What are the responsibilities and job description for the Exhibits Manager position at Smithsonian Institution?
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), Exhibits Department. NMAI is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere, past, present and future, through partnership with Native People and others.
Qualifications:
Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position Specialized experience is defined as: experience using Native knowledge as a primary resource to manage, plan, and develop museum exhibitions from the conceptual phase through design, production, and installation, ensuring that projects are brought to completion within scope, schedule, and budget.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Responsibilities:
The Exhibits Manager is responsible for facilitating, coordinating and mediating the work of the exhibition team.
In this position, you will:
- Work with cross-functional teams to ensure that exhibitions reflect the philosophy and mission of NMAI, and that information is organized so that exhibition content is thematically and visually coherent as well as easily understood by, and accessible to, a broad range of audiences.
- Develop and manage the exhibition production and installation process, including approaches, schedules, and cost estimates for major exhibits, so that exhibitions meet NMAI, SI, and museum industry standards.
- Serve as the central point of contact for all phases of project planning and implementation, including preparation of documentation for review by senior management.
- Regularly communicate project status to team members and senior managers.
- Ensure that exhibitions clearly and accurately reflect the philosophy and mission of the NMAI.
