Exhibition Project Manager

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Job summary

The Birmingham Museum of Art seeks a skilled Exhibition Project Manager to oversee project management for temporary exhibitions and permanent collection projects, while coordinating scholarly catalogs and digital publications. Working with the Director of Collections & Exhibitions and the Exhibition Team, you will ensure exhibitions and installations are planned and executed within budget.

Collaborating across Curatorial, Design, Registration, Advancement, Conservation, Digital, Security,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
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Responsibilities

• Plan and manage the approval, scheduling, and smooth workflow of exhibitions and gallery installations.
• Develop and manage project timelines and deadlines with cross-department teams.
• Arrange planning meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes, and circulate items with organizers.
• Track project details to ensure deadlines are met and exhibitions are delivered on schedule.
• Coordinate with Registrar to manage contracts, agreements, and loans.

Skills

Project management

Negotiation

Communication

Organization

Deadline management

Cross-department coordination

Data-driven reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Basecamp

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Excel

Job description

Exhibition Project Manager

Reports to: Director of Collections & Exhibitions

Department: Collections & Exhibitions

The Birmingham Museum of Art seeks a skilled Exhibition Project Manager to oversee project management for temporary exhibitions and permanent collection projects, while simultaneously managing the production of accompanying scholarly catalogues and digital publications. Working in close collaboration with the Director of Collections & Exhibitions, the Exhibition Team, and various project teams, this position ensures that all exhibitions and installations are planned and executed in alignment with the Museum’s functional and financial objectives.The Exhibition Project Manager plays an integral role in advancing the Museum’s exhibition program by coordinating across departments, managing timelines and deadlines, coordinating shared understanding of budgets, and ensuring that exhibitions and gallery installations are delivered seamlessly, on time, and within budget.

Essential Duties

Project Planning & Coordination

• Plan and manage the approval, scheduling, and smooth workflow of exhibitions and gallery installations.
• Develop and manage project timelines and deadlines and work with the cross-departmental Exhibition Team or project team (including representatives from Curatorial, Design, Registration, Advancement, Conservation, Digital, Security, Learning & Engagement, and Preparation departments) to complete all phases of exhibition/installation planning and execution.
• Arrange planning meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes, and circulate action items in consultation with the project’s organizing curator(s).
• Track all project details to ensure deadlines are met and exhibitions are delivered on schedule. Utilize project management tools (TMS, Basecamp) for information sharing, checklists, and archival documentation, and ensure that the team is working with the same documentation.
• Establish, update, and disseminate the overall exhibition calendar, including permanent collection installations, gallery rotations, and special gallery projects.

Contracts & Agreements

• Collaborate with Exhibitions Registrar to coordinate and manage exhibition contracts and agreements with lenders, artists, co-organizers, and venues.
• Negotiate or draft contract terms and shepherd agreements through internal and external reviews to ensure legal compliance and feasibility.
• Manage guest curator, artist, and guest author agreements as needed.
• Distribute fully executed agreements internally to relevant parties.
• Track contractual deadlines in a master calendar to ensure compliance with all obligations.
• Collaborate with the Exhibitions Registrar to prepare Board resolutions for the City of Birmingham, as needed.

Publications Management

• Alongside organizing curator(s), manage publication workflows from concept to delivery, ensuring books and digital publications arrive on time for exhibition openings.
• Coordinate production teams including external authors, graphic designers, copyeditors, and commercial printers.
• Oversee rights and reproductions, including securing image licensing, copyright clearances, and photography for exhibition catalogues and digital publications.
• Manage publishing budgets, negotiate contracts with vendors, and monitor production and printing costs.

Scheduling & Workflow Management

• Develop and maintain production schedules, installation calendars, and opening sequence timelines.
• Coordinate with the Preparation team to set installation schedules and manage changeover activities, including gallery preparation and artwork installation/deinstallation.
• Work closely with the Exhibitions Registrar to organize and track loans, rotations, installations, couriers, and security requirements.

Budgeting & Reporting

• Review project budgets in collaboration with curators, the Exhibitions Registrar, and the Director of Finance.
• Coordinate exhibition staff surveys and provide data and reports on exhibitions for grants, funding proposals, and accountability metrics.
• Evaluate exhibition processes and recommend improvements for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as the central point of contact for internal stakeholders (Advancement, Curatorial, Registration, Preparation, Conservation, Design, Learning & Engagement, Marketing, Security).
• Communicate regularly with external stakeholders, including artists, guest curators, vendors, venue partners, and organizers.
• Disseminate up-to-date checklists, schedules, and supporting documentation across departments.

Program Advancement

• Support the circulation of BMA-organized exhibitions by preparing and distributing promotional packages and maintaining communication with interested museums.
• Collaborate with curators to identify prospective traveling exhibitions for presentation at BMA.
• Respond to exhibition proposals and solicitations from other museums and organizers.
• Build and maintain professional relationships with U.S. and international colleagues to facilitate the securing of exhibitions and loans and to foster goodwill toward the BMA.

Work Environment

Museum-based office position involving occasional travel for meetings and exhibition-related activities.

Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrate a positive demeanor, ambition, eagerness to learn, and strong problem-solving skills.
• Be focused, adaptable, and receptive to direction from supervisors.
• Possess excellent active listening skills, with the ability to process both written and verbal information accurately.
• Communicate clearly and concisely with a wide range of constituencies, including staff, patrons, and vendors.
• Show flexibility and composure while moving seamlessly between varied tasks and responsibilities.
• Welcome diverse duties and thrive in a collaborative, service-oriented environment.
• Bring an optimistic, constructive approach to group projects.

Physical Requirements

Must be able to work in galleries and storage areas. Working around artworks frequently demands stooping, kneeling, and bending and requires good vision.

Qualifications

We seek a detail-oriented individual with demonstrated project management experience, preferably in a museum or related cultural institution. The ideal candidate will be a lifelong learner who is committed to best practices, brings strong negotiation and decision-making skills, and approaches projects with a strategic perspective.

Applicant Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2–3 years of experience coordinating multifaceted projects, preferably museum exhibitions.
• Demonstrated experience drafting contracts and agreements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information effectively to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience establishing and maintaining accountability with deadlines.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to manage deadlines and coordinate across multiple departments.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Excel, and project management tools such as Basecamp (or comparable platforms).
• Strong analytical skills and experience working with databases.

Compensation

• $60,000-$65,000 and includes an excellent benefits package.