EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, The State Historical Society of Missouri

 

Nominations and applications are invited for the full-time position of Executive Director, State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), headquartered on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, with research centers in St. Louis, Kansas City and Rolla, and on the campuses of Missouri State University in Springfield and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.  The State Historical Society of Missouri is the preeminent research institution in Missouri for the study of state and local history.  It receives the majority of its funding from the state of Missouri but is also a 501(c)3 organization that seeks and benefits from private donations.  The organization’s total annual operating budget is approximately $6 million.

 

The Executive Director oversees the operational, financial, programmatic, and development activities of the State Historical Society under policies established by the organization’s Board of Trustees and the board’s Executive Committee.  The Executive Director supervises a staff of approximately 40 full-time and 10 part-time employees and provides editorial oversight for the Missouri Historical Review, the Missouri Encyclopedia and other periodic publications produced by the organization.  The Executive Director assumes primary responsibility for fundraising for the organization, including advocacy for the organization’s annual state appropriation from the Missouri General Assembly.

 

The Executive Director serves on a variety of statewide advisory boards related to history, including the Missouri Board on Geographic Names, the Missouri Historical Advisory Board and the Missouri Local Records Board.  The Executive Director also serves as a resource for Missourians and local historical societies in their search and advocacy for the study and preservation of Missouri history.

 

Salary will be commensurate with responsibilities and experience.  Benefits package includes health, dental, life and disability insurance, and retirement benefits, provided through the University of Missouri.  A tax-deferred annuity program is available.

 

Anticipated start date is May-October 2025

 

 

Key Responsibilities

 

• Fundraising from private and/or external sources
• Engaging with Missouri lawmakers, advocating for public funding for SHSMO
• Engaging with University of Missouri officials in furthering the mission of SHSMO
• Promoting Missouri history through talks/presentations to outside constituencies
• Engaging in the research and writing of Missouri history
• Serving as editor-in-chief of the Missouri Historical Review
• Meeting with, interacting with and supervising SHSMO staff members
• Monitoring the SHSMO budget
• Writing or supervising the writing of public and private grants
• Engaging with donors to solicit manuscripts and other research materials
• Engaging with and providing advice to local historical societies
• Representing SHSMO on statewide boards (such as Missouri Local Records, State Record Commission, State Board on Geographic Names)

 

A Ph.D. degree in history, preferably American history, with coursework in or a record of research and writing on some aspect of Missouri history.  The successful candidate will possess an established record of scholarship, including publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or the publication of one or more scholarly books published by a refereed press.

 

Hiring Range: $150,000-$175,000

 

Additional details and application instructions are found at https://shsmo.org/about/jobs. 

 

For any questions regarding this position, please send email to shsmocenter@shsmo.org.