Associate Manager of Access Programs and Initiatives at The Whitney Museum

Job Title: Associate Manager of Access Programs and Initiatives

Job Status: Full-time

Location: New York, NY

Salary:  $70,000 – $72,000

The Whitney Museum seeks an Associate Manager of Access Programs and Initiatives to manage the Museum’s programs for D/deaf and disabled visitors and advise on accessible practices across the institution

The Whitney’s Access Programs and Initiatives division builds pathways for visitors with a wide range of disabilities to engage with the richness and complexity of American art. Through regular programs like Whitney Signs, Verbal Description and Touch Tours, and Quieter Hours for Neurodivergent Visitors, we work to build community and create space for multi-modal conversations about art. The Associate Manager works with staff from various departments and serves as the Whitney’s in-house advocate and expert on accessibility providing guidance, training, and resources to staff across the institution

The Associate Manager of Access Programs and Initiatives reports directly to the Director of Social Impact and supervises two employees, an intern, and a team of freelance educators. This role lives within the Social Impact division of the Whitney’s Education department.

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinating efforts to advance access initiatives across the Museum in collaboration with Education staff and other departments including Visitor Experience, Curatorial, Digital Content and Development, Exhibition Design, Graphic Design, Advancement, and the Office of People and Culture.
  • Supervising the Assistant to Access and Interpretation (in partnership with the Coordinator of Interpretation and Research) and the FAO Schwarz Fellow.
  • Contributing to broad institutional efforts to position the Museum as a welcoming, relevant, and accessible resource for D/deaf and disabled people who have traditionally experienced barriers to participation in cultural institutions.
  • Running monthly programs on Saturdays for visitors with disabilities such as sensory-friendly programming for neurodivergent visitors, Verbal Description and Touch Tours for people who are blind or have low vision, and Whitney Signs tours in American Sign Language.
  • Managing the development, coordination, and implementation of accessible virtual and in-person educational programs on and off-site for diverse audiences with physical, sensory, developmental, and cognitive disabilities.
  • Serving as co-chair of the Whitney’s Disability Art and Access working group.
  • Working collaboratively across departments to ensure institutional ADA and Section 504 compliance for the Whitney’s programs, collection, exhibitions, facilities, and website.
  • Advising on the production of accessible materials and accommodations for Whitney exhibitions and digital media projects,
  • Fostering strong relationships with local communities and contributing to audience outreach initiatives in ways which meet the needs of diverse disability communities.
  • Maintaining email and phone communications with our audiences and communities through the development of e-blasts advertising upcoming programs, and by regularly replying to inquiries that come to the AccessFeedback mailbox and voicemail.
  • Developing plans for diversifying and assessing programs and audiences. Distributing accessible surveys and assisting with cohort-based feedback with access and disability communities.
  • Performing a wide variety of administrative functions to help day-to-day management of Access Programs and Initiatives,
  • Assisting as needed in other areas of the Education Department which may include special events on weekends and evenings

 

Position requirements:

  • B.A./M.A. degree in disability studies, education, museum studies, studio art, art history, or a related field. Or equivalent experience.
  • At least two years of demonstrated experience in community-based arts programming, museum education and gallery teaching as well as knowledge of disability law and regulations, museum access programming and contemporary artistic practice.
  • 3-4 years working within and among communities, especially disability communities, in personal and/or professional settings.
  • Experience in research, outreach, accessibility, and/or community arts education.
  • Fluency or proficiency in ASL and/or Spanish is a plus
  • Working knowledge of the ADA and Section 504 compliance; experience in best practices of universal design.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Zoom, Asana, Adobe, Mailchimp and other software platforms used for access communication resources.

Compensation and Time Commitment

  • Compensation of $70,000 – $72,000 per annum 
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(B) elections
  • Generous PTO benefits
  • Commuter benefits – parking and mass transit
  • Admission to world-renowned museums across the city and nationally 
  • Pet insurance and discounted membership for Citibike

Click here to Apply

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.

 

About the Whitney:

The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.

EEO Statement:

The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels. This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment.

COVID guidelines

The health and safety of our Museum community is the highest priority.  As such, the Whitney Museum is requiring all newly hired staff members to be fully vaccinated and boosted with an FDA authorized and/or approved COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. Requests for reasonable accommodations for medical, religious, or other reasons will be considered in accordance with applicable law.