The International Spy Museum is an independent nonprofit museum with a mission to create compelling exhibitions and other learning experiences that shed light on the shadow world of espionage and intelligence, educating and challenging each of us to engage critically with the complex world around us.

Since the International Spy Museum (SPY) opened our doors in 2002, we are proud to have become part of the cultural and educational fabric of Washington, DC: a museum that is propelled by a dedication to serving our community and preserving espionage history.

With the incredible support of our leadership, team, Board, donors, partners, and community, the International Spy Museum’s momentum continues to reach new heights. 700,000 visitors walk through our doors each year, including thousands of young people who participate in our workshops and field trips, leaving excited and engaged in learning. Beyond the walls of the Museum, millions more continue to learn through innovative, award-winning virtual programs and online content.

Our leadership team and Board of Directors will complete work on five-year strategic plan in 2027 and then kick off a new five-year strategic plan that is empowering and inspiring to our team. We are thinking big about what is next: reimagined exhibits, new temporary exhibits, dynamic technology-enabled educational programs, community partnerships, strategic fundraising, and more.

The foundation of everything we do is our culture. The Spy Museum is a vibrant and lively culture where you’ll find constant innovation, a tremendous sense of fun, teams rowing in the same direction with strong communications, a focus on transparency plus specific and shared goals.

The Executive Director serves as the public face, principal spokesperson, and external ambassador of the International Spy Museum. This role is responsible for advancing the Museum’s reputation, relevance, and public impact by authentically representing its mission, content, and values to the intelligence community, policymakers, donors, media, and the broader public.

Drawing on a personal background in intelligence, espionage, or the national security community, the Executive Director brings lived experience, authority, and storytelling credibility to the Museum’s work. This is a highly visible, nontraditional leadership role that centers on public engagement, content leadership, and relationship-building rather than operational or administrative management. The Executive Director works in close partnership with the President, Board, and senior leadership, who retain responsibility for the organization’s strategy, operations, finances, and administration.

The Executive Director’s direct management responsibility is the Museum’s Exhibits & Collections and Programs departments, which together comprise a team of approximately 16 employees. Oversight of these teams focuses on content quality, historical integrity, storytelling, and public impact, rather than personnel administration or operational management.

• Serving as the Museum’s primary spokesperson and external representative, engaging regularly with national and international media, public audiences, and opinion leaders, often on short notice and outside traditional business hours.

• Playing a central role in donor cultivation and stewardship by participating or initiating meetings, events, and conversations that translate the Museum’s mission into compelling philanthropic narratives. The Executive Director works closely with the Development team, President and Board to engage donors, foundations, and sponsors.

• Representing the Museum at conferences, symposia, events, panels, lectures, intelligence and national security forums, and community gatherings, and being a trusted voice during moments of heightened public interest related to intelligence, national security, or global events.

• Leveraging personal experience within the intelligence, military, national security, or policy community to provide authoritative interpretation and context for the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, educational content and public commentary.

• Leading high-profile museum tours for senior leaders, donors, policymakers, and visiting delegations, as well as frequent engagement with children, school groups, and youth organizations such as scouts and student programs. These engagements inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and understanding of intelligence history and global affairs.

• Cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with current and former intelligence professionals, government and military leaders, policy experts, educators, cultural institutions, and strategic partners.

• Responding in real time to global events, conflicts, wars, and intelligence-related developments by providing historical context, educational perspective, and informed public commentary, while remaining nonpartisan and mission-aligned.

• Providing leadership and oversight of the Exhibits and Programs departments, including two vice presidents and a total team of approximately 16 staff.

• Determining how contemporary events, emerging threats, and evolving global dynamics are reflected, interpreted, or contextualized within exhibitions and public programming.

• Chairing or supporting advisory councils related to content and programming and convening respected subject-matter experts whose insights inform and strengthen the Museum’s exhibitions and initiatives.

• Reporting to and working in close partnership with the President to ensure strong alignment, mutual respect, and effective communication.

• Serving as a steward of the Museum’s values by modelling ethical leadership, sound judgment, discretion, and personal integrity in all public-facing activities, communications, and relationships, recognizing the sensitivity of intelligence history and the public trust placed in the institution.

• A distinguished career within the intelligence, military intelligence, national security, defense, or closely related policy community, with senior-level experience that confers national or international credibility to convene senior leaders, influence discourse, and gain access to high-level forums, events, and conversations.

• Clear alignment with the mission, values, and educational purpose of the International Spy Museum.

• Demonstrated experience representing institutions or issues of national or global importance in public settings, serving as a trusted spokesperson, speaker, commentator, or thought leader.

• Exceptional communication and storytelling ability, with a proven capacity to interpret and convey complex intelligence, security, and geopolitical issues accurately, responsibly, and compellingly to broad public audiences.

• Ability to inspire curiosity, wonder, and critical thinking among young audiences, including children, students, and educators, and to translate intelligence history into engaging, age-appropriate learning experiences.

• Ability to play a central and influential role in fundraising and institutional advancement by leveraging personal credibility, visibility, and relationships to inspire confidence, open doors, and materially advance philanthropic support for the Museum.

• Demonstrated commitment to nonpartisan, balanced, and historically grounded communication, with the credibility to engage audiences across ideological perspectives and maintain trust in polarized environments.

• Comfort operating as a highly visible public figure, with availability for nontraditional hours, frequent travel, short-notice media engagement, and sustained external presence.

• Experience engaging thoughtfully with current global events, including wars, conflicts, intelligence crises, or national security developments, by providing context, education, and historical perspective rather than advocacy.

• Familiarity with museums, cultural institutions, educational organizations, or other mission-driven public-facing nonprofits, or a demonstrated appreciation for their civic and educational role a plus.

• A collaborative leadership style, with the maturity and confidence to partner closely with the President and Board.

• Intellectual depth, curiosity, and discipline, with a willingness to immerse fully in the Museum’s content, exhibitions, history, and stakeholder community over time.

• A strong record of sound judgment, discretion, ethical leadership, and personal integrity, particularly when operating in highly visible roles or addressing sensitive topics during periods of global conflict or political tension.

Bachelor’s degree required. Preferred, but not required: Master’s or other relevant advanced degree.

This person must be in the Washington, DC area. This person is expected to travel regularly to represent the International Spy Museum at conferences and events and engage with stakeholders both domestically and internationally. Must have valid travel credentials (e.g. passport, driver’s license, etc.)

In compliance with U.S. federal law, the successful candidate hired for the Executive Director role will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The International Spy Museum has retained Korn Ferry to assist the President and Board of Directors in this search. Screening will begin in April 2026 and continue until an appointment is made. For consideration, candidates must submit a resume and cover letter. Submissions in strict confidence may be emailed to sophia_carr@kornferry.com