected by law.