Executive Director

Executive Director

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Washington, DC

Position Profile

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “The Lunar Lawn and mansion”

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is appropriately described by many that have visited as an oasis in

Washington DC. The estate, which includes a museum and award-winning gardens, sits on twenty-five acres in a

lush urban setting and once served as the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, philanthropist, arts patron, and one

of the wealthiest women in American history. Today, Hillwood preserves and interprets her life and legacy through

a world-class collection of Russian Imperial and French 18th Century art and decorative arts, a stunning mansion

with original period interiors, award-winning gardens, the Collections and Research Center, and a rich calendar of

public programs and exhibitions.

Hillwood’s mission is to welcome, delight, and engage all visitors with an experience inspired by the life

of its founder. That mission guides everything from gallery interpretation and horticultural stewardship

to community partnerships and institutional sustainability. The organization is governed by the Board of

Trustees of Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens Foundation and benefits from a dedicated philanthropic

community, a growing membership base, and strong earned revenue from admissions and events.

About Hillwood Estate, Museum &

Gardens

For more information on Hillwood

Estate, Museum & Gardens,

please visit hillwoodmuseum.org.

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “Spring in the gardens”

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Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens stands at an exciting inflection point. Having grown from fewer than 50,000

to more than 110,000 annual visitors over the past decade, the institution has demonstrated both its broad appeal

and its capacity for intentional, sustained growth. With a newly refreshed strategic plan, a passionate and dedicated

staff and volunteer community, and a campus poised for continued investment, Hillwood now seeks an Executive

Director (ED) who can build on its successful trajectory and positive momentum, embracing and guiding the

institution confidently into its next chapter.

Hillwood is one of the nation’s most distinctive cultural institutions — a mansion museum, working

greenhouse, and curated gardens that together tell the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of

America’s most remarkable women. The next Executive Director will steward this singular legacy while

simultaneously driving the institution’s contemporary relevance: broadening audiences, deepening

community connections, and ensuring that Hillwood remains a place where diverse visitors find personal

meaning, beauty, and inspiration.

This is a rare opportunity for a mission-driven leader to serve as both steward of an irreplaceable

collection and champion of a living, breathing cultural destination. The next ED will arrive at an institution

that is financially stable, strategically focused, and deeply committed to environmental sustainability,

inclusion, and the highest standards of museum practice. They will lead a talented and cohesive

management team, partner with an engaged Board of Trustees, and serve as Hillwood’s primary face to

donors, community stakeholders, and the broader art, cultural, and heritage sector.

The Opportunity

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “The French drawing room”

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The next ED will possess the judgment to navigate complexities inherent in stewarding a historic house

museum and estate: honoring the spirit and intentions of Marjorie Merriweather Post while ensuring that

Hillwood remains dynamic, welcoming, and meaningful to contemporary audiences. They will recognize

that Hillwood’s future success depends not simply on increasing attendance, but on growing intentionally

and sustainably while preserving the intimacy, beauty, and quality of the visitor experience.

The position offers the full scope of executive leadership: organizational strategy, people management,

financial oversight, major gift fundraising, board governance, collections stewardship, and programmatic

vision. For a leader energized by complex, multi-faceted institutions and motivated by the opportunity to

make a lasting cultural contribution, this role is exceptional.

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “The rose garden in bloom”

4 Executive Director, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of Hillwood’s current strategic

plan, focused on managing success, advancing relevance, and promoting environmental

sustainability across all operations.

• Champion Hillwood’s culture of welcome by ensuring that all guests, staff, and volunteers feel a

sense of belonging and inclusion throughout the campus experience.

• Translate the Board’s vision into actionable plans, ensuring alignment between institutional

priorities and day-to-day operations across all departments.

• Drive visitation and audience diversification through integrated strategies encompassing

programming, communications, exhibitions, and community engagement, building on Hillwood’s

record of intentional growth from under 50,000 to over 110,000 annual visitors.

• Guide ongoing infrastructure and campus improvements, including gallery expansions, accessibility

enhancements, outdoor pathways, and environmental upgrades to support a growing and diverse

audience.

Organizational Leadership & People Management

• Directly supervise all Management Team directors and executive staff; provide oversight, direction,

coaching, and professional development in accordance with Hillwood’s policies and procedures.

• Partner with People & Culture to recruit and hire employees who are passionate about Hillwood’s

mission and values.

• Foster a spirit of teamwork, unity, and open communication that allows for expeditious conflict

resolution, appreciation of diversity, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Support workforce planning, talent pipelines, wellness initiatives, and cross-functional knowledge

sharing to build staff capacity and resilience.

• Communicate consistently in a manner that embodies Hillwood’s standards and spirit of generosity,

maintaining transparent communication through department meetings and regular interpersonal

engagement.

Board Relations & Governance

• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Board of Trustees; assist the Board in effectively

discharging its fiduciary and governance responsibilities in compliance with the Marjorie

Merriweather Post Trust Agreement and accepted professional museum practices.

• Develop agendas and prepare materials for meetings of the Executive Committee, Finance

Committee, Nominating Committee, and other Board committees.

• Proactively identify, assess, and communicate institutional risks to the Board, including financial,

operational, reputational, and legal exposures; partner with the Board to develop and maintain

appropriate risk management strategies, in consultation with subject matter experts in the

respective areas.

• Provide the Board with an annual review of staff organization and performance and regularly

recommend policies and actions for Board consideration.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

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Financial Management

• Assume primary responsibility, in conjunction with appropriate staff and Board members, for the

preparation of the annual financial budget and operating plans.

• Oversee financial operations including comprehensive financial planning, budgeting, forecasting,

and cash flow management, while ensuring compliance with accounting standards and

requirements.

• Evaluate and report financial status and progress to the Board of Trustees on a regular basis.

• Oversee the annual third-party financial audit process, ensuring timely completion, transparency,

and presentation of audit findings to the Finance Committee and Board.

Development & External Affairs

• Build and strengthen Hillwood’s sustainable donor base through cultivation of existing donors and

identification of new donor partners, with the goal of increasing contributed revenue annually in

support of general operations and capital projects.

• Steward major donor relationships and serve as a visible ambassador for Hillwood’s membership

programs, Circles Program, special events, and planned giving initiatives.

• Represent Hillwood to the greater Washington community, neighboring residents, local

stakeholders, the philanthropic community, and broader national and international arts and

museum colleagues, fostering relationships that advance the institution’s goals and visibility.

• Maintain an active association with museum professionals and professional organizations,

cultivating new relationships; regularly review professional publications to sustain current

awareness of the arts, heritage, and cultural landscape.

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Tony Powell “Visitors in the exhibition Fragile Beauty: Art of the Ocean”

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Collections, Exhibitions & Programmatic Oversight

• Uphold best practices in the care of Hillwood’s mansion, exhibition spaces, collections, archives,

and special collections to preserve Marjorie Merriweather Post’s legacy for future generations.

• Ensure ongoing development of Hillwood’s exhibition, mansion display, and publications programs,

including contemporary, outdoor, and scholarly projects that appeal to diverse audiences.

• Ensure development of public, interpretive, and educational programs that draw upon the

collections, exhibitions, and founder’s stories, deepened through community and other

partnerships, so diverse audiences can make inspiring and relevant connections.

• Make recommendations to the Board regarding loans, acquisitions, and de-accessions of works of

art.

Sustainability

• Advance Hillwood’s commitment to environmental sustainability across all campus operations, in

alignment with the strategic plan’s goal to implement practices that inspire, educate, and contribute

to the reversal of nature decline.

• Support the work of the Hillwood Environmental Action Team (HEAT) and institutionalize

sustainability goals related to overall operations, procurement, waste reduction, energy efficiency,

and staff behavioral change.

• Champion major sustainability initiatives including responsible materials sourcing, end-of-life

material management, food service sustainability, and capital projects such as window and HVAC

improvements.

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “The dining room”

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We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates

up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position

description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal

attributes:

Strategic and Visionary Institutional Leadership

The successful candidate will be a thoughtful and strategic leader capable of guiding the organization

through its next phase of sustainable growth and evolution. Our client seeks a leader who can build

upon an already strong foundation with care, discernment, and long-term perspective — balancing

mission, preservation, audience growth, and operational realities within a unique campus environment.

Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, organizational leadership, and institutional management,

preferably in a museum, historic site, or closely related cultural nonprofit setting is highly desired. This

leader should display judgment in navigating nuanced dynamics inherent in stewarding a historic house

museum and estate. Experience with deepening engagement, strengthening visibility and relevance,

and thoughtfully addressing emerging questions around interpretation and collections stewardship for a

historic organization’s future while preserving the intimacy, beauty, and quality of the visitor experience is

preferred.

Collaborative and People-Centered Leadership

Hillwood’s culture is one of its greatest strengths, and the next ED will embrace and nurture its highly

collaborative, transparent, and people-centered environment. The ideal candidate will be an accessible

and emotionally intelligent leader who listens well, communicates clearly, and fosters trust, transparency,

accountability, and professional growth across the institution. This leader will possess experience

leading, managing, and mentoring senior teams within complex cultural organizations. They will value

cross-functional collaboration and support a strong culture of shared stewardship, low turnover, and high

morale by ensuring that employees continue to feel valued, heard, and connected to the mission.

Candidate Profile

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Thom Goertel “Jazz in the Gardens”

8 Executive Director, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Stewardship of Collections, Gardens, and Historic Legacy

The next ED will appreciate the extraordinary and multifaceted nature of Hillwood’s campus, collections,

gardens, and mission. Experience working within museums, historic sites, gardens, estates, or similarly

visitor-centered cultural institutions is strongly preferred. Advanced knowledge of museum operations,

collections stewardship, and the cultural institution landscape, with a demonstrated ability to keep such

knowledge current. Familiarity with exhibitions, archives, horticulture, historic preservation, and/or cultural

programming is highly valued. This leader will foster rigorous scholarship and museum best practices

while also understanding the importance of making an institution welcoming and accessible to broad

audiences, balancing scholarship, accessibility, relevance, and innovation. Top candidates will possess

the intellectual curiosity and institutional sensitivity necessary to steward all aspects of the organization

thoughtfully and holistically.

Audience Development, Relevance, and Community Engagement

Our client seeks a leader to thoughtfully expand and diversify audiences while maintaining the high

level of integrity and quality of the visitor experience. The ideal candidate will understand how to

position an organization as both a destination and a welcoming civic and cultural resource that sparks

curiosity, beauty, learning, and connection. They will bring a sophisticated understanding of audience

development, visitor engagement, and cultural relevance. Top candidates should possess strong

external relationship-building skills to serve as a visible ambassador for their organization within a

cultural landscape and beyond. They will have experience cultivating meaningful partnerships with peer

institutions, schools and other educational institutions, scholars, community organizations, and a range

of stakeholders, foundations and other philanthropic organizations, to raise their institution’s profile

regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Financial, Operational, and Environmental Stewardship

The next ED will bring strong organizational and operational leadership capabilities, including experience

overseeing budgets, infrastructure, capital planning, and institutional sustainability. The ideal candidate

will demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of operating and preserving a historic estate and

museum campus while maintaining a strong culture of planning and organizational alignment. They will

possess the strategic and financial acumen necessary to oversee infrastructure planning, maintenance

reserves, environmental sustainability initiatives, accessibility improvements, and long-range capital

priorities. This leader will also understand the importance of operational transparency and cross-departmental coordination.

Fundraising, Board Partnership, and External Presence

The ED will serve as Hillwood’s primary external ambassador and will partner closely with the Board

of Trustees, donors, members, and supporters to advance the institution’s mission and long-term

sustainability. The ideal candidate will possess executive presence and the ability to build trust in order

to partner closely with the Board of Trustees. They will bring demonstrated experience cultivating major

donors and other philanthropic relationships, stewarding and supporting philanthropic growth within

a cultural, educational, or nonprofit setting. Familiarity with development and fundraising principles,

including major gifts, membership, grants, and planned giving. Top candidates will have experience

strengthening organizational visibility, representing institutions with diplomacy, warmth, and credibility,

with the ability to connect authentically and effectively across a wide range of constituencies — from

trustees, scholars, and collectors to visitors, neighbors, civic leaders, and community and other partners.

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Commitment to Inclusion, Accessibility, and Institutional Values

Our client seeks a leader who genuinely embraces its commitment to inclusion, accessibility,

environmental responsibility, and community care. The successful candidate will demonstrate cultural

humility, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to broadening participation and fostering belonging

across the institution. Valuing excellence through inclusive leadership, collaboration over hierarchy, and

thoughtful evolution over unnecessary disruption, top candidates should demonstrate how to lead with

integrity, curiosity, warmth, and respect for their organization’s history and its future. Above all, this leader

will embody Hillwood’s values of generosity, collaboration, excellence, and thoughtful stewardship.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

• Significant experience — typically 10 or more years — in senior leadership roles with direct

responsibility for staff management, budget oversight, and board relations.

• Strong analytical, financial, and report-writing skills; effective communications and presentation

skills. Ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations for Board and staff audiences.

• Understanding of environmental sustainability practices and DEI principles as applied to cultural

institutions.

• Polished writing and speaking ability with exceptional interpersonal skills; high EQ.

• Demonstrated ability to inspire, mentor, and develop high-performing teams; skilled in coaching,

conflict resolution, and collaborative decision-making.

• Values diversity of thought, background, and perspective; fosters a culture of equity, inclusion, and

genuine welcome throughout the institution.

• Goal-driven strategic thinker who can manage competing priorities while maintaining a long-term

institutional vision.

• Works independently with sound judgment; able to navigate ambiguity with confidence,

composure, and ethical grounding.

• Embraces new ideas and innovation; open to collaboration and continuous learning.

• Customer-service orientation and mindset; maintains a focus on the visitor experience and

community impact in all decisions.

• Well organized with strong detail orientation and a penchant for action.

Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.

Photo credit: Erik Kvalsvik “The second floor library”

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Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $300,000 -

$350,000 with a generous benefits package.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree Viner,

Tenley Bank, and Stephen Milbauer. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our

Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya 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 npsipractice@dsgco.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional

information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages

applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About DSG | Koya

DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven

leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients

and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and

measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses,

and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive

Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing

world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades

of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building

equitable teams.

Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm’s website.

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