Job Description
Job Description:\n\n \nEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR \nABOUT MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL \nMass Cultural Council is an independent state agency that advances the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing in public resources through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools. \nOur Vision \nMass Cultural Council envisions a diverse creative and cultural sector that is valued as essential in the Commonwealth. \nOur work is grounded in the following values: \n\n \n Creativity: We believe that creativity is the key to solving many of society’s concerns and advancing this asset helps to make the Commonwealth a preeminent place in the nation for it to thrive. \n \n Public Service: We serve the Commonwealth and all who live, work, visit, and play here by amplifying creativity, providing resources, expanding relationships, and championing transformational changes that maintain and grow a thriving creative and cultural ecosystem. \n \n Inclusion: We work to build a diverse and equitable creative and cultural sector in the Commonwealth, ensuring that all who practice and participate in creative and cultural expression see themselves in it. \n\nMass Cultural Council is funded by appropriations from the state legislature and from the National Endowment for the Arts. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, sources of funding total 34,876,638 million. The Agency provides funding to individual artists, cultural organizations, schools, and other nonprofit organizations to support creative activities throughout the state through a variety of funding and technical assistance programs. Mass Cultural Council’s efforts to increase access to the arts, humanities, and sciences for the benefit of residents across the Commonwealth include Card to Culture, offered in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program. \nThe Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, with 329 councils in all cities and towns in Massachusetts. Led by municipally appointed volunteers, LCCs award more than $4 million every year to support more than 6,000 cultural programs, such as field trips, lectures, festivals, and dance performances. \n \n The Tribal Cultural Council (TCC) Program, an expansion of the Local Cultural Council Program, supports Native American and Indigenous communities by providing funds for Tribal governments to grant to projects that provide community benefit. \nThe Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), managed in collaboration with MassDevelopment, provides major improvement grants to nonprofit cultural organizations in recognition of their economic impacts on their communities. Since its inception in 2006, the CFF has funded 1,063 projects totaling $129 million. These funds have supported feasibility and technical assistance, systems replacement, and capital projects of 488 cultural organizations from every region of the state. \nMass Cultural Council is governed by a 19-member Council appointed by the Governor for staggered three-year terms. Ché Anderson serves as Council Chair. Governing Council Members represent various regions of the Commonwealth and by statute must have demonstrated service, creativity, or scholarship in the arts, humanities, or sciences. The more than 30-member staff has been led by Executive Director Michael Bobbitt who departed the Agency in December 2026 after five years of service. \nCommunity \nMassachusetts is the most populous state in New England with a population of 6.9 million. It reflects the nation’s cultural diversity with 18 percent foreign-born residents and a median age of approximately 40 years. Residents identify as 66 percent non-Hispanic White, 15 percent Hispanic or Latino, 10 percent Black or African American, 9 percent Asian, 4 percent multiracial, and approximately 1 percent American Indian and Alaska Native. \nMassachusetts is home to vibrant and diverse Native American, Indigenous, and Tribal communities. Through its Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan and Tribal Cultural Council Program, Mass Cultural Council works to expand equitable funding, support Native, Indigenous, and Tribal artists and culture bearers, and empower Tribal communities to shape cultural initiatives that reflect their own priorities, traditions, and sovereignty. \nThe Commonwealth has long led the nation in social progress, becoming the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004 and pioneering near-universal health coverage in 2006. In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Commonwealth 11th overall, with education and health care remaining key strengths. More than 91% of adults have a high school diploma or higher, supported by excellent public and private schools and renowned colleges and universities. The state’s innovative economy spans education, health care, technology, and numerous major corporations. \n Massachusetts boasts an exceptionally rich and diverse cultural landscape, where centuries of history meet contemporary creativity and innovation. Across the Commonwealth, world-class museums, historic landmarks, performing arts venues, and vibrant Cultural Districts offer opportunities to engage with art, history, music, theater, dance, and ideas. A dynamic ecosystem of independent artists, community-based organizations, galleries, creative spaces, and cultural festivals reflects the state’s many traditions and perspectives. From celebrated artistic institutions to experimental work in emerging disciplines, Massachusetts nurtures creative expression, supports cultural exchange, and makes the arts an integral part of community life. \n The state’s four-season climate and varied landscapes offer abundant outdoor recreation, from coastal beaches and scenic hiking trails to camping, skiing, and winter sports. Professional sports are another cherished part of the Commonwealth’s identity. \nSources: census.gov, usnews.com, mass.gov \nEQUITY STATEMENT \nMass Cultural Council is committed to the equitable investment of all resources and to providing leadership that fosters a cultural sector where racial diversity thrives, decolonization is realized, and inclusion, accessibility, and belonging are the norm. The rich diversity of Massachusetts’ communities, residents, and visitors is essential to the Commonwealth’s continued vitality and success. \nWe believe that seeing the world through multiple perspectives—and bringing those ideas to life—is the responsibility of the cultural sector and its leaders. Mass Cultural Council supports creative voices through co-created, innovative, equitable, inclusive, and accessible programs and grantmaking. \nADVANCING THE CULTURAL SECTOR THROUGH CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS \nMass Cultural Council is leading a statewide effort to advance the cultural sector and position it as a critical asset and essential partner in addressing the Commonwealth’s most pressing challenges. Through strategic partnerships, policy initiatives, and relationship building, the Agency collaborates across sectors—including health, education, housing, transportation, climate, agriculture, accessibility, workforce, and economic development—to expand resources, foster growth, advance equity, and expand the cultural sector’s impact. This cross-sector work ensures the sector is embedded in the Commonwealth’s vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient future. \nPOSITION SUMMARY \nAs the Commonwealth’s most senior state cultural official, the Executive Director will serve as an influential external advocate for the arts, humanities, and sciences, providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of innovative policies, programs, and initiatives that advance the priorities of the Mass Cultural Council. Reporting to and collaborating with the Governing Council, the Executive Director will champion a vibrant, resilient and financially sustainable cultural sector throughout Massachusetts, building strong relationships with the Governor, Legislature, other elected officials, and leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The Executive director will leverage these relationships to strengthen public and private investment and to expand recognition of the cultural sector as an essential contributor to the Commonwealth's economic vitality and quality of life. \nThe Executive Director will provide vision and a collaborative approach to advancing equitable and inclusive opportunities for participation in the cultural sector, ensuring that the Agency’s programs and services have an impact in diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and geographic communities throughout the Commonwealth. Within the organization, the Executive Director will foster a respectful, inclusive and high-performing organizational culture that values staff expertise, encourages collaboration and translates innovative ideas into meaningful results. \nThe Executive Director will be responsible for the transparent stewardship of public funds, sound financial management, and overseeing the distribution of Mass Cultural Council funds in compliance with applicable guidelines and regulations. \n ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES \nVision and Strategic Leadership \nProvide the vision and strategy for the Mass Cultural Council to ensure that Massachusetts citizens have access to a thriving cultural sector that enhances the state’s quality of life and economic vibrancy. \nFoster a culture of innovation throughout the Agency to realize new ideas, concepts, and strategies that amplify the cultural vitality of neighborhoods and communities across the state. \nDemonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access throughout the organization with policies and practices that foster transformative change. \nBalance an exciting vision for the state’s creative economy with a realistic understanding of local, state, and federal policy and the political and environmental factors impacting the region and the cultural sector. \nExternal Relations and Partnerships \nBuild and strengthen relationships with local, state, and federal public officials and with civic and business leaders to ensure continued public investment in the cultural sector through the Agency’s programs and services. \nIdentify, establish, and maintain cooperative and collaborative partnerships with state agencies, municipal governments, local and national funders, and regional and national organizations, such as New England Foundation for the Arts, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and National Endowment for the Arts. \nActively listen to cultural sector leaders to develop a keen understanding of the needs and resources of the state’s cultural assets, including arts, humanities, and science organizations and individual artists, humanists, and scientists. \nFrequently visit and communicate with cultural leaders across the state, conducting site visits to partner and grantee organizations when appropriate. \nOrganizational Excellence and Fiscal Responsibility \nLead a high-performing and experienced staff in the operations of grants and technical assistance programs, as well as strategic initiatives designed to achieve the short- and long-term goals of the Agency. \nServe as an effective partner with the governing Council in its policy-making role, ensuring that its members have timely access to accurate and updated information on finances, policies, indicators, trends, and relevant issues to help them reach decisions that advance the Agency’s mission and strategic plan. \nInspire and maintain an organizational culture that encourages collaboration, accountability, professional development, and mutual respect. \nEstablish and uphold efficient procedures and effective controls for the expenditure of public funds in accordance with the adopted budget. \nPrepare, steward, and present the annual budget and periodic reports to the governing Council for review and approval, as well as to the Governor’s Office and Legislature as required. \nKeep abreast of the latest cultural sector issues and trends through active participation in regional and national cultural service organizations. \nTraits and Characteristics \nA creative and visionary leader, the Executive Director will be recognized for their ability to engage with a broad and diverse collective of stakeholders and to drive action that advances the cultural sector. A consummate consensus builder and effective negotiator, the Executive Director will inspire trust and confidence with a respectful and diplomatic approach to divergent points of view. \nThey will be a people-oriented, empathetic leader with the ability to motivate a team. Receptive to new ideas, this individual will have political savvy and an ability to develop, nurture, and leverage authentic relationships with policy makers and civic leaders. The Executive Director will value collaboration, have a history of personal involvement in and appreciation for the cultural sector in or outside of Massachusetts, and possess a deep awareness of issues and trends impacting the arts, humanities, and sciences regionally and nationally. \nOther key competencies include: \nLeadership – The capacity to deliver a compelling vision, earn the trust and confidence of others with integrity, public accountability and clarity, organize and influence people by creating a common purpose, develop innovative partnerships towards the public mission, and act with both courage and grace to advance the cultural vitality of the Commonwealth. \nDiplomacy and Interpersonal Skills – The aptitude to tactfully address sensitive situations, gain a balanced understanding of cultural and political issues, build alliances with and relate to people of different backgrounds, points of view and disciplines, and communicate constructively to achieve positive outcomes both in the sector and within the organization. \nFlexibility and Resiliency – The agility to inspire new ideas, approaches, and methods while striving to adapt to situational demands, overcome obstacles, step outside of perceived comfort zones, and evaluate many aspects of a situation to create a positive outcome. \nDecision Making – The ability to make sound and thorough decisions by systematically analyzing data and various aspects of a situation, gathering input from team members, asking questions rather than making assumptions, providing transparent explanations, and evaluating the potential impact or consequences of decisions. \nFuturistic Thinking and Stakeholder Focus – The ingenuity to appreciate innovation, envision concepts or ideas that advance the organization’s mission and its services, partner with stakeholders to attain visionary goals, and creatively engage constituents to achieve common goals. \nQualifications