Exhibition Project Manager

Birmingham Museum of Art; Birmingham, Northern (AL, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Birmingham Museum of Art seeks an Exhibition Project Manager to oversee project management for temporary exhibitions and permanent collection projects, while coordinating scholarly catalogues and digital publications. You’ll work with the Director of Collections & Exhibitions, the Exhibition Team, and cross‑department teams to ensure on‑time, on‑budget delivery aligned with the Museum’s objectives.

The role requires 2–3 years of project coordination, contract drafting, and strong

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of experience coordinating multifaceted projects, preferably museum exhibitions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to liaise with multiple departments.
• Strong negotiation and decision-making abilities; proven deadline management.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage exhibition and gallery installation workflows, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Draft and manage exhibition contracts and agreements with lenders, artists, and venues.
• Oversee publication workflows for catalogues and digital publications; coordinate budget and production costs.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Organizational skills

Tools

Basecamp

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Excel

Job description

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.

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.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.

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

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be professional, courteous, organized, and highly motivated. They will be proactive and collaborative, with the ability to work independently on detailed projects as well as effectively with colleagues in a fast-paced environment. This individual will:

• 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.

• 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) to provide equal employment opportunity to all applicantsfor employment with the BMA and to BMA staff without regard to sex, race, color, religious belief, nationalorigin, disability, age, or veteran status. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment,including but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotions, termination, leaves of absence, compensation, andtraining.

Commitment to Diversity

The Birmingham Museum of Art is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination. The BMA isa diverse community in terms of race and ethnicity, culture, religion, personal values and traditions. BMA valuesthis diversity recognizing that our differences contribute to our strength as an agency serving a diversepopulation. It is to this end that the BMA is committed to non-discrimination and advocates for an environment oftolerance with regard to cultural and personal differences. It is our belief that every employee has the right tobe treated with dignity, respect, and self-worth and that it is in our best interest as an agency serving thepublic good to act in a manner free of bias, exclusion, and discrimination whether on the basis of faith, race,gender, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, or any other personaldifferences.