Exhibitions and Publications Manager

UCI; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art seeks a detail-oriented Exhibitions and Publications Manager to oversee coordination and execution of exhibitions and publications programs. Reporting to the Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions Management, this role manages schedules, budgets, agreements, and deliverables across projects with multiple stakeholders.

You will work closely with curatorial, registration, design, education, communications, and external partners, leveraging

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating museum exhibitions or publications.
• Strong spreadsheet and project-tracking skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with diverse partners.
• Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Demonstrates thorough records and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Knowledge of policy analysis techniques.
• Bachelor's degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration or related field.
• Experience in exhibitions coordination, arts administration or publishing coordination.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate exhibitions and publications programs across multiple initiatives.
• Maintain schedules, monitor budgets, and track deliverables end-to-end.
• Collaborate with curatorial, design, education, communications and external partners.
• Drive projects to completion independently while meeting deadlines.

Skills

Exhibitions coordination

Publications production

Communication skills

Discretion & confidentiality

Organizational skills

Data analysis

Multi-tasking & deadlines

Policy analysis techniques

Education

Bachelor's degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration or related area

Tools

Asana

Basecamp

Smartsheet

Job description

Overview

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art is a newly unified museum that brings together the academic depth of UC Irvine with the public presence of a major regional art institution. Led by Museum Director Kathryn Kanjo, the museum brings together two renowned institutions under a shared vision of public access, scholarship, and meaningful cultural engagement across Orange County and beyond. The museum cares for a collection of more than 9,000 works tracing California art from the nineteenth century to today. As the museum moves toward a single, consolidated home, its work will be centered in the 53,000-square-foot public-facing building in Costa Mesa designed for exhibitions, programs, and community gathering—bringing together education, research, and public engagement under one roof. As part of the University of California, the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art connects artists, students, scholars, and the public through exhibitions, programs, and collaborations that spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire connection. The museum is entering an exciting new chapter, guided by a vision of curatorial excellence, accessibility, and service to the region's vibrant cultural landscape.

Responsibilities

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art seeks a detail-oriented and highly organized museum professional to serve as Exhibitions and Publications Manager. Reporting to the Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions Management, this position independently manages project coordination and implementation across the museum's exhibitions and publications programs. The Exhibitions and Publications Manager plays a key role in keeping complex, multi-stakeholder projects on track by maintaining schedules, monitoring budgets, coordinating agreements, identifying and resolving project issues, and tracking deliverables throughout the full project lifecycle. This position works closely with curatorial, registration, design, education, communications, and external partners, and is well-suited for an experienced museum professional with demonstrated project management experience and the ability to drive complex, multi-stakeholder projects to completion independently.

Qualifications

Required:

• Demonstrated expertise in either museum exhibitions coordination or publications production, with an interest in developing proficiency across both areas.
• Proficiency in spreadsheet software, project tracking tools, and standard office applications. Working knowledge of common organization- or research-specific and other computer application programs.
• Proficient in communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with a range of internal and external partners.
• Proficient in ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.
• Demonstrates ability to use sound judgment in responding to issues and concerns.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with a strong commitment to accuracy, follow-through, and maintaining thorough records. Demonstrates ability to analyze, research and synthesize large amounts of data.
• Proficient in ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes. Demonstrated experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines, with the ability to work independently and drive projects to completion.
• Working knowledge of applicable policy analysis techniques.
• Bachelor's degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration or related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Experience in exhibitions coordination, arts administration, publishing coordination, or a comparable role in a museum, gallery, or cultural institution.

Preferred:

• Experience with museum publications, including familiarity with editorial workflows, rights and reproductions processes, and print production.
• Familiarity with museum collections management systems and loan documentation processes.
• Experience working within a university or academic institution, or familiarity with university administrative processes.
• Experience with traveling exhibitions, including multi-venue scheduling and coordination.
• Proficiency in project management platforms such as Asana, Basecamp, Smartsheet, or comparable tools.
• Graduate degree in museum studies, arts administration, art history, or a related field.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

Conditions of Employment:

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct*
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at [phone] or [e-mail].