Director of Exhibits Production

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The Director of Exhibit Production leads all aspects of the production process to successful delivery of exhibits for OMSI, OMSI's Traveling Exhibits program, and external clients. OMSI produces and maintains exhibits for its owned locations, OMSI traveling programs, and partner institutions and clients throughout the country. The Director of Exhibit Production is responsible for exhibit fabrication and remediation, exhibit changeovers, shop facilities management, and personnel management to help OMSI and our partners achieve participant experience, financial, and sustainability goals.

Responsibilities include managing a team of fabricators, engineers and exhibit technicians, overseeing estimating, value engineering designs, as well as overseeing third party fabrication, shop policies and procedures and quality control. The Director of Exhibit Production will also oversee and the lead staff who execute exhibition changeovers, exhibit moves and exhibit maintenance and repair. This role will also participate in the development of strategic partnerships for production capacity and oversee third party fabrication as needed. This position works with project leadership to successfully integrate exhibit production with exhibit sales, experience development, design and project management to deliver projects on time and within budget. While OMSI is not a collections-based museum, this role will oversee collections and procedures surrounding care, deaccessioning and repatriation. This position reports to the Vice President of Learning Experiences.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• Leads strategic planning and implementation of OMSI initiatives aligning with our 5-year vision, 20-year vision, and the Equity Action Framework (EAF);
• Develops and implements strategies to achieve exhibit production goals, financial goals, operational goals and associated metrics, including forecasts;
• Leads the Exhibit Production, Exhibit Remediation and Feature/ Temporary Exhibit Planning and Installation team, with an emphasis on creating high quality exhibit experiences and products, continuously identifying and assessing skill and knowledge needs, and allocating internal and external resources to meet the needs of strategic initiatives and projects;
• Evaluates current practices and stays current with professional standards, techniques, design processes and technologies to meet the needs of diverse audiences, and plan for changing needs of the staff and the public;
• Collaborates with the VP of Learning Experience to plan for, spend, and track monthly subdivision budgets, and ensures short- and long-term requirements are met through labor planning, forecasting, and reforecasting;
• Collaborates with the VP of Marketing & Retail on the Featured Exhibit budget by contributing to the financial analysis of installation and deinstallation, with an expected annual expenditure of ~$500k-800k;
• Provides support for ongoing and strategic fundraising efforts with the Development team.
• Actively incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices into their work and teams.
• Provides staff and customer support in resolving issues that arise.

Exhibits Fabrication and Remediation:

• Manages and oversees estimating, prototyping, value engineering, production, refurbishment, and repair of exhibits at OMSI locations and for OMSI traveling programs;
• Manages and oversees evaluating, refurbishing and maintaining OMSI's Traveling Exhibits portfolio that tour museums nationally.
• Consult and provide advisement to Creative Team throughout the design process through construction documentation phase.
• Assigns workflow priorities.
• Develops strategic partnerships and relationships to expand and improve production capacity, and ensures collaborative projects are designed with clear expectations and responsibilities for each party;
• Collaborates with design, facilities, and exhibit repair to ensure OMSI's exhibits incorporate and address the needs of OMSI's diverse audiences and comply with ADA and other safety regulations, hazardous materials handling/use, and security needs.
• Collaborates with the VP of Learning Experiences and other cross-functional staff as needed on prioritization and investment strategy for remediation of exhibits and exhibition spaces.

Exhibit Changeovers:

• Oversees teams to execute and also leads featured and smaller temporary exhibit pre-planning, installation, and deinstallation logistics, including planning and receiving, vendor negotiations, ordering of supplies and materials, and determining benchmarks and timelines;
• Creates, manages, and maintains standards, best practices, and processes for working with and delivering featured exhibits. Provide training to staff, with an emphasis on safety/protocols.

Facilities Management:

• Identifies and develops a multi-year plan in collaboration with the Leadership Team to evolve and sustain OMSI's production facilities, which includes all museum operated shop spaces which currently include shops in the main building, Pepco building and SE Caruthers, with an emphasis on accessibility, and environmental and financial sustainability;
• Maintains best practices and processes
• Implements and reviews emergency response plans, with an emphasis on safety compliance and requirements for production facilities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
• Facilitates communication with Facilities staff as needed.

Collections Management:

• Provide guidance and care for the movement, storage, and condition of items on loan or in care at OMSI or at external institutions
• Provide regular updates and reports to museum leadership regarding collection status, deaccessioning efforts, and the management of loans and pieces in care of other institutions.
• Oversee and lead the deaccessioning process, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines, institutional policies, and legal requirements while maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the process.

Personnel Management:

• Manages staff and provides mentorship and coaching to enhance individual and organizational knowledge and capabilities;
• Oversees the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and training of staff;
• Fosters a collaborative team environment, with an emphasis on creating, installing, and maintaining high quality exhibit experiences and products;
• Continuously identifies and assesses skill and knowledge needs, and allocates future personnel and external resources to meet the needs of strategic initiatives and projects;
• Prepares and facilitates the development and implementation of staff workplans, and provides regular 1-on-1s, check-ins, regular team meetings, and performance reviews.

Working Conditions

• This position is exempt, paid salaried;
• This position is regular full-time scheduled for 40 hours/week;
• Requires working onsite at the museum location;
• Requires working on some weekends, holidays, and/or evenings;
• Physical Demands: 75% sitting, 10% standing, 15% lifting/carrying 50 lbs;
• Requires some crouching, bending, or stooping;
• Requires some climbing, crawling, kneeling, and twisting.

Vision Demands include:

• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches of less)
• Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)
• Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left or right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
• Depth and perception (three dimensional vision, ability to judge distance and spatial relationships)
• Ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eyes to bring an object into sharp focus)

Environmental Demands include:

• Work near moving mechanical parts
• Work in high, precarious places
• Fumes or airborne particles
• Toxic or caustic chemicals
• Risk of electric shock
• Vibration

Noise Levels include:

• Moderate (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)
• Loud (examples: metal can manufacturing department, large earth-moving equipment)
• Very loud (examples: jack hammer work, front row at rock concert)

Secondary Responsibilities

Secondary responsibilities include-but are not limited to-the following:

• Contributes to and/or participates in process improvements for projects and initiatives;
• Manages implementation of grant-funded projects,

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

REQUIREMENTS:

Business Practices:

• Proven ability to lead and manage multiple high-priority projects or initiatives in different stages of development, ensuring alignment with overlapping, time-sensitive deadlines and organizational goals.
• Ability to manage six-figure annual budgets, estimate labor time and costs for projects, and manage employee and vendor workloads across multiple and simultaneous projects;
• Ability foster and maintain a positive team dynamic with people from diverse talents and backgrounds, leveraging and developing talent and drive team-based collaboration and product evaluation;
• Excellent project budgeting skills, with an emphasis on managing product deliverables delivered by cross-departmental teams;
• Ability to supervise and oversee the quality of work produced by others, ensuring high standards and consistency across teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy;
• Exercises sound judgment while upholding high integrity and ethical standards;
• Ability to adhere to confidentiality, protocol, and community agreements and ensures alignment to organizational policies;
• Proficiency with Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office, and other relevant software tools, ensuring effective communication and resource management at a strategic level.

Exhibit Design and Production::

• In-depth ability to read design drawings and schematics to inform and advise on the production process and design process as needed;
• Demonstrated knowledge of finish carpentry/cabinet-making skills/woodworking;
• Ability to work safely and an understanding of shop safety protocols;
• Expertise in estimating material and labor costs for project proposals;
• Demonstrated knowledge with software such as Fusion 360, Inventor, and/or SketchUp;
• Proficiency in overseeing CNC machinery and operations;
• Familiarity with 3D printing machinery and operation;
• Familiarity with laser cutting machinery and operation.

Electrical and Mechanical Expertise:

• Working knowledge of machine tools such as metal lathe, metal mills, welders, and processes for the production of mechanical and electrical exhibit components;
• Working knowledge of electronics and electrical construction;
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical and mechanical systems.

Technical Expertise:

• Advanced ability to read wiring diagrams and schematics;
• Advanced knowledge of drafting and mechanical engineering concepts and methods;

Strategic Knowledge:

• Ability to lead and contribute to technical design and/or environmental design processes, with the ability to work effectively with multiple departments;
• Demonstrated knowledge of facilities management and safety management, to ensure safe and efficient operations of museum production and exhibition spaces;
• Ability to conceptualize and explain high-level, big-picture ideas and strategies, then apply them at a tangible, operational level in service of staff, vendors and learners.

Supervision and Leadership:

• Ability to supervise and oversee the quality of work produced by others, ensuring high standards and consistency across teams.
• Ability foster and maintain a positive team dynamic with people from diverse talents and backgrounds, leveraging and developing talent, and drive team-based collaboration and product evaluation;
• Ability to establish , and strengthen professional relationships with community, industry, and institutional giving partners.

PREFERENCES:

• Knowledge and skill to produce quality products in a production environment;
• Ability to use loading machinery such as forklift and scissor lifts;
• Ability to safely operate a pallet jack;
• Familiarity with OSHA compliance and safety protocols;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in a non-English priority language in Oregon.

Education & Work Experiences

REQUIREMENTS:

• At least 5 years of cumulative experience with increasing responsibility:
  • Demonstrated project management experience, with an emphasis on staff supervision, multiple project management, resourceful problem-solving and adaptability, process improvements, and budget responsibility;
  • Experience leading production or technical teams in fabrication and installation/changeover processes.
  • Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced collaborative environment with stringent and overlapping deadlines;
  • Experience working effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and talents in professional work environments, with an emphasis on collaborative projects and deliverables;
  • Examples of effective project management and leadership in service of short- and long-term projects and deliverables;
  • Examples of effective communication with a variety of internal and external stakeholders in a work environment, as well as fostering strong and lasting community partnerships and relationships.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience of supervising and supporting the professional growth and development of staff and/or volunteers.

PREFERENCES:

• A four-year degree preferred within, but not limited to the following disciplines: Fabrication, Construction Management, Engineering, or Architecture, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Requirements/Preferences; Including Licenses and Certifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Pre-employment checks, such as criminal background checks and reference checks.

PREFERENCES:

• Current OSHA Forklift Certification.

Benefits and Perks at OMSI

• Multiple health plans (OMSI pays 86% of employee premiums)
• 2 weeks of vacation per year
• 2 weeks of sick time per year
• 12 personal / cultural days (PTO) per year
• 403(b) retirement with employer match eligibility
• Free annual OMSI Family Membership
• Reciprocal Employee Attractions Pass (REAP)
• Inclusion-centered professional development opportunities
• Employee-led rewards and recognition program
• Discounts on summer programs for employee's children