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THE ORGANIZATION:

Bishop Museum was established in 1889 to house and curate the extensive personal collection of Hawaiian objects held by Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was the great granddaughter of King Kamehameha I. Over the 135 years since its founding, the Museum has evolved into the premier natural and cultural history institution of the Pacific. Today, its collections include 26 million biological specimens, cultural objects, and archival documents. The Museum’s staff includes renowned scientists, cultural practitioners, exhibit designers, and a strong foundation of operational, program and advancement talent to support the caring and sharing of the Museum’s collections.

Bishop Museum’s strategic plan focuses on integrating and strengthening the scientific and cultural research and collections, archival materials, and living culture that forms the Museum’s “knowledge core.” These fields encompass the natural, cultural, and spiritual realms that sustained native Hawaiian and other Pacific island cultures for thousands of years, and they offer the key to future sustainability. Museum researchers are focused on understanding and conserving the unique biodiversity of Hawai‘i and Polynesia. In this way, Bishop Museum is uniquely positioned to contribute to the urgent, Pacific, and global conversation about planetary sustainability and renaissance, using digital platforms, educational partnerships, and strategic relationships.

Awareness begins at home; Bishop Museum regularly unveils exhibits that inform and engage visitors and residents on topics of current discourse. Recent exhibits honored the importance of transgender culture in Hawai‘i’s ancient and modern past, examined deeply the manifestations of the color red that connects all of Oceania, and a newly installed permanent science exhibit traces the evolution of the unique Hawaiian Honeycreepers. Soon to be opened is a Native Land Snail Rearing Facility to protect against extinction and support their return to vibrant Hawaiʻi environments. The Museum’s great lawn serves as a welcome gathering place for Hawaiʻi’s diverse communities to learn about and enjoy Pacific and Hawaiian music, dance, cultural, and science displays — a respected gateway to the treasures displayed throughout the campus.

The cultural resources of the Museum include approximately 125,000 library titles, over one million archival objects, and two million archaeological and cultural objects, making it the largest museum in the world devoted to Native Hawaiian and Pacific history and culture. The Natural Science collections contain more than 26 million biological specimens from Hawai‘i and the Pacific region, used by hundreds of researchers from around the world, as well as by interested government agencies. At any given time, approximately one million specimens are out on loan to scientists across the globe for study. The Museum contains a high proportion of unique material that is not represented in any other collections, positioning Bishop Museum as an important knowledge resource for research in the natural sciences.

Today, with a $23 million operating budget, Bishop Museum is recognized internationally for its primary source materials including natural and cultural collections as the world’s premier museum for Hawai‘i and the Pacific. This “library of life” and archive of our natural and cultural heritage connects us to our ancestors and chronicles changes in Hawai‘i and the Pacific’s environments, cultures, and communities over time.

As the Hawai‘i State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Bishop Museum serves more than 200,000 visitors, residents, practitioners, scholars, and friends annually—including approximately 25,000 students on school visits—through its diverse collections, signature and traveling exhibits, educational programs, and online resources. To learn more about Bishop Museum, visit bishopmuseum.org

RESPONSIBILITIES

The President & CEO is responsible for furthering Bishop Museum’s mission and managing the diverse strategic, programmatic, and financial operations of the organization. Reporting to a 21-member Board of Directors, the President & CEO will lead to actualize the current five-year Strategic Business Plan to enable Bishop Museum to thrive and anticipate future needs. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategic Performance, Growth, & Visionary Leadership

• Partner with the Board of Directors to further the Museum’s strategic direction by refining and implementing the Museum’s five-year Strategic Business Plan (FY 2024 – 2029) to promote and augment revenue growth, operational efficiency, and the modernization of Museum facilities and digital infrastructure in order to strengthen and share the Museum’s integrated Knowledge Core through programs and education.
• Build and enact action plans that clarify priorities, focus on short- and long-term goals, and emphasize growth that aligns with internal capacity.
• Build consensus for executing the vision and deploying the Museum’s resources to best achieve its goals.
• Analyze the current landscape and upcoming industry, governmental, and funding trends impacting the Museum to anticipate challenges and develop solutions.
• Evaluate current partnerships and explore further opportunities for collaboration.
• Respectfully raise the Museum’s profile as a leader and innovator regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Strategic Focus, Implementation, & Integrity

• Ensure and promote the Museum’s commitment to scientific and cultural research.
• Ensure the Museum’s organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines are in alignment with the Museum's strategic plan and mission.
• Ensure the alignment, integrity, and growth of the educational, research, and interpretive programs.
• Determine an effective and sustainable approach to supporting the Museum’s commitment to preserving its diverse collections.

Financial & Operational Management

• Ensure that the Museum operates on a sound fiscal basis.
• Understand best practices in relevant industries and their applicability for Museum improvements.
• Develop, refine, implement, and maintain systems for tracking and reporting on progress towards achieving Strategic Business Plan goals.
• Ensure Museum leadership understands, engages in planning, and ensures performance in their areas of responsibility.
• Ensure Museum financial and operational practices are aligned with funders’ requirements.
• Review internal business operations and identify areas for process and procedure improvement, delegating as required to ensure effective and equitable execution.
• Understand, analyze, and communicate the Museum’s financial position including budgets, P&L statements, balance sheets, and audits.
• Entertain suggestions from informed members to improve financial and operational management.

External Relations & Community Engagement

• Serve as a passionate advocate, representing Bishop Museum with all constituencies.
• Effectively partner and build community with the people of Hawai‘i and other Pacific Island communities; engage internal and external stakeholders, including Bishop Museum Association Council, in ongoing dialogue about the Museum’s current and future activities.
• Lead collaborative initiatives and strategic partnerships that advance the Museum’s strategic plan and build community capacity.
• Promote the Museum’s mission and programs at external events, such as fundraisers, community/partner events, media opportunities, etc.
• Foster community relationships, building connections with individual donors, foundations, government entities, and existing, as well as potential partners, to create a sense of shared confidence in the management and excitement about the strategic direction of the Museum.

Revenue Development, Philanthropy, & Public Support

• Oversee the development and fulfillment of revenue generation plans, including internal operations (e.g., memberships, event pricing, customer [visitors/exhibits] pricing, rentals, and retail).
• Oversee the creation and execution of comprehensive fundraising plans to ensure long-term sustainability of the Museum. Broaden the Museum’s donor base and explore relationships with national and international funders and foundations.
• Spearhead the Museum’s philanthropic endeavors, leveraging community partnerships, engaging top donors, Board members and community leaders, and ensuring fundraising plans align with the Museum’s priorities.
• Participate and engage the Board of Directors in fundraising activities and cultivating donor relationships.
• Establish strategies for identifying and procuring the financial resources required to achieve strategic goals and objectives. Continue strong relationships with the State government, including the Legislature and Governor’s office, as well as Federal representatives and agencies.
• Renew existing funding support and grow new income revenue streams.

Team Leadership & Performance

• Oversee the following direct reports: VP of Institutional Advancement, IT-CIO, Director of Informatics, VP of Public Programs, Cultural Advisor, VP of Collections & Research, VP of Finance/CFO, and VP of General Counsel.
• Provide consistent and clear leadership to the Board and staff and ensure the development of an organizational culture that is characterized by a commitment to quality, collaboration, transparency, diversity, and mutual respect.
• Serve as a mentor and develop direct reports to nurture staff development to further support the Museum’s culture and values.
• Establish a connection between the Museum’s mission and strategy with best practices and guide direct reports and their staff to embody those practices, aligned with Museum’s values.
• Promote and model a collaborative culture that values transparent communication and a cross functional approach to innovation and creativity.
• Demonstrate positivity and ensure that staff and their ideas are heard, valued, and respected.
• Ensure safe work environments, free from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
• Display a personal commitment to the success of the Museum and its employees.

Board Relations & Development

• Develop and sustain an effective working relationship with the Museum’s Board that deploys the distinct talents of individual Board members with organizational needs through Committee assignments and agreed upon governance practices.
• Help recruit highly effective Board members to grow the group’s diversity, expertise, and philanthropic capacity.
• Work with the Board to ensure a culture of philanthropy and community partnership.
• Communicate effectively and promptly with the Board of Directors and Committees and serve as the strongest link of communication between Board Members, staff, Bishop Museum Association Council, volunteers, and the community at large, on a regular basis.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The President & CEO will be a confident, innovative, and passionate individual who leads collaboratively and inclusively, embracing the Museum’s mission in all duties. Being an inspirational and strategic leader is crucial, both internally with staff and externally with Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, guests, and other constituencies of the Museum. The ideal candidate will be visible and approachable with the ability to create a community of shared values. The President & CEO should possess in-depth experience in leadership, organizational culture building, external relations, and institutional image-building. Equally important is a passion and ability to advance programs, research, exhibits, and new initiatives.

Essential knowledge and experience include the ability to motivate, coach, and develop staff while meeting objectives, anticipating challenges, identifying issues, and developing solutions. The ideal candidate will be a transparent and collaborative leader with a clear and consistent management style that fosters team-oriented approaches to fulfilling the mission. The President & CEO should be a decisive coalition builder, instilling a high level of accountability in team-based decision-making, and modeling integrity and fairness. The candidate will create, implement, and monitor complex plans, translating them into goals and strategies.

The President & CEO will calmly and strategically navigate a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment, making difficult decisions logically and rationally, while demonstrating strong analytical skills and adaptability as organizational priorities evolve. Outstanding communication skills, including strong listening, presentation, and emotional intelligence, are essential. The ideal candidate will effectively communicate at all organizational levels to build trust, enhance performance, and foster effective employee relations.

An active and intuitive listener, the President & CEO will foster genuine relationships with staff, Board members, donors, Hawaiian and Pacific communities, and government partners. It is essential to have a proven ability to engage and build effective, collaborative relationships within the community. Additionally, the President & CEO should be adept at facilitating group discussions, decision-making, and collective action. 

The successful candidate should have exceptional organizational, administrative, and financial skills, with critical knowledge of fiscal management, including the ability to increase both earned and contributed income. The ability to exhibit empathy, humility, compassion, integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, emotional intelligence, strong ethics, and fairness is essential.

CAREER PATH LEADING TO THIS POSITION

The President & CEO will have at least ten years of relevant senior-level leadership experience working at natural history museums, cultural organizations, or complex nonprofit organizations. Candidates with leadership experience in corporate organizations in Hawai‘i with a history of nonprofit board leadership are also encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of effective nonprofit strategic planning, fiscal management, museum administration, cultural, and visitor experience, and demonstrated ability to build widespread support for an organization through collaborative efforts. A history in or exposure to most of the areas of museum programs including membership, research, collections, exhibits, education, grant management, and government and external relations is strongly preferred. Familiarity with Hawaiian or Pacific culture and history and/or natural history is highly valued. Experience working with a nonprofit board is also preferred.

EDUCATION

A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree in related areas expressed above is preferred.

COMPENSATION

The annual salary for this position is $250,000-300,000 plus the potential for a performance-based bonus. Relocation assistance, if needed, is negotiable. A comprehensive benefits package will be provided.