ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:
The Soulsville Foundation perpetuates the soul of Stax Records by celebrating its rich cultural legacy, educating youth, and supporting past, contemporary, and future artists. Located at the original site of Stax Records in Memphis’s Soulsville USA, our campus includes the Stax Music Academy, Stax Museum of American Soul Music (SMASM), and The Soulsville Charter School. SMASM operates in close collaboration with the Soulsville Foundation, sharing resources like accounting, HR, development, and communications, and maintains a strong partnership with Concord.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Charged with stewarding the legacy of Stax Records and leading the Stax Museum into its next chapter, the Executive Director is an experienced museum professional, a passionate advocate, and a strategic thought leader who partners with the local community while expanding the museum’s national relevance. Reporting to the Soulsville Foundation CEO and building synergy with other campus programs, the Executive Director provides visionary leadership, oversees operations, develops programming, bolsters fundraising, drives community engagement, and ensures the museum’s continued relevance and impact.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Strategic Leadership & Vision: Develop and implement SMASM’s strategic vision, in collaboration with the Soulsville Foundation CEO, aligning with the overall mission and leveraging Stax Records’ unique legacy; providing inspirational leadership, fostering a positive work culture; anticipating and adapting to trends and challenges in the museum field; and maximizing use of the museum’s space. Initiate and adopt a new interpretive plan for the museum that ensures contemporary relevance and emphasizes Stax Records’ storied history.
- Community Engagement & Advocacy: Serve as SMASM’s passionate advocate, building relationships with diverse communities; soliciting community feedback to inform programming; liaising with living Stax legacy artists; and collaborating with internal and external marketing resources on promotional campaigns and tourism partnerships. Bolster SMASM’s community relevance by developing and implementing engaging programming. Celebrate Stax and Soulsville milestones.
- Fundraising & Financial Management: Strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising efforts by cultivating relationships with donors, foundations, and corporations; develop and manage the annual budget with the Soulsville Foundation’s CFO; and ensure financial sustainability.
- Museum Operations & Programming: Oversee museum operations, including collections management, curation, and educational programming; ensure engaging, relevant, and accessible programs; collaborate closely with TSCS, SMA, and the Foundation’s Education department to maximize the museum’s role as a dependable resource for their program delivery and expansion; maintain a “sleeves rolled up” attitude by engaging directly with staff and leaders across programs, as well as students and the broader Soulsville neighborhood and Memphis communities, fostering a collaborative and welcoming environment; and develop, manage, and review the museum’s acquisition and collections management policy. Oversee the activation of a deaccessioning process for unwanted, duplicate, or unnecessary collection items. Hire staff for curatorial, collections, and other functions as needed to support museum operations and strategic goals.
- Relationship Management: Maintain and strengthen collaborative relationships with the Soulsville Foundation and Concord; cultivate relationships with keepers of Stax memorabilia; and collaborate with the Soulsville Foundation CEO. Cross-promote and build strong synergy with other Soulsville Foundation programs and departments. Coordinate with Soulsville Foundation leadership to ensure appropriate management of the rights and usage agreement with Concord, managing the museum’s ability to produce and sell Stax-branded merchandise.
- Team Leadership: Hire, manage, and professionally develop SMASM staff as operational leaders and meaningful contributors to the annual planning process.
QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor’s degree is required; a graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., Museum Studies, Nonprofit Management, Arts Administration, Business Administration) is strongly preferred. The candidate should have a minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible nonprofit leadership experience, preferably in a museum or cultural institution, and demonstrated success in the required skills. A strong appreciation for Black culture as it pertains to music history is essential. Must reside in Memphis, Tennessee, or be willing to relocate. The role requires the ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, as required for events.
REQUIRED SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND ATTRIBUTES:
- Leadership & Management: This role requires demonstrated skills in strategic thinking, visionary leadership, people-centered and approachable leadership, team management and development, effective prioritization, delegation, and time management (with high accuracy and attention to detail), and a commitment to servant leadership.
- Fundraising & Financial Management: The successful candidate will possess experience in nonprofit fundraising, financial management and budgeting, and a basic understanding of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
- Museum & Cultural Expertise: Essential skills include museum operations & management, museum collections practices, and a strong understanding of the museum/cultural landscape.
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills: This position requires exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate the complex history and mission of Stax into a compelling narrative for engagement and support. The Executive Director enjoys building and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues, donors, external partners, and the broader community; is an effective advocate; and demonstrates a strong sense of protocol, tact, and professionalism in all interactions, as well as competence managing internal and external communication. Comfortable with public speaking, media appearances, and leading museum tours as needed.
- Knowledge & Passion: The ideal candidate possesses a deep knowledge of Stax history and soul music, with the ability to connect authentically with its legacy and living artists, and is a proactive, life-long learner.
- Adaptability & Resilience: Responds quickly and flexibly to change, demonstrating resilience in the face of challenges.
- Technological Proficiency: Comfortable using standard office software and museum systems; willingness to learn.
- Physical Requirements: Ability to stand/sit for extended periods, lift up to 25 lbs., and navigate the museum (including stairs).
TO APPLY:
Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2025.
Submit a cover letter outlining your relevant experience, your vision for the future of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and a brief indication of how you would operationalize that vision, along with a resume in PDF format, to info@soulsvillefoundation.org.
Soulsville Foundation provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Soulsville Foundation complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.