Current Opportunities

Executive Director
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Deer Isle, Maine

About Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on Penobscot Bay on the Atlantic Ocean in Deer Isle, Maine. When Haystack was founded in 1950 by a group of renowned craftspeople, it was truly an experiment in education and community, with no permanent faculty or full-time students—a School that awarded no certificates or degrees. And while the School has grown in ways that could never have been imagined, the core of its work and the ideas they adhere to have stayed very true to the original mission of educating and advancing craft.
Located on the coast of Maine, Haystack provides the freedom to engage with materials and develop new ideas in a supportive and inclusive community. Serving an ever-changing group of makers and thinkers, Haystack is dedicated to individual and collaborative learning and to the exploration of the intersections of craft, art, and design in broad and expansive ways.
The Opportunity

Haystack is poised to leverage the excellent work of the board, leadership, and staff by advancing the mission of the School in significant ways and in accordance with the values and goals of the current Strategic Plan. The organization has a strong foundation rooted in its history of groundbreaking innovation, its reputation at the vanguard of contemporary craft, and its impact on artists, craftspeople, and makers internationally. The next Executive Director will build upon this foundation to lead the School into its next seventy years of excellence in providing opportunities for exploring, learning, and creating community.
Overview of Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for both artistic and executive oversight of a 70-year old institution that serves roughly 1,800 people, in person, annually. (With the introduction of online programming in 2021, Haystack recorded nearly 4,000 total views from individuals in more than thirty-eight countries, and of these numbers nearly 60% indicated having never been to Haystack.) Primary responsibilities entail leading the organization in both daily operations and long-range planning to ensure strategic objectives are effectively implemented in a fiscally responsible and forward-thinking manner. In daily operations, the Executive Director is responsible for program development, fundraising, staff oversight, and mission delivery.

The Executive Director has direct staff supervision of the Deputy Director, Development Director, Technology Director, Chief Financial Officer, Registrar, and Office Coordinator, while being accessible to a larger staff of 28. The Executive Director reports to, and fosters a collaborative and transparent working relationship with, the 27-member Board of Trustees. Serving as the public face and spokesperson for the School, the Executive Director must maintain open and accessible communication and be able to interact positively with a variety of constituents, partners, and supporters, as well as local and state-wide community members.

Long-range planning includes the preservation and maintenance of three properties, including an architecturally significant campus with nearly forty buildings situated on a forty-acre parcel of forested land along the rugged Maine coastline. Additional long-range planning is required for program development, comprehensive campus plan, fundraising initiatives, and the launch of a capital campaign.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate for the Executive Director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts will demonstrate a passionate commitment to the organization's mission, vision, and values, and to advancing the field of craft, art, and design. This person will be a forward-looking leader who will sustain and cultivate Haystack's position at the vanguard of contemporary craft. Building on the strength of the Strategic Plan, the Executive Director will engage and inspire a broad and diverse network to build philanthropic support so that Haystack can meet the changing needs of the 21st century, some of which include:

• increasing accessibility physically to the campus, economically through scholarships and other support, and virtually through digital programming and other offerings;
• advancing a more comprehensive and inclusive conception of contemporary craft and making that holds true to Haystack's commitment to excellence; and
• continuing to pursue goals of equity in relation to staff, board, and participants throughout the organization.
  
  The Executive Director builds and stewards relationships with broadly diverse constituencies, partners, and communities, locally, nationally, and globally; the successful candidate will have genuine compassion for and curiosity about people and will enthusiastically embrace the role of bridge-builder and "the face of Haystack," whether locally in the Deer Isle community or among international leaders in the field of contemporary craft. This individual will bring experience and skill in working collaboratively with an active and engaged board, particularly around supporting the board in educating new members in best practices and expectations.
  
  The next Executive Director will be transparent, collaborative, and inclusive, and will use empathy and high emotional intelligence to partner with, support, and motivate a committed staff. A strong systems thinker, the Executive Director will further the professionalization of processes and procedures in place while maintaining Haystack's hands-on and experimental character. Given the significance and uniqueness of the physical campus and its needs, the next Executive Director should be comfortable with capital projects and have an understanding of facility needs, in order to establish strong, trust-based reporting relationships with facilities staff and the building and grounds committee.
  
  The successful candidate will have a positive, "can-do" mindset, good humor, and confident self-possession. Resilience and the ability to "grow and thrive where one is planted" will be essential in sustaining balance through the program-intensive activities of the summer as well as the quieter but no less productive planning stages, including the development of annual collateral materials during the winter months. This individual will live in close proximity to Haystack year-round while also traveling frequently to promote the work of the organization.
  
  
  In addition, strong candidates will offer:
  
  Skill Sets & Characteristics
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style
• Confidence in public speaking
• Adaptability and flexibility to solve problems
  
  Qualifications
• The ability to inspire practitioners, supporters, and non-practitioners to recognize the essential importance and impact of craft
• Strong knowledge of the field of craft, art, and design
• Experience in not-for-profit management
• Experience in leading teams of people
• Experience and demonstrated track record in fundraising
• Background in program development and management
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility
• Resilience and the ability to thrive in a beautiful, remote location
• Understanding of the day-to-day operations and management of a physical campus with unique challenges
  
  Haystack Mountain School of Crafts does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identification, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, or veteran status. All are welcome!
  
  Compensation & Benefits
  
  The salary range will start at $185,000 and will be commensurate with experience. Benefits and a relocation bonus are also part of the final compensation package.
  
  Contact
  
  Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Peter Gillin and Tenley Bank of Koya Partners, with Naree W.S. Viner as Strategic Advisor, have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials via this link: https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/18093. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
  
  Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
  
  About Koya Partners
  
  Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
  
  For more information about Koya Partners, visit http://www.koyapartners.com.
  
  
  
  
  
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