Exhibitions Manager at the Jewish Museum

Job Title: Exhibitions Manager

Job Status: Full-time

The Jewish Museum:

The Jewish Museum serves people of all religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds through world-class art exhibitions ranging from ancient to contemporary. Founded in 1904 and located on New York City’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum aspires to be the global leader at the center of Jewish culture.

The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years. The Museum’s thought-provoking, innovative, and intellectually stimulating exhibitions and education programs serve a wide range of audiences, including families, teens, students, educators, and visitors with disabilities. As an identity-based institution, the Museum plays an important role among cultural institutions, challenging all forms of bigotry and discrimination and promoting understanding among wide audiences. The Jewish Museum invites applicants of all backgrounds to consider joining the Museum in its work.

The Jewish Museum is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all and to promoting a positive work culture that celebrates difference, challenges prejudice, and ensures fairness. Integrity, collegiality, and excellence are central to the Museum’s values. These values, along with an institution-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion (DEAI), are embedded in the Museum’s strategic plan and will be the focus of a comprehensive DEAI action plan.

The Position:

Reporting to the Director of Program Administration, the Exhibitions Manager serves as a project manager for temporary special exhibitions, collection rotations, and traveling exhibitions within the context of the Jewish Museum’s robust exhibition program, overseeing and implementing all aspects of the planning process. The Director of Exhibitions is responsible for the management of assigned projects from approval through installation. Produces and communicates project plans while working closely with various departments across the Museum.

Responsibilities Include:

Exhibition Planning and Implementation:

Prepares and implements exhibition timelines, guiding the planning process simultaneously for several exhibitions at various stages of development.

  • Prepares, monitors, and revises workplans that outline the workflow and deadlines for four major exhibitions and up to ten smaller exhibitions (including rotations of the permanent collection) annually for each exhibition’s team, including: curator(s), registrar, publications, designers, and installation crew. Tracks receipt of deliverables.
  • Schedules and leads quarterly and monthly planning meetings, create agendas, and follow-up on action items related to exhibition planning.
  • Main point of contact for exhibition related contractors, including exhibition designers, fabricators, and other vendors. Fields queries and correspondence internally as appropriate.
  • Reviews and disperses exhibition schematic drawings to key staff for review and approval. Troubleshoots and makes suggestions to keep designs within scope and on budget.
  • Drafts contracts, creates budgets, monitors expenses, and advises on insurance requirements for assigned exhibitions.
  • Coordinates Director review/approval process of exhibition design elements, liaising with exhibition designers and curators.
  • Runs the floor during exhibition installations, managing administrative and production issues as they arise. Demonstrates initiative and proactive thinking to solve problems swiftly and independently in complex situations.
  • Oversees the production and installation of artist fabricated exhibition components. With design and publications, manages workflows for exhibition graphics.
  • Plans, schedules, and assigns work for external vendors in relation to the exhibition. Plans and establishes work schedules, deadlines and standards for acceptable work.

Communications:

Establishes communications, generates positive relations, tracks information and follows through on arrangements with lenders, artists, participating venues, contractors, and relevant staff members.

  • Drafts, negotiates, and executes exhibition-related agreements with third parties in consultation with key stakeholders and Chief Counsel.
  • Monitors contracts and payment schedules for all independent consultants/contractors working on exhibitions.
  • Prepares pitch materials to solicit institutions as traveling exhibition venues. Tracks related correspondence offering exhibitions, and maintains records on past and potential venues.
  • Disseminates exhibition information to Museum departments and facilitates interdepartmental communication regarding exhibition process and progress.
  • Represents the department in meetings regarding administration of assigned exhibitions.

Departmental:

Manages exhibition budgeting, ensures clear communications surrounding the budgeting process, disseminates key information regarding exhibitions interdepartmentally, and streamlines the exhibition production process.

  • Develops, tracks, and reconciles exhibition budgets totaling $2.5–3M annually. Works with curators, registrars, and operations to track exhibition expenses.
  • For traveling exhibitions, creates prorated expense budgets and tracks reimbursable expenses for the life of the tour.
  • Spearheads the annual exhibition budgeting process and calls budget creation and re-projection meetings. Reports budget information to DD of Finance, Chief Curator, development, and other departments as necessary.
  • Schedules and chairs a monthly inter-departmental logistics meeting. Creates agendas with key stakeholders, coordinates presentations, and creates notes of action items following each meeting.
  • Manages, with IT, permissions for exhibitions related files on Museum server. Organizes file structure for exhibition file drive.
  • Participates in discussions about Museum-wide efficiency and use of technology
  • Reviews exhibition procedures and recommends methods for improving efficiency

Requirements:

  • B.A. degree in art, art history, museum administration, museum studies, or a related field preferred.
  • At least 4 years relevant experience managing complex exhibition programs or similar, including financial analysis, insurance, and budgets.
  • Experience with fine arts insurance, knowledge of standard museum loan and registration processes; understanding of art handling and transportation best practices.
  • Aptitude to work across departments and disciplines in a highly collaborative, goal-oriented manner; ability to maintain a professional and positive attitude in a dynamic and creative setting.
  • High degree of organizational skill and ability to handle multiple projects in various stages of development; demonstrated ability to proactively prioritize and manage time, juggle multiple duties and tasks, and meet deadlines.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, effective and diplomatic negotiation skills.
  • Command of Excel spreadsheets, superior budgeting and contract preparation skills.
  • Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Center for Disease Control (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to qualified disability or sincerely held religious belief or other legal basis)

To Apply:

Send Resume with Cover Letter To:

Director, Human Resources

The Jewish Museum

1109 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10128

Email: jobs@thejm.org

The Jewish Museum is committed to diversifying its staff and encourages individuals of all abilities and ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds to apply for this position. The Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic prohibited by applicable law.