Careers

As a leader in heritage tourism, Historic Columbia provides house museum tours, walking tours and guided bus tours of Columbia's cultural and historical assets. Additionally, the organization hosts annual programs and events such as the Gardening Symposium and the Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture. As an advocate for the preservation of Columbia and Richland County's built history, Historic Columbia works closely with city and county officials to ensure proper protection is provided to structures with cultural and historical importance.

Our mission is to share the complex history of Columbia and Richland County through historic preservation advocacy, innovative educational programs, and strategic partnerships.

Historic Columbia is an equal opportunity employer committed to advancement opportunities for all individuals based on merit, qualifications and abilities. Historic Columbia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.  

Current Openings:

Executive Director Groundskeeper  
Development Assistant

 

Executive Director (Full Time)

The Executive Director will be an inspiring, entrepreneurial, and experienced leader with a demonstrated commitment to broad community engagement in history and historic preservation. The Executive Director will build upon the organization’s past successes and strong community partnerships to ensure Historic Columbia continues to catalyze community interest in and support for historic preservation.

Download Full Position Specification

SCOPE & RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

  • Advance Historic Columbia’s mission to “share the complex history of Columbia and Richland County through historic preservation advocacy, innovative educational programs, and strategic partnerships.
  • Continue to build strong relationships with the city and county officials.
  • Provide thoughtful and strategic leadership to Historic Columbia by partnering effectively with the Board, leading and developing a talented staff team, stewarding and expanding relationships with community partners and civic leaders, and increasing the organization’s reach and impact in a sustainable way.
  • In collaboration with the Board, lead on-going implementation of the current strategic plan (2022-2025) and the development of successive strategic plans that leverage Historic Columbia’s strengths and reinforce the organization’s essential role in the community.
  • Champion Historic Columbia’s efforts to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive community among its staff, Board, volunteers, and partners. Support efforts to ensure underrepresented groups are actively engaged at all levels of the organization.

PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP

  • Working with the Director of Preservation, the Director of Outreach & Engagement, and across the organization, ensure that house museum interpretation, educational programs and materials, historic preservation efforts, and related program and resources adhere to the highest standards of rigor and credibility.
  • Ensure that all programs and activities are engaging audiences in a meaningful way and are providing exceptional visitor/partner experiences.
  • Develop and maintain alliances with individuals and organizations locally and regionally to plan for, develop, fund, and deliver impactful content in a way that equitably engages a diversity of audiences.
  • Collaborate with staff, constituents, and partners to monitor contemporary issues and community needs to deliver robust, meaningful, and timely programs.
  • Ensure that Historic Columbia’s initiatives promote understanding within communities and highlight respectful conversations, empathy, and shared values.

FUNDRAISING & REVENUE

  • Ensure income goals are achieved through contributed support (public funding, grants, corporate, and individual gifts), as well as earned income (ticket sales, events, museum shop, facilities rentals, and other sources).
  • With the Board and Director of Development, develop and sustain a comprehensive fundraising strategy and the organizational infrastructure required to increase long-term membership, donations, grants, and other forms of contributed support.
  • Advocate for Historic Columbia with the City and County to ensure annual governmental support is secure and collective goals are met.
  • Explore other funding possibilities with the state of South Carolina and regional and national foundations interested in historic preservation and social justice.
  • Responsibly maximize earned income and proactively develop ancillary revenue sources in alignment with the institution’s vision and goals (e.g. increase revenue from events that regularly sell out, increase the use of the facilities for events, maximize program service revenue from preservation activities, etc.)

OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

  • Working with the Director of Operations, manage Historic Columbia’s finances and operations to ensure the organization follows best practices in nonprofit management, lives its values, and maximizes capacity to achieve its mission in a sustainable way.
  • Develop metrics for the current strategic plan.
  • Working with the Board and staff, develop and manage the annual budget.
  • Cultivate a strong, transparent, and collaborative working relationship with the Board, particularly Board leadership.
  • Sustain Historic Columbia’s inclusive team-oriented culture that respects differences and values the efforts of all.
  • Recruit, develop and mentor a talented staff team; ensure best practices in employee engagement and retention.
  • Oversee stewardship of the collection.
  • Provide responsible stewardship of the organization’s finances and endowment.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS & ENGAGEMENT

  • Articulate and advocate for the importance of historic preservation and the deep and diverse history of the region.
  • Provide visibility for the organization throughout the community and reinforce Historic Columbia’s brand as an honest storyteller, reliable partner, and a credible resource.
  • Proactively identify strategies and opportunities to enhance public awareness of Historic Columbia’s array of programs and services and to engage broad and diverse audiences in historic preservation and local history initiatives.
QUALIFICATIONS 
  • Significant leadership experience in museums, cultural organizations, historic preservation, and/or educational institutions
  • Demonstrated expertise in history, education, and/or historic preservation. Experience interpreting and dealing with sensitive or difficult topics in history and/or contemporary society.
  • Track record of working with a Board and staff to develop, articulate and implement a shared vision and strategic plan. Successful experience leading a staff team of similar size and complexity. Demonstrated ability to recruit, guide and empower a talented staff team and serve as an effective internal collaborator.
  • Experience building an effective working partnership with a Board.
  • Experience working in collaboration with municipal governments, outside agencies, universities and organizations.
  • Demonstrated experience in all aspects of fundraising, specially building and stewarding strong relationships with donors and funders. Experience with grant writing, management, and reporting.
  • Proven experience in management, administration, systems development, budgeting and staff management.
  • Ability to cultivate relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders (donors, staff, constituents, civic leaders, public audiences, the media).
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in the community.
  • Experience overseeing and providing guidance around the prioritization of resources for a multi-layered and complex calendar of programs, special initiatives, and on-going projects.
  • Knowledge of and/or ability to learn and adopt relevant technology and software systems.
  • Bachelor’s degree (advanced degree preferred) in history, public history, business administration, non-profit management, or related degree.
PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Leadership skills and behaviors demonstrating self-awareness, empathy, the ability to analyze complex management situations, and the ability to lead, influence, and build consensus on a range of topics among multiple constituents.
  • Unwavering integrity and unimpeachable personal ethics.
  • Diplomatic acuity and exceptional communication and relationship-building.
  • Aspirational vision combined with strategic execution and ability to prioritize and focus on core objectives.
  • Healthy combination of confidence and humility.
  • Forward thinking and proactive approach to problem-solving.
  • Self-motivation with relentless enthusiasm and energy.
  • Inspiring yet approachable leadership style.
  • Understanding of how learning and teaching history informs how communities function today.
  • Passion for history and historic preservation and personal alignment with Historic Columbia’s mission, purpose, and values.
ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS AND PERKS
  • Medical insurance  
  • Paid time off  
  • Retirement planning  
  • Competitive compensation  
  • Parental leave 
  • Support for community involvement  
  • Paid holidays  

Historic Columbia is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran.

APPLICATION

DHR Global’s Nonprofit Practice has been exclusively retained by Historic Columbia to assist with this executive search. Please direct all inquiries, nominations, and recommendations to any of the contacts below.

James Abruzzo
Managing Partner, Global Nonprofit Practice
New York, NY
T: +1 212 883 6800
E: jabruzzo@dhrglobal.com

Michele Counter
Partner, Nonprofit Practice
Raleigh, NC
T: +1 919 244 1201
E: mcounter@dhrglobal.com

Brian Shallcross
Associate
Chicago, IL
T: +1 312 782 1581
E: bshallcross@dhrglobal.com 

Download Full Position Specification

Groundskeeper (Full Time)

Historic Columbia (HC) seeks a Groundskeeper who will be responsible for all aspects of turfgrass and pathway maintenance across six properties and 14 acres. This position also assists with garden projects and renovations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Perform all aspects of turfgrass maintenance, including but not limited to mowing, edging, blowing, and weed eating, on lawn and grass areas.
  • Carry out all aspects of pathway maintenance, including but not limited to blowing, weed eating, and applying herbicide, on walkways and hardscapes.
  • Remove leaves, debris, and trash from grounds, pathways, sidewalks, and parking lots.
  • Assist with various landscape duties, such as pruning, mulching, watering, and applying herbicides and pesticides.
  • Operate heavy equipment and standard garden power tools, such as lawnmowers, edgers, blowers, tillers, and chainsaws.
  • Maintain, inventory, and audit equipment to ensure all tools are in good, working condition.
  • Work with Historic Columbia staff, including the Director of Operations, the Head Gardener, and the Rental Coordinator, to ensure that the use of the grounds for public programs, special events, and rentals complements weekly maintenance and the long-term care of the grounds.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • High school diploma and a minimum of 2 years of paid experience performing lawn, garden, or grounds maintenance tasks.
  • Knowledge of turfgrass and lawn care.
  • Comfortable operating heavy equipment and standard garden power tools.
  • Ability to perform strenuous outdoor activities while exposed to a variety of weather conditions, ranging from hot and humid to cold and wet.
  • Must be flexible and accommodating, but assertive when necessary.
  • Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
  • Preference will be given to those candidates with experience working at a public garden or historic site.

ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS AND PERKS

  • Medical insurance  
  • Paid time off  
  • Retirement planning  
  • Competitive compensation  
  • Parental leave 
  • Support for community involvement  
  • Paid holidays  

JOB DETAILS: $40,000 annual salary / full-time / on-site in Columbia, SC

Historic Columbia is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains compliance with all federal, state, and local laws.   

Please send a cover letter and resume with three references, at least one of which should be a past supervisor, to jobs@historiccolumbia.org. The title of the email should be the position for which you are applying. The posting will remain open until the successful candidate is found.

Development Assistant (Part-Time, Temporary)

Historic Columbia (HC) seeks a Development Assistant who will be responsible for processing memberships and donor contributions, responding to member inquiries, and providing general administrative support as needed. Training will be provided.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Work in Blackbaud Altru, Historic Columbia’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, to process memberships, donations, and acknowledgment letters.
  • Prepare and send member and donor mailings.
  • Generate membership and donor reports.
  • Respond to member inquiries.
  • Adhere to Historic Columbia’s Ethics and Human Resources policies.
  • Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Must be extremely detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
  • Strong administrative support and communication skills with a customer-service orientation.
  • Fast learner, able to be productive following initial training.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and mail merge functions, advanced knowledge of Excel is a plus.
  • Some experience working with Customer Relationship management (CRM) software and/or high aptitude to quickly learn and master data entry processes.

ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS AND PERKS

  • We work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion and encourage everyone at Historic Columbia to bring their authentic selves to work every day. We offer a variety of growth and professional development opportunities and a welcoming environment.

JOB DETAILS: $20 an hour / 15 - 20 hours per week / Summer 2024 / on-site in Columbia, SC

Historic Columbia is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains compliance with all federal, state, and local laws.   

Please send a cover letter and resume with three references, at least one of which can attest to your database management experience and one who is a current or past supervisor, to jobs@historiccolumbia.org. The title of the email should be the position for which you are applying. The posting will remain open until the successful candidate is found.