Executive Director, Organizational Renewal & Growth

Executive Director, Organizational Renewal & Growth

Part Time, 24 Month Contract Position

The Minneapolis Athenaeum seeks an entrepreneurial, creative, and relationship driven Executive Director to help shape the next chapter of one of Minnesota's oldest cultural institutions.

Founded in 1859, the Minneapolis Athenaeum is a nonprofit literary organization dedicated to preserving and sharing a remarkable collection of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and literary history. For more than 165 years, the Athenaeum has served as a steward of knowledge, literature, and civic engagement in Minnesota.

Today, the organization stands at a pivotal moment. After an extended period of organizational dormancy, the Athenaeum is experiencing renewed momentum through new acquisitions, expanded communications efforts, public programming, strengthened relationships, and a renewed commitment to community engagement.

While the Athenaeum benefits from a rich history and significant collections, much of its future infrastructure remains to be built. This role offers a unique opportunity for a leader who enjoys institution building and is energized by helping shape systems, partnerships, programs, governance structures, and community engagement efforts that will support the organization's next chapter.

Working closely with a small and committed Board of Directors, the Executive Director will help guide strategic priorities, strengthen organizational capacity, cultivate partnerships, support fundraising efforts, and position the Athenaeum for long term sustainability and growth.

For the right candidate, this is an opportunity not simply to lead an organization, but to help define what a historic literary institution can become in the twenty-first century.

Position Overview

This position is structured as a 24 month contract appointment and is expected to average approximately 20 hours per week. The anticipated start date is mid to late September 2026.

The appointmen...