Exhibition Production Designer

Yale University; New Haven (CT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Yale University in New Haven seeks an Exhibition Production Designer for the Peabody Museum to conceptualize, draft, and refine 3D exhibit designs translating concepts into engaging visitor experiences within budget and schedule.

You will work with the exhibitions team, curators, and other stakeholders, manage timelines, and oversee fabrication and installation, including coordination with outside contractors as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and three years of related experience.
• Proficiency with 3D design software and fabrication processes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate with stakeholders.
• Experience with conservation, lighting, and construction design principles.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with administrative, curatorial, and exhibit staff to determine theme and exhibit location.
• Prepare preliminary drawings with construction details for final rendering.
• Submit plans for approval and adjust to budget or fabrication constraints.
• Coordinate with graphic designer for exhibit visuals and overall look.
• Oversee artwork preparation and construction to meet specs.
• Arrange for acquisition of specimens or graphics and supervise outside contractors.

Skills

AutoCAD

Fusion

SketchUp

Adobe Creative Suite

Stakeholder communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Job description

Working at Yale means contributing to a better tomorrow. Whether you are a current resident of our New Haven-based community, eligible for opportunities through the New Haven Hiring Initiative, or a newcomer, interested in exploring all that Yale has to offer, your talents and contributions are welcome. Discover your opportunities at Yale!

Overview

The Exhibition Production Designer will be responsible for conceptualizing, drafting, and refining 3D designs for spatial layout of exhibitions and displays at the Peabody Museum. This position reports to the Head of Visual Design and works closely with the exhibitions team, curators, and other stakeholders to creatively translate key concepts, goals, and collection materials into an engaging visitor experience that can be produced within budget, timeline, and collection care parameters. The Exhibition Production Designer will be responsible for tracking project tasks and deliverables throughout the exhibition development process. This position may manage or instruct students.

Required Skills And Abilities

• High proficiency with AutoCAD, Fusion, SketchUp, and/or other 3D design and modeling software. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly and incorporate feedback from multiple stakeholders in collaborative design development processes.
• Comfort working on multiple projects at once. Ability to track detailed project status and deliverables through design development, fabrication, and installation.
• Proven ability to understand and apply conservation, lighting, and construction design principles and best practices. Demonstrated dedication to keeping abreast of industry trends, tools, and best practices.
• Three years exhibition, architecture, theater, industrial design, or related experience. Demonstrated experience with fabrication processes and materials.

Preferred Skills And Abilities

• Familiarity with natural history and human culture collections and display principles. Familiarity with print production methods. Student instruction and supervision.

Principal Responsibilities

• Confers with administrative, curatorial, and exhibit staff members to determine theme, content, interpretative or informational purpose, and planned location of exhibit. Discusses budget, promotion, and time limitations, and develops production schedule for fabrication and installation of exhibit components. 2. Prepares preliminary drawings of proposed exhibit, including detailed construction, layout, and special effect diagrams and material specifications, for final drawing rendition by other personnel, basing design and specifications on knowledge of artistic and technical concepts, principles, and techniques. 3. Submits plan for approval, and adapts plan as needed to serve intended purpose or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions. 4. As part of an in-house exhibition team, works closely with curators, guest curators and other museum/gallery staff to determine methods and materials, develop cost estimates, and organize and track work flow. Works with Graphic Designer to determine the graphic look and feel of the exhibit. 5. Oversees preparation of artwork and construction of exhibit components to ensure intended interpretation of concepts and conformance to structural and material specifications. 6. Arranges for acquisition of specimens or graphics or building of exhibit structures by outside contractors as needed to complete exhibit. 7. Inspects installed exhibit for conformance to specifications and satisfactory operation of special effects components. 8. Oversees placement of collection objects or informational materials in exhibit framework. 9. May perform other duties as assigned. Required Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in a related field and three years of related experience.

Job Posting Date

09/25/2026

Job Category

Professional

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Supervisor; Senior Associate (23)

Salary Range

$65,000.00 - $101,000.00

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

On-site

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.