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

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