Curatorial Administrator | Phoenix Art Museum

ARTS COMMISSION; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Museum benefits

Job summary

Phoenix Art Museum seeks a Curatorial Administrator to support the Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs. This role involves managing calendars, coordinating exhibitions, and facilitating communication across departments. Ideal candidates hold a degree in relevant fields and possess strong project management skills. Knowledge of modern and contemporary art is preferred.

The position offers a regular, full-time schedule at 30 hours per week with a pay range of $40,000 – $45,000/year and benefits.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in a museum or educational institution.
• Background in modern and contemporary art preferred.
• Experience in museum curatorial or education department with program development and project management.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive-level administrative support to the Chief Curator.
• Manage the Chief Curator’s calendar and meetings.
• Support exhibition program coordination and planning.
• Collaborate with senior leadership on Museum-wide initiatives.
• Assist with budget preparation for exhibitions.

Skills

Project management

PowerPoint

Excel

Collections management systems

Modern and contemporary art knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Museum Studies, Business Administration, Project Management, Art History, or a related field

Job description

Phoenix Art Museum is looking for a Curatorial Administrator to provide executive-level administrative and project management support to the Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs. The Curatorial Division is one of the Museum’s three primary functional areas and includes all curatorial departments, Registration, Exhibition Preparation, and Engagement. Helps coordinate the Museum’s exhibition program by supporting exhibition scheduling, budgets, production timelines, and cross-departmental planning. Responsibilities include managing the Chief Curator’s calendar and meetings, coordinating division-wide planning activities, tracking key projects and annual planning cycles, supporting artist visits and special initiatives, and facilitating collaboration with senior leadership, the Director’s Office, and the Board of Trustees. Also supports the Division’s participation in strategic institutional initiatives and provides periodic administrative and project management assistance to the Modern and Contemporary Art department.

JOB DUTIES

• Support and help advance projects and initiatives of the Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs including advance exhibition calendar management and development, collection administration, institution-wide planning efforts, such as strategic planning and facilities planning.
• Provide daily administrative support to the Chief Curator, including correspondence and communication with artists, galleries, collectors, trustees, and donors; interface with museum staff, other museum leaders and the museum’s Board of Trustees; manage contracts for artists, guest curators, galleries, and guest writers; prepare PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets for meetings.
• Provide support to the Manager of Exhibitions, Interpretation and Publications in administration of the institution-wide exhibition schedule, budget, and production timeline management system. Schedule cross-departmental exhibition kick-off planning and milestone meetings. Monitor exhibition milestones to track curatorial productivity and planning and recommend adjustments to deadlines.
• Regularly collaborate with senior leadership executive assistants on various Museum-wide initiatives and provide project management support for the Museum Leadership team.
• Assist with planning and execution of permanent collection and modern and contemporary art temporary exhibitions organized by the Chief Curator and other curators in the Modern and Contemporary Art department.
• Coordinate monthly and quarterly updates to the advance exhibition schedule narrative and ensure distribution.
• Manage departmental budget for Modern and Contemporary art and assist the Chief Curator in budget preparation and oversight of individual Exhibition budgets as well as the annual budgets for the entire Curatorial Division.
• Coordinate travel for special curatorial guests not otherwise covered by Education, Development, and/or the Director’s Office.
• Support the Chief Curator in developing guests lists and coordinating invites to special guests and dignitaries for exhibition openings.
• Foster and maintain good working relationships with colleagues from other institutions in the U.S. and abroad, with the scholarly community, and with dealers, collectors, and donors.
• Organize and maintain paper and electronic records and files.
• Maintain discretion in engagements with donors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Museum Studies, Business Administration, Project Management, Art History, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered (defined as 3-5 years of experience in a museum or educational institution).
• Background in modern and contemporary art preferred.
• Previous experience working in a museum curatorial or education department with progressively responsible experience including program development, scholarly research, and project management.

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Project management.
• PowerPoint, Excel.
• TMS or similar collections management systems or databases.
• Modern and contemporary art and art-historical philosophies and research practices.

SKILL AND ABILITY TO

• Organize, prioritize, and accomplish multiple projects concurrently.
• Take initiative and follow through independently on routine responsibilities.
• Collaborate with cross-departmental teams.
• Communicate effectively both in written and oral form.
• Work effectively with a wider variety of Museum supporters, visitors, volunteers and staff.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION

Job Status: Regular, full-time (30 hours/week), exempt EOE.
Pay Range: $40,000 – $45,000/year. This position includes full Museum benefits and 30 hours per week.

LOCATION

Phoenix, AZ 85004