About the Center
Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is creating a new Center for Art & Design Learning that will serve as Downtown Portland's cultural nexus. The Center is designed to expand access to creative education for a broad array of learners seeking to deepen their knowledge, develop new skills, and engage more fully with Maine's creative community.
Through innovative in-person and virtual programs, community partnerships, and interdisciplinary collaborations, the Center will support creative professionals and lifelong learners with graduate degree and certificate programs that enable them to advance their careers in today's evolving creative economy. The Center will also foster community by providing welcoming spaces for connection, collaboration, and exploration across traditional and emerging art and design disciplines.
Dedicated spaces for the College's established Continuing Studies and Artists at Work programs will strengthen MECA&D's innovative facilities and expand opportunities for a diverse educational community, reinforcing the College's role as a creative and cultural anchor in Portland and beyond.
Position Summary
The College seeks a creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Art & Design Learning. The Executive Director will provide strategic leadership for the Center, guiding its programs, partnerships, operations, and financial sustainability. Working across the College and throughout the broader community, this position will cultivate an environment that fosters artistic exploration, professional growth, and meaningful connection.
The Executive Director will play a key role in building and scaling new revenue-generating programs and external partnerships that expand the College’s reach and impact. In close collaboration with Advancement, Academic Affairs, Marketing, and other College departments, the role will help shape a cohesive ecosystem of lifelong learning opportunities that align with institutional priorities and respond to the needs of today’s students and professionals.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement the Center's strategic vision to create impactful educational, cultural, and community programming.
- Oversee the Center’s programs, including Pre-College and Continuing & Professional Studies, while collaborating closely with institutional leadership to amplify the reach of MECA&D’s signature Artists at Work program, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and graduate and online learning opportunities.
- Collaborate across the College to design new programs that serve youth, adults, career changers, and lifelong learners.
- Build partnerships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders to develop initiatives that support the growth of Portland's creative community and industry in Maine.
- Partner with the Advancement Office and College leadership to cultivate donors, secure grants, and steward funder relationships in support of the Center.
- Oversee the Center's budget and revenue generation strategies.
- Manage the Center’s operations and venue to ensure vibrant, welcoming, and well-utilized spaces.
Qualifications, Experience, Skills & Abilities
- Bachelor's degree in arts administration, higher education administration, nonprofit management, business administration, education, or a related field required; master's degree in arts administration, education, business, nonprofit leadership, or a related discipline preferred.
- Ten-plus years of progressively responsible leadership experience in arts administration, continuing and professional education, higher education, nonprofit leadership, cultural programming, workforce development, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative educational, community, or cultural programs.
- Experience leading organizational growth through strategic planning, program development, organizational change, and continuous improvement.
- Proven ability to launch, grow, or transform programs or initiatives through entrepreneurial leadership and innovation.
- Proven success managing complex operating budgets, financial forecasting, and sustainable revenue-generation strategies.
- Experience cultivating partnerships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, foundations, donors, and community stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success securing philanthropic support through donor cultivation, grant writing, sponsorships, or other external funding initiatives preferred.
- Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff, instructors, and cross-functional teams while fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
- Experience collaborating with academic leadership, faculty, and administrative departments to advance institutional priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze data, assess program performance, and use evidence to inform strategic planning and decision-making.
- Exceptional leadership, organizational, strategic planning, project management, and relationship-building skills.
- Outstanding written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to balance mission-driven programming, financial sustainability, and operational excellence.
- Demonstrated ability to build consensus, foster collaboration, and lead organizational change across departments and with external partners.
- Demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning, creative education, community engagement, and creating an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible environment for learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
- Demonstrated commitment to providing exceptional customer service and creating meaningful experiences for students, lifelong learners, community partners, donors, and external stakeholders.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and manage sensitive information with discretion.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn and effectively utilize enterprise software, learning management systems (LMS), customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, budget management systems, and reporting tools.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends as programs and events require and travel locally, regionally, and occasionally nationally.
