Join Our Team!

VOLUNTEER with WDS: Our community is stronger when we work together. We’re always looking for volunteers for programs and events and to work in our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden. Have a special skill that you’d like to put to good use—let us know and we might have a role for you! Inquire at info@wdsmuseum.org.

Note: volunteering can entail working in a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions, long periods of standing, climbing stairs, and lifting objects.

OPEN POSITIONS

Director of Advancement & Communications | August 2026

2026.08_Director of Advancement & Communications

The Webb Deane Stevens Museum is seeking an experienced fundraiser and adept storyteller to serve as its next Director of Advancement & Communications. This transition comes at a moment when grant-supported campus improvements, top-quality programming, and increased regional and national visibility have positioned the Museum to expand its membership base and increased revenue. The successful candidate will join our team with a prior record of success cultivating individual and corporate giving, as well as the related communication skills essential to steering our marketing and communications efforts.

The WDS Museum is situated on an eight-acre campus at the center of Old Wethersfield, Connecticut, the state’s oldest and largest historic district. Its street frontage comprises three houses significant to the American Revolution: the 1752 Joseph Webb House (National Historic Landmark), where Washington and Rochambeau decided on the military campaign that ended at Yorktown; the 1773 Silas Deane House (National Historic Landmark), built by America’s first foreign diplomat, who negotiated French support for the Revolution; and the 1789 Isaac Stevens House (National Register of Historic Places), which illustrates the middle-class opportunity spurred by American independence. In 2021, the state-of-the-art Holcombe Education Center opened with exhibition, program, and office space overlooking our stunning Colonial Revival garden, designed in 1921 by the pioneering woman landscape architect Amy Cogswell. Behind it, the historic Webb Barn serves as a revenue-generating event venue. WDS also operates the c.1711 Buttolph-Williams House nearby, a National Historic Landmark owned by Connecticut Landmarks and made famous as the inspiration and setting for the Newbury Medal-winning young adult novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Women’s history is a recurring theme in WDS programming, as the Museum has been owned and operated since 1919 by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut, which was founded in 1893 by businesswoman and philanthropist Elizabeth Colt. Current exhibitions include American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and the Making of a Nation, a significant show of schoolgirl embroidery from institutional and private collections across the country.

The Director of Advancement & Communications reports to the Executive Director and interfaces regularly with members of the Board of Managers. The position also relies on close collaboration with a talented and highly productive core staff team. Back-end support, including donor data management and preparation of email and social media content, is provided by the Museum’s administrative assistant, and cross-functional project coordination is supported by a chief of staff. Some areas of expertise and labor may be outsourced on a case-by-case basis, such as graphic design and/or grant-writing support.

Essential Responsibilities

Development

Steward and expand a portfolio of donor and sponsor relationships in concert with the Executive Director and Board of Managers, helping to identify prospects for major gifts and strategize engagement
Ensure year-over-year growth in Museum membership
Serve as the primary grants officer, working in collaboration with relevant team members to prepare applications
Work with the Development Committee and Executive Director to activate and expand planned giving
Work with curatorial staff and leadership to arrange programming for giving-circle donors and upper-tier members
Plan annual fundraiser events with staff and board support
Implement digital and direct-mail campaigns to meet Annual Fund giving targets
Maintain fundraising and membership metrics, tracking progress toward annual goals and identifying areas of opportunity
Oversee a database of donor and subscriber information maintained by the Administrative Assistant, along with processing of incoming financial gifts, preparation of acknowledgement letters, and coordination of mailings

Communications

Steward the WDS brand story to encourage onsite and digital engagement, increase visibility and reputation, and enhance giving
Generate multi-channel marketing efforts for Museum programs, tours, and exhibitions, with implementation support from the Administrative Assistant
Maintain an intentional and effective social media presence with content support from the Director of Preservation & Collections and implementation support from the Administrative Assistant
Cultivate and facilitate earned media exposure, issuing press releases and serving as the point of contact for media inquiries
Maintain regular membership communications such as e-newsletters and event calendars, soliciting content from relevant members of the staff
Work closely with the Chief of Staff & Director of Events to market the Webb Barn, Holcombe Education Center, and other rental spaces to individual and corporate renters

Position Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree
Minimum of four years’ experience in nonprofit development roles, preferably within the arts and culture sector, with demonstrated success securing major gifts, sponsorships, grants, and/or membership growth
Ability to authentically engage and inspire others, including an outstanding record of managing and strategizing relationships with institutional members, board members, and external stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to ideate strategies for organizational growth
Superior oral and written communication skills, and specifically an ability to craft concise and compelling messaging about the organization
Commitment to the current principles and best practices of nonprofit development
Proficiency in basic graphic design as befits day-to-day graphics needs
A successful record of project management
Exemplary organizational skills, attentiveness to detail, and sense of self-initiative

Desired Personal Attributes

Entrepreneurial spirit with an ability to think strategically and develop short-and long-range goals
Motivation to build a network of external relationships with supporters, peers, and media contacts
Ability to thrive in a collaborative work setting, as well as to work efficiently and prioritize projects and tasks in a fast-paced environment
Positive outlook and demeanor, as manifested in constructive relationships with colleagues and a donor-first approach
Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across diverse backgrounds and perspectives
High degree of personal drive to succeed in this role and to improve the position of the organization
Workplace Requirements
Ability to navigate stairs in historic structures without elevators
Ability to stand for extended periods and move frequently between spaces
Ability to work occasionally during evenings, weekends, and holidays where required for cultivation activities

The standard WDS work week is 40 hours.

Compensation

$68,000–$74,000/year with potential to advance with successful performance
Group medical plan with employer contribution
Generous holiday, sick, and vacation pay
Retirement savings plan with employer match

To Apply |
Please send a current résumé and letter of interest briefly outlining your aptitude and past achievements to admin@wdsmuseum.org.

Museum Guide

The Museum Guide serves as a knowledgeable and welcoming ambassador for the Webb
Deane Stevens Museum (WDS), engaging visitors with the stories, collections, and historic
spaces of the WDS campus. Museum Guides lead interpretive tours for diverse audiences,
provide front-of-house visitor services, and support public programs and daily museum
operations.

As a Museum Guide, you’ll be on the front lines helping visitors discover new ways of
looking at the past and the present. From thinking carefully about the lives of people who
shaped the American nation to examining historic architecture and how different
generations have changed or preserved it over time, Museum Guides bring national, state,
and local history to life.

This position reports to the Guest Services Manager and Director of Preservation &
Collections and works on a variable part-time schedule according to museum needs.
About the Webb Deane Stevens Museum

Situated in the heart of Old Wethersfield, Connecticut’s oldest largest historic district, the
Webb Deane Stevens Museum has celebrated the rich and diverse legacy of the American
spirit and its impact on Connecticut since 1919. The 8-acre campus includes historic
gardens and 10 structures, three of which are nationally significant houses built between
1752 and 1789. The Joseph Webb House served as George Washington’s headquarters in
1781, when he met with the French General Rochambeau to plot the campaign that ended
the Revolutionary War at Yorktown. Beside it, the Silas Deane house was home to the
United States’ first foreign diplomat, who negotiated French support for the War.
Throughout the houses and in galleries inside our state-of-the-art Holcombe Education
Center, WDS teaches visitors about American decorative arts and craftsmanship through
our collection of objects and artworks. Lectures and performances, both indoors and
outdoors, engage visitors year-round, and the historic Webb Barn and panoramic
Waterman Room are available to community members for rental.

Primary Responsibilities

Guided Tours & Interpretation

Complete required initial training and participate in ongoing learning.
Lead accurate and engaging guided tours of the 1752 Joseph Webb House, 1773
Silas Deane House, 1789 Isaac Stevens house, and 1711 Buttolph-Williams House,
as well as orientation tours of gallery exhibitions.
Present content based on room-by-room interpretive plans and research provided
by museum staff.
Adapt tours for a variety of audiences, including adults, school groups, families, and
special-interest groups.
Maintain tour lengths within established guidelines (generally one hour).
Support a high-quality visitor experience that reflects the museum’s mission and
interpretive goals.

Visitor Services & Front-of-House Operations

Welcome visitors in a courteous, professional, and inclusive manner.
Facilitate admissions and Museum Shop transactions in accordance with
established procedures.
Answer phones, respond to inquiries, take messages, and provide general visitor
information.
Assist patrons with reservations for programs and special events when necessary.
Promote museum programs and offerings in a positive and knowledgeable manner.

Museum Operations & Safety

Open and close the museum following established procedures and complete daily
checklists.
Maintain visitor attendance records and demographic data.
Assist with monitoring the safety and security of visitors, buildings, collections, and
grounds.
Respond calmly and professionally to emergencies and report incidents or unsafe
conditions promptly.

Programs & Additional Duties

Assist with the delivery of public programs and special events as assigned.
Conduct research or work on museum-related projects between tours, as directed.
Complete additional duties as assigned to support museum operations.
Schedule & Work Environment
This is a seasonal position, with regular work available from May through October
and December.
Limited hours may be available on a reduced basis during the off-season,
depending on museum needs.
Hours are scheduled monthly and may include weekends and holidays.
Work includes standing for extended periods and navigating historic buildings with
stairs and uneven surfaces.

To Apply | Send Cover Letter and Resume to info@wdsmuseum.org | Subject Line: Museum Guide Position