Executive Director R. E. Olds Transportation Museum

Posted on 9/3/25

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION DESCRIPTION

Summary

The R. E. Olds Transportation Museum was incorporated in 1977 and seeks to preserve and promote Lansing, Michigan’s automotive heritage, its lasting impact on the mid-Michigan community and the American automotive industry.

The museum maintains a car collection of over 90 automobiles ranging from an 1886 Olds Steam Car to a 2004 Final 500 Olds Alero. Additional cars on loan include an 1897 Olds from the Smithsonian and a 1906 built REO ½ scale car. Besides many “one-of-a- kind” cars, the museum archives have irreplaceable historical documents.

The Executive Director is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Museum and is responsible for all dealings with employees, volunteers, visitors, donors and community stakeholders. The Executive Director is responsible for executing the strategic direction of the Museum’s board as well as providing input for annual and strategic business plans. The Executive Director reports to the President through the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee with overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Museum, its staff, volunteers and adherence to annual and strategic plans

Scope of Operation:

• Annual operating budget of approximately $300,000 and equity that includes endowment and board designated funds
• Annual admissions of over 12,000 people (individual paid, groups and guests)
• Managing volunteer force of 10+ dedicated people
• Annual paid membership of 300+
• Manages separate storage annex and archives
• Staff of 3, managed year-round
• The Executive Director must be flexible to meet the demands of the Museum events, such as shows, exhibits and occasional rental events
• The Executive Director manages the Museum’s Car Capital Auto Show, The Museum Annual Meeting and monthly board meetings. The Executive Director is the face and the ambassador of the Museum.

Experience and Capabilities Required

• Four-year college degree or equivalent experience
• Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 suite
• Ability to host remote meetings using commercial products (i.e. Zoom)
• Ability to multi-task across multiple requirements
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong business acumen
• Strong managerial skills

Experience and Capabilities Desired

• Graduate degree
• Experience with non-profit organizations
• Experience in running a business
• Ability to write grant proposals
• Good mechanical/electrical aptitude
• Archival and preservation knowledge

High Level Overview of Responsibilities

• Operations
• Programming
• Collections
• Human Resources
• Finance
• Stakeholders/Community relationships
• Fundraising
• Risk Management
• Board Relations

Executive Director Direct Responsibilities

Operations

• Acts as an advisor to the board on all internal/external matters
• Ensures all professional and ethical standards are maintained at the highest level to the expectation of visitors, staff, volunteers and donors
• Provides input and actively participates in the Strategic Planning process
• Responsible for developing an annual marketing plan that includes admissions, facility rentals, vehicle adoptions, annual car raffle and a membership campaign
• Seeks sponsorship opportunities and is in charge of all museum events including car shows, raffle events and rental of the museum premises. Responsible for marketing decisions
• Manages and directs others on the Museum use of social media and newsletters

Finance

• Ensure accurate accounting and monthly financial reporting using QuickBooks (generally delegated to CPA or the Operations Manager)
• Responsible for ensuring timely payments to IRS, State of Michigan, City of Lansing, quarterly UIA and other key vendors and suppliers (generally delegated to CPA or Operations Manager)
• Familiarity with grant writing and the grant approval process
• Participate in the development of the annual budget in preparation for Finance Committee review and Board approval. Ensures Museum finances are healthy with a balanced annual budget
• Ensures financial controls and reporting are in place and followed. Also ensures proper risk management procedures are in place to protect visitors, employees, volunteers and the Museum’s assets Ensure adherence to the Museum’s Procurement Policies
• Participation as required with the Finance Committee to accomplish outside CPA reviews and annual audits

Human Resources

• Determine staffing needs, maintain staff and volunteer morale and ensures proper employment practices are defined and in practice daily

Stakeholder/Community Relationships

• The Executive Director represents the Museum to the community and is expected to participate in as many community events as possible to further the mission of the museum
• Must be able to juggle competing demands for the Museum’s resources
• Develop, build and nurture relationships with key stakeholders and donors, including foundations. Keeps stakeholders informed of Museum progress and needs. Retains and builds Museum membership
• Plans duties and projects for the Museum’s volunteers and is responsible for maintaining high morale within the volunteer group

Collections

• Oversee the Museum’s collection and seeks creative ways to present the Museum’s assets to the public for the furtherance of its educational goals. Delivers educational programs and personal presentations about the Museum and its mission
• Ensures the security, preservation and protection of the Museum’s assets. Also ensures that the proper policy and procedures are in place for the preservation of all the historic Museum’s assets
• Knowledge of automotive mechanics is helpful but not required. The ability to assess repair/restoration options is important to the preservation of the Museum’s assets

Other duties as assigned by the Board of Trustees or become necessary to fulfill the operation of the museum, management of the team, or execution of plans or processes of REOTM.

Compensation and Benefits

• Full-Time Exempt Salaried
• $60,000 per year paid bi-weekly
• Annual performance-based merit increase potential - based on an annual performance evaluation and depends upon meeting or exceeding goals established by the Board and financial results.
• Any additional bonus potential is discretionary and is determined by the Board based upon exceptional performance. Exceptional performance is defined as procuring grants, gifts (including bequests), donated vehicles, new income streams, etc. exceeding that which was planned in the annual budget and directly linked to the Executive Director’s efforts
• Paid holidays off include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
• The Executive Director’s normal hours should align with the Museum’s weekday hours of operation: Tuesday – Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm but may require some work on Mondays to fulfill the requirements of the job
• Vacation: Two (2) weeks/year initially, increasing to three (3) weeks/year after two years of service. Vacation compensation is covered by the annual salary
• Additional Personal Time-off: Due to the unique operating hours of the job (normal museum hours, after-hours special events, weekend events, after-hours Lansing business and charitable events), the Executive Director is expected to use reasonable judgment and make prudent decisions concerning his/her personal time-off recognizing that the personal time taken may have ancillary benefits to the museum, e.g. car shows. The Executive Director is expected to ensure the operations of the museum are not impacted by taking additional personal time and shall keep the Board President up to date on priorities and work schedule
• Health insurance benefits are negotiable with this position

The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum is committed to ensuring the diversity of its visitors, board, staff, volunteers, and programming. As an anchor of the Lansing cultural community, we seek diversity through our leadership, values, policies, and practices.