Job Summary
The External Affairs Manager will report to the Executive Director and play a vital role in advancing the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy's mission. This position is responsible for overseeing long-term strategic initiatives, managing external partnerships, and ensuring the successful implementation of projects that align with HFTC's programmatic strategy. The External Affairs Manager must be a creative and results-driven professional who excels in a mission-oriented, community-focused environment. This role demands strong communication, organizational, and project management skills, along with the ability to navigate complex relationships with government agencies, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Duties
- Preservation Capital Projects
- Oversee day‑to‑day coordination of preservation capital projects across the heritage and historic district, ensuring work aligns with the Conservancy’s long‑term restoration and activation goals.
- Manage planning, scheduling, and execution of structural stabilization, restoration, and rehabilitation projects in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
- Coordinate architects, preservation specialists, engineers, contractors, and consultants to ensure high‑quality, preservation‑appropriate work.
- Monitor construction progress, conduct site inspections, and ensure compliance with historic preservation guidelines, permitting requirements, and local historic district regulations.
- Support capital budgeting, procurement, and contractor selection processes, ensuring projects remain on schedule and within approved budgets.
- Maintain documentation of all preservation activities, including condition assessments, project reports, contractor records, and compliance filings.
- Ensure all capital work protects the long‑term integrity of historic structures, mitigates risk, and prepares sites for future public use, programming, and activation.
- Strategic Operations:
- Develop and manage processes, protocols, and systems that advance HFTC’s core values and strategic goals.
- Manage consultants by developing and reviewing scopes of work, budgets, and performance.
- Develop and execute a merchandise strategy that aligns with the Conservancy’s brand, visitor experience goals, and earned‑revenue priorities.
- Create and source retail products that reflect the history, culture, and identity of Freedmen’s Town.
- Manage inventory systems and controls for both on‑site and online retail, ensuring accurate stock levels, timely replenishment, and efficient product flow.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams, including the Visitor Center team and Funds Development Manager, and the Communication’s staff to facilitate collaboration and support organizational objectives.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with various City of Houston departments, including Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and Historic Preservation.
- Public Visibility & Communications
- Oversee day‑to‑day communications activities to ensure consistent, accurate, and mission‑aligned messaging across all external platforms.
- Manage engagement strategies and analytics to strengthen public visibility and support heritage tourism.
- Oversee the Communications Staff, who are responsible for social media content, posting schedules, development, and distribution of the Conservancy’s newsletter.
- Serve as a point of contact for media inquiries, interviews, and external communications, preparing talking points, briefing materials, and public statements that reflect the Conservancy’s mission and brand.
- Ensure all communications reinforce the integrity of the Freedmen’s Town Heritage District and elevate community voices, cultural narratives, and preservation efforts.
- Budget and Financial Planning
- Manage the development, management, and tracking of operational and project budgets.
- Analyze organizational budgets to optimize resources for operations, capital projects, and public programs..
- Build rolling 12-month revenue models/projections for facility use and rentals, tours, and retail sales.
- Monitor external operational cash flows weekly against approved annual budgets to prevent departmental overspending.
- Collaborate with the Executive Director, Internal Operations Manager, and Fund Development team to ensure financial strategies align with HFTC’s mission and goals.
- Safety and Compliance
- Implement safety protocols and communicate HFTC’s policies to staff and partners to ensure alignment with the organization’s safety standards and goals.
- Investigate complex issues, complaints, and incidents, working with stakeholders to identify solutions that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations that impact the Heritage District.
- Navigate compliance requirements and work closely with local government offices to strengthen HFTC’s presence and operational efficiency.
- Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director
Skills
- Strong understanding of operational leadership principles, public finance, and the workings of local and state government.
The ideal candidate possesses the following characteristics:
- Demonstrated initiative, autonomy, and strategic thinking
- Driven by values, and acts with integrity and purpose
- Acts in the best interest of the organization
- Highly resilient and creatively adapts to challenges
- Able to self-manage and lead multiple projects and priorities to ensure successful and timely delivery
- Strong will to advance ideas tempered by humility and curiosity in the ideas of others
- Embraces HFTC values of kindness, empathy, and mutual respect
- Strives to participate in and cultivate a workplace culture of equity and belonging
- Embraces working within a diverse environment with a high degree of cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence, both within HFTC’s staff and within the extraordinary diversity of Houston
- Seeks first to understand the position of their colleagues
- Pro-actively offers direct and constructive feedback and dissent in the spirit of improving the Organization and supporting the success of their colleagues
- Accept constructive feedback
- High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and sensitivity to deadlines
- Must be willing to work primarily within our offices in Fourth Ward Freedmen’s Town
- Proven ability to coordinate multiple projects with competing deadlines.
- Ability to represent HFTC before the public and elected officials professionally.
- Competence in interpreting technical documents and preparing clear, concise reports.
Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that an applicant is unlikely to meet 100% of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if much of this job description describes you, you are highly encouraged to apply for this role.
Submission Process
Please email a cover letter expressing interest in the role along with a current CV to [email protected].
Initial interviews may take place virtually, but finalists will be interviewed in person in Houston.
Applicant review will continue until the position is filled. Please indicate your last name and External Affairs Manager in the subject line (e.g., “Last name | External Affairs Manager”). No phone calls, please. Candidates whose qualifications are best aligned with the components of this job description will receive a response.
Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy fully subscribes to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. It is our policy to provide employment, compensation, and other benefits related to employment based on qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. In accordance with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the Museum’s policy to provide reasonable accommodation upon request during the application process to eligible applicants in order that they may be given a full and fair opportunity to be considered for employment.
Pay: $58,857.39 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have professional experience working in historic preservation, heritage conservation, or a related environment?
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Houston, TX 77019 (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
