Exhibit Operations Manager at the Pacific Science Center

Position Summary

The Exhibit Operations Manager (EOM) is a full-time position that contributes to Pacific Science Center’s mission to spark curiosity and fuel a passion for discovery, experimentation and critical thinking by delighting guests with an exceptionally well-maintained, hands-on exhibit floor experience. The EOM leads the Exhibit Operations team and helps establish high-quality exhibit operations in a period of renewal after the COVID 19 dormancy, prioritizing: maintenance of existing exhibits, long-term planning for exhibit turnovers and refreshes, and quality control. This is an ideal position for someone who has a builder mind-set and loves to problem solve and plan. They will improve and maintain a guest-centric, performance-driven approach to exhibit operations that will include regular maintenance and repair, new fabrication and rebuilds for indoor and outdoor experiences, as well as collaborative contribution to thoughtful, integrated new exhibit experiences. The EOM mentors and motivates the Exhibit Operations (Ops) team with demonstrated practical knowledge of shop protocols including safety, fabrication techniques, tools and equipment, and project and client management. The EOM is a collaborator who works with an innovative team including exhibit designers and developers, educators, and Facilities and Events staff in addition to external partners to facilitate an excellent guest experience. The EOM prioritizes Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access throughout this work as well as in colleague and community relationships.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Leads a team in helping to maintain, fabricate, and ideate compelling hands-on exhibits throughout 60,000 sf of indoor and outdoor space.
  • Hires, trains, schedules, and supervises Ops staff including timesheet management.
  • Actively works to bring out the full potential of the Ops team, providing clear direction, compelling purpose and realistic expectations.
  • Provides Ops team with regular feedback, mentoring, and team building.
  • Cultivates curiosity and a bias for action, working to remove barriers that limit creativity and solution thinking.
• Is a trusted thought-partner
  • Seeks opportunities to improve Exhibit Operations communications, systems, processes and policies in support of Pacific Science Center’s mission and guiding principles, with an emphasis on efficient, consistent, safe and sustainable practices.
  • Models cross team collaborative engagement in development efforts from ideation to fabrication and implementation providing technical, practical and creative support throughout these processes
  • Creates, implements and manages the project and fabrication request system; intra and inter team communication
• Is a safety steward.
  • Oversees exhibit fabrication shops, e.g. wood, plastics, metals and electronics, ensuring safety standards are up to date, communicated to and followed by all ops staff, other internal partners and external partners
  • Ensures all users receive appropriate training on equipment and understand and acknowledge safety procedures
  • Ensures equipment is properly maintained, supplied and inventoried
  • Creates and manages policies/procedures for the engaging and safe use of exhibit spaces for other teams (e.g. Events)
• Manages the logistics:
  • Manages vendor interactions including sourcing, contracting and execution
  • Plan, prepare and supervise the installation and de-installation for both internal and externally designed exhibit experiences which may include rental/traveling exhibits, including receiving and sending out exhibit shipments
  • Ensure that Exhibit Operations contributes to PacSci operations as a Smart and Responsible Business by developing and actively managing the Exhibit Operations budget including monthly reconciliation. Ensure that any budget related contract requirements are met
• Other duties as assigned