Associate Director for Collections & Exhibitions

Smithsonian Institution; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 144,000 - 187,000; Full time

Job summary

The Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery seeks an Associate Director for Collections & Exhibitions to lead registration, art handling, design, and production, guiding the department's curatorial and operational teams.

You will partner with directors to set strategic priorities for collection care and exhibition development, manage multi-year schedules, loans and budgets, and oversee exhibitions to deliver high-impact, accessible experiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for registration, art handling, exhibition design and production.
• Collaborate with the Director and senior leadership to establish strategic priorities for collection care and exhibition development.
• Oversee short- and long-term planning of NPG's exhibition program, including multi-year schedules, rotations, touring exhibitions, and loan agreements.
• Work with curators, educators, designers, and stakeholders to ensure exhibitions meet interpretive, aesthetic, and accessibility objectives.

Job description

Associate Director for Collections & Exhibitions

• Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
• Location: Washington, District of Columbia

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 Collections & Exhibitions Department, National Portrait Gallery (NPG) at the Smithsonian Institution (SI).

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Director for Collections and Exhibitions provides strategic leadership and oversight of professional and technical teams responsible for registration, art handling, exhibition design and production, museum lighting and technology, and exhibition planning and touring. In this position, you will: Collaborate with the Director and senior leadership to establish strategic priorities for collection care and exhibition development.

Manage the short- and long-term planning of NPG's exhibition program, including multi-year schedules, collection rotations, touring exhibitions, and loan agreements. Provide leadership to subordinate supervisors, overseeing resource allocation, timelines, and exhibition activities to ensure projects remain on schedule and within budget.

Work closely with curators, educators, designers, and other stakeholders to ensure exhibitions meet interpretive, aesthetic, and accessibility objectives.

The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options. Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.

Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/ Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Smithsonian Institution , Other Agencies and Independent Organizations.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $143913 – $187093/yr.

Is this position remote or telework eligible?

This position is eligible for telework.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Other security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-13.

What is the work schedule?

This is a Full-Time, Permanent position.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Internal Search' hiring path.