Museum Operations Manager; Historic Property

Position: Museum Operations Manager (Historic Property, Contract role) Overview The Choice is facilitating an upcoming contract for our client, a small historic property museum. This is an interim employment opportunity due to a staff member on family leave. Estimated Timeframe: Nov 2025 – February 2026 with potential extension Hours/Location: approximately 40 hours weekly, including on-site for public tours 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Thursday through Sunday, the remaining hours may be worked from home during the week. Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, public history, historic preservation, arts administration, architecture/design, or related field (or equivalent experience) required. Master’s degree in museum studies, public history, arts administration, architecture/design, or related field preferred. • 5+ years of hands-on experience managing operations, exhibitions, or facilities in a museum, historic site, or cultural venue. • Demonstrated success producing exhibitions and writing/editing interpretive content (submit two short writing samples). • Strong project management skills: budgets, schedules, vendor/fabricator coordination, and risk tracking across multiple concurrent projects. • Proficiency with collections/CRM and office tools (e.g., Past Perfect or equivalent; MS/Google suite; basic PM software). • Excellent interpersonal skills; consistent, welcoming public presence; commitment to inclusive, accessible experiences. • Experience with event/rental operations; first-aid/CPR or incident management training preferred • Familiarity with ADA/inclusive-design standards and plain-language editorial practices preferred Job Duties • This role will manage the stewardship, maintenance, exhibitions, and public programs of the museum as well as programming coordination. Duties will include: • Lead the day-to-day operations of the museum, ensuring a safe, welcoming, and engaging experience for all visitors. • Daily site operations: Open/close procedures; front-of-house readiness; visitor services; ticketing/check-in; gallery standards. • Safety & compliance: Life-safety checks; incident reporting; first-response coordination; adherence to policies/procedures; authority to pause operations for safety and initiate incident command protocols until relieved. • Environment & collections care: Monitor temperature, humidity, and light; uphold housekeeping standards; conduct integrated pest management checks; coordinate with collections consultants for handling and preventive care; maintain logs. • Docent & volunteer oversight: Schedule and oversee docents, temps, and volunteers. • Exhibitions: Build production calendars; coordinate fabrication, installation, and deinstallation; proof and approve labels and room text for accuracy, tone, and accessibility (including ADA and inclusive-design practices). • Programs & rentals: Serve as day-of on-site lead for tours, programs, partner events, and rentals; coordinate facilities and vendors; manage run-of-show and post-event resets. • Project management & risk: Keep to budgets and schedules for the museum operations and exhibits; track deliverables, risks, and mitigations; maintain dashboards and compliance records. • Support the design and delivery of exhibitions and public programs that introduce audiences to the Global Campus and its vision for design literacy. • Exhibition content: Research, draft, and edit interpretive materials (object labels, section/room text, handouts, family activities) in collaboration with leadership and designers. • Production coordination: Maintain content calendars and milestones; route proofs; coordinate with fabricators and vendors; support installation days as assigned; manage credit lines and acknowledgments. • Public programming: Coordinate with programming and operations on logistics, staffing plans, run-of-show, and audience experience; assist on-site for select events. • Stakeholder alignment: Liaise with partners, educators, and community groups to ensure mission alignment, audience accessibility, and brand consistency. • Capital project liaison: Serve as liaison to the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for capital projects including HVAC modernization, roof replacement, and accessibility upgrades—key steps toward making the museum the oldest LEED-certified building in the United States. • Procurement: Draft project scopes; solicit quotes and RFPs for museum operations and maintenance. • Vendor coordination: Act as the primary point of contact for associated external vendors, contractors, and consultants. • Facilities maintenance: Liaise with JLL engineering services for oversight of the physical plant; coordinate maintenance vendors and service providers for ongoing facility needs. • Planning & reporting: Maintain workplans, calendars, and outcome dashboards for exhibits, programs, rentals, donations, maintenance, and capital projects. Seniority level • Mid-Senior level Employment type • Full-time Job function • Administrative and Other Industries • Museums, Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos, and Architecture and Planning #J-18808-Ljbffr Apply tot his job Apply To this Job