Gallery Operations Manager

Museums Victoria; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 105,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

Museums Victoria invites applications for a full-time Gallery Operations Manager to lead the ongoing care of exhibitions, galleries and public displays. You will ensure safety, functionality and high presentation standards across MV venues, coordinating planned and responsive maintenance with contractors and budgets.

As a leader of the Gallery Operations team, you will foster an inclusive, development-focused environment while collaborating with stakeholders to minimise disruption and deliver

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining exhibitions and galleries in public facilities.
• Ability to assess maintenance issues and prioritise planned and responsive works.
• Extensive planning and project management experience.
• Staff leadership and development skills.
• Stakeholder relationship building and negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planned and responsive maintenance of Museums Victoria's exhibitions, galleries and public displays across its venues, ensuring they remain safe, functional and presented to a high standard.
• Plan and deliver exhibition repairs, refreshment and refurbishment works, including assessing issues, setting priorities, allocating resources and minimising disruption to visitors.
• Lead and manage the performance of Gallery Operations team members, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and development-focused work environment.
• Manage gallery maintenance projects and contractors, including allocating tasks, monitoring budgets and deliverables, liaising with stakeholders, and achieving project milestones.
• Provide gallery maintenance and operational expertise to long-term exhibition development teams and contribute to project briefs, specifications, planning, reporting, occupational health and safety, and risk management requirements.

Skills

Staff management

Project management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Contractor coordination

Leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Job description

ABOUT MUSEUMS VICTORIA:

Ever dreamed of working in a place where dinosaurs roam, stars explode, and the world's most intriguing stories come to life? Welcome to Museums Victoria (MV)—where every day is a new opportunity to create unforgettable experiences. As one of the southern hemisphere's largest and most iconic museum organisations, we're not just about exhibits; we're about engaging, immersive moments that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection.

Home to the awe-inspiring Melbourne Museum, the culturally rich Immigration Museum, the mind-expanding Scienceworks, and the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, MV is a place where exhibitions transform spaces and stories into something truly unmissable. Join a passionate team that brings ideas to life and makes discovery part of everyday experience.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Gallery Operations Manager leads the ongoing care and maintenance of exhibitions, galleries and public displays across Museums Victoria. This role is specifically focused on keeping gallery experiences safe, functional and presented to a high standard through planned and responsive maintenance, repairs, refreshment and refurbishment. Leading the Gallery Operations team, the manager coordinates people, contractors, budgets and resources, resolves exhibition issues and works closely with stakeholders to minimise disruption and deliver an excellent visitor experience across Museums Victoria's venues.

Some of the key duties include:

• Lead the planned and responsive maintenance of Museums Victoria's exhibitions, galleries and public displays across its venues, ensuring they remain safe, functional and presented to a high standard.
• Plan and deliver exhibition repairs, refreshment and refurbishment works, including assessing issues, setting priorities, allocating resources and minimising disruption to visitors.
• Lead and manage the performance of Gallery Operations team members, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and development-focused work environment.
• Manage gallery maintenance projects and contractors, including allocating tasks, monitoring budgets and deliverables, liaising with stakeholders, and achieving project milestones.
• Provide gallery maintenance and operational expertise to long-term exhibition development teams and contribute to project briefs, specifications, planning, reporting, occupational health and safety, and risk management requirements.

The successful applicant will have:

• Extensive experience and a record of achievement in the ongoing maintenance, repair, refreshment and refurbishment of exhibitions and galleries in a public facility such as a museum or gallery.
• Demonstrated ability to assess exhibition maintenance issues, prioritise planned and responsive works, coordinate technical solutions and maintain safe, high-quality gallery presentation.
• Extensive planning and project management experience, including the ability to manage timelines, budgets, contractors, resources and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated staff management experience and the ability to provide leadership that supports staff development and fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective stakeholder relationships and to influence, communicate, negotiate and advocate.

OTHER INFORMATION

This is a full-time, ongoing position. The salary on offer is VPS Grade 5, Value Range 1 - base of grade $116,413 per annum + 12% superannuation.

OUR COMMITMENT

Museums Victoria is strongly committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We create and maintain a child safe environment and have zero tolerance for child abuse. The successful applicant will be required to undergo a National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check, and be assessed as suitable.

Museums Victoria is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and celebrate all communities. Museums Victoria is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, and people of all ages, gender identities and sexual orientations.

We are committed to an accessible and inclusive recruitment process. If you require adjustments or support to participate, please contact the person listed in this advertisement.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 15 October 2026 (11:59pm)