Museum Search & Reference, LLC
- Contents
- Description
- Position Details
- Pay and Benefits
- Qualifications and Experience
- Application Process
Description
Sanborn Mills Farm, located in the beautiful Loudon/Concord region of New Hampshire, seeks a talented Executive Director to lead the non-profit organization during a period of transition into a new era. The Farm is currently reaching the end of a long phase of preservation investment and infrastructure building in preparation for establishing a new range of educational experiences enhanced by the carefully preserved historic site and working farm. The Executive Director will embody and reflect the energy of the organization’s passionate stakeholders, communicate excitement about the mission, and skillfully navigate moving the organization to a new place of relevance and engagement. The Farm is a publicly accessible historic site and a living facility for education and training in traditional crafts and agriculture.
Sanborn Mills Farm
Nestled in picturesque Loudon, NH, Sanborn Mills Farm is a historic working farm dating back to the 1770s. Located on 350 acres and comprised of twenty-five buildings, working fields, and forests, the Farm is dedicated to preserving and teaching traditional craft, farming, and land stewardship practices, providing a vibrant connection to New England’s agricultural and artisanal heritage. Visitors are welcomed into a beautifully restored setting that includes the main campus, water- powered saw and grist mills, timber-framed barns, working, agricultural fields, managed forests, and a blacksmith shop—all still in active use. The renovated facilities and studios feature state-of-the-art equipment, and the campus includes dormitory rooms and a dining area for residential students.
The complex offers an authentic glimpse into 19th-century rural life while remaining relevant to contemporary practice. More than a historical site, it’s a living classroom where instructors, farmers, craftspeople, and historians come together to teach time- honored skills that remain applicable today. The Farm offers a wide variety of hands-on workshops and programs, ranging from one to five days, in blacksmithing, fiber arts woodworking, draft animal work, and sustainable gardening, connecting participants with traditional techniques that inspire modern applications. Beyond workshops, the Farm fosters community engagement through special events, farm-to-table meals, tours, and opportunities to purchase farm products. These experiences encourage exploration of the interconnectedness of history, craftsmanship, and the natural environment.
Sanborn Mills Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, with a staff of sixteen year-round and five seasonal employees in addition to sixty-eight instructors. Sanborn Mills Farm is an IRS designated supporting organization of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance with which it has shared a long productive relationship. Sanborn Mills Farm has an annual budget of about $2,000,000. and welcomes 1,500+ participants and visitors per year, primarily during the spring, summer, and fall months. Agricultural, forest management and garden activities vary seasonally, but occur year- round. Sanborn Mills Farm’s mission is to teach traditional crafts and farming methods while sustainably using its field and forest resources. To read more about how the Farm’s vision and values encapsulate the organization’s aspirations, see their statements here.
The Opportunity
This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned nonprofit leader to guide Sanborn Mills Farm into its next era by promoting and optimizing its unique assets, strengthening its operations, and fostering long-term sustainability through innovative approaches to revenue generation and community engagement. In collaboration with a committed Board and staff, the Executive Director will steer the organization forward as its long-term founder retires and as it embarks on several strategic and impactful initiatives, including:
- Ushering in the next chapter of organizational maturity and sustainability with the support of an energetic staff team and an effective Board.
- Transitioning the organization to new levels of professionalism and efficiency supported by board development.
- Creating a business plan along with relevant policies and procedures with a strategic focus on diversification and growth that addresses financial stewardship and sustainability.
- Updating the Strategic Plan to propel the Farm’s operation and envision innovative pathways for growth.
Rethinking the Farm’s branding and community engagement through a robust visitor outreach and media-relations initiative
Job Details
Location:
Loudon
Date the successful candidate will start:
May 20, 2025
Pay and Benefits
Salary Range:
$130,000 — $160,000
Qualifications and Experience
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Responsibilities and Expectations
Successful candidates will have proven effectiveness as an executive or senior-level professional in nonprofit organizations such as craft schools, arts organizations, educational institutions, working farms, living history sites, historic sites, preservation institutions, museums, or other similar mission-driven organizations. They will demonstrate accomplishment as a strategic thinker, team builder, communicator, fundraiser, innovator, and leader adept at translating vision into organizational action. Responsibilities will include:- Developing and leading a dynamic fundraising program, to complement the endowment and expand public participation through grants, individual donations, major gifts, and corporate philanthropy.
- Providing budgetary and financial oversight, accountability, and sustainability; managing revenue streams from earned income, philanthropy, and governmental
- Collaborating with the Board, key staff, and stakeholders to evaluate, revise, and implement the Strategic Plan.
- Nurturing, supporting, and managing the staff, inspiring teamwork and
- Working with the staff to advance the preservation of the Farm’s buildings, traditional craft programs, farming, and
- Create new, and maintain collaborations with civic groups, community organizations, businesses, and guilds in New Hampshire and the surrounding region, focusing on nurturing and expanding existing
- Serving as the Farm’s primary spokesperson, leading an energetic marketing program that lifts the Farm’s profile, representing the organization at events, in the media, and cultivating key relationships locally, regionally, and nationally,
Preferred Qualifications and Experience:
Experience, Skills, and Attributes
- A minimum of five years of senior executive or management experience in related nonprofit environments.
- A. required, master’s degree preferred in a related field, or equivalent life experience
- Passion for the mission and enthusiasm, understanding, and interest in 18th- through 20th-century New England craft, rural building practices, horticulture, agriculture, and forestry, along with commitment to environmental preservation.
- Strategic planning skills which provide organizational vision and direction, focused on building capacity in service to mission as well as financial sustainability.
- Demonstrated enthusiasm for successful fundraising, working with donors, foundations, sponsors, and governmental funding sources.
- Financial acumen and management, oversight of development and management of an annual budget; ability to interpret financial performance to the Board and other
- Pragmatic and successful experience as a senior-level administrator and project manager, ideally having experience with building/preservation projects, revenue generation, audience development, and visitor experience.
- Exemplary management and organizational skills in leading staff who exude enthusiasm for the organization’s mission, buildings, and
- Emotional intelligence and people-oriented leadership skills that serve internal and external stakeholders and build a culture of trust and respect.
- Experience working in collaboration with diverse constituents, partner entities, and stakeholders in the local community and across a broad network.
- Expertise in maintaining positive and productive Board relations, ensuring transparency and best practices for Board development and governance.
- Passion for developing and expanding educational programs and effectively promoting offerings to broaden engagement and impact.
Application Process
Will an automated HR system be used to filter applicants?
– No.
Will non-shortlisted applicants be notified?
– Yes.
Are interviews flexible? (e.g. different interview formats, times, location, remote option)
– Yes.
To apply, email your details to searchandref@museum-search.com
To apply in confidence, submit application by March 21, 2025 to Ken Turino, Senior Search Consultants, Museum Search & Reference, via [email protected]. Please include: 1. A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience. 2. A résumé. 3. The names and contact information for three professional references, indicating their relationship with the candidate. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. Nominations are welcome. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.