Director of Experience Design

State of Wisconsin; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison seeks a Director of Experience Design to lead the Design Studio and craft audience-centered experiences across twelve historic sites. You will keep projects on schedule and on budget while coordinating with internal teams, contractors, and community partners.

Based in the WHS History Center, you will guide a diverse portfolio—from temporary galleries to traveling exhibits—balancing creative vision with feasibility and institutional goals.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and installing major attraction experiences.
• Ability to create 3D spatial renders and shop drawings for contractors.
• Experience budgeting and following design processes and policies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Experience Design Studio to deliver audience-centered experiences.
• Coordinate with partners inside and outside the agency to keep projects on schedule and budget.
• Oversee collaboration with multiple teams, contractors, and communities.

Skills

Team collaboration

Budget management

Vendor management

Tools

Design software

Job description

Introduction

The Wisconsin Historical Society, considered one of the nation's finest historical institutions, is a State of Wisconsin government agency as well as a mission-driven entrepreneurial organization. The Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. At its core, WHS believes that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural, and economic benefit. Its library, archives and collections, historic sites and museums, historic preservation office, and extensive educational programs and community outreach are focused on our vision to enrich and transform lives through unparalleled access to history. Click here for more information about WHS’ mission, vision, and core values.

WHS is committed to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization because we truly believe this is the most effective way to attract, engage, and retain the best talent and the most meaningful way to support our mission.

Click here for more information about working for WHS.

Position Summary

The Director of Experience Design (DXD) leads the Wisconsin Historical Society’s (WHS) Experience Design Studio to advance interpretive and experience projects that are audience-centered, relevant, compelling, and captivating human-centered stories. Achieving excellence in experience design, the DXD ensures each project is on schedule, on budget, and with strong communication with internal and external partners. Positioned within the History Experiences and Engagement Bureau, the DXD is an agencywide leader within a work unit consisting of Experience Design, Community Engagement, and Public Historians. Experiences shared by the Society are rooted in the foundational elements of history to develop experiences that share state, national, and international stories.

Based in the Design Studio in the flagship Wisconsin History Center (WHC) in downtown Madison, DXD leads the development and implementation of experiences across a diverse portfolio of twelve historic sites and attractions. The core responsibility is the semi-regular changing temporary gallery (~7,500sf), community gallery (~1,000sf), and textile case inside the WHC. The experiences within these spaces will vary greatly from projects developed fully in-house by the Studio to leasing international traveling exhibits.

Additional scope includes leading experiences design at WHS venues that range from historic houses, outdoor living history environments, indoor galleries, library and archives, and other attraction settings.

All projects undertaken by the Design Studio are approved by the WHS Programs and Products Review Team with appropriate financial and staffing resources to deliver the product. DXD is responsible for maintaining the agency’s Experience Development Schedule to ensure the right cadence and resources are committed, and to avoid competing deliverables.

To achieve these goals, the DXD leads the Design Studio to work collaboratively with colleagues across the agency, contractors, and community experts. Reporting to the DXD is a team consisting of Lead Experience Designer, Exhibition Manager, Graphic Designer, Lead Technician, and Technician. For project development, the DXD will engage internal multidisciplinary teams of venue leadership and staff, exhibit developers, educators, retail, marketing, collection specialists, and agency leadership. DXD is the primary relationship manager with contractors who specialize in the creation, fabrication, and installation of media, physical, and immersive experiences. Working with the Community Engagement team, the DXD engages with community experts and artists to ensure experiences about their communities are accurate and developed in tandem.

Salary Information

The salary will be between $42.00 - $47.00 per hour plus excellent benefits. Pay on appointment for current or former state employees may vary according to the applicable pay provisions found in the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan. This position is in pay schedule 81, range 01. The classification for this position is Historical Society Manager. A 2-year Career Executive trial period will be required.

Job Details

A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of employment to determine if the circumstances of any conviction may be related to the job. Interested permanent classified state employees should complete this application process to apply. WHS does not sponsor work visas. Any appointment made will be contingent on the applicant being able to prove valid status to work in the United States. Certain positions within WHS may allow remote/work from home flexibility for a portion of their work schedule, depending on the needs of the position and the work unit. This topic and any remote work flexibility that may be available will be discussed in more detail in the interview process.

Qualifications

• Experience being an integral part of a team to design, fabricate, and install a major experience project at an attraction.
• Experience using design software to create a three-dimension spatial, render, and shop drawing for implementation by contractors.
• Experience creating a budget, following design processes, and adhering to policies.

• Experience leading a team of multi-disciplinary skillsets to design, fabricate, and install a major experience design project at an attraction.
• Experience procuring and managing vendors/contractors to fabricate and install an experience to architectural drawings.
• Experience leading a department with a complex budget, processes and policies.

Submitted materials will be evaluated and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the hiring process.

WHS is an Equal Opportunity and affirmative Action employer seeking a diverse and talented workforce. Veterans, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions may be directed to [e-mail]. or [phone].

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The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program.

Deadline to Apply

Applications are due at 11:59PM on October 16, 2026.