Exhibits Coordinator

Desert Botanical Garden; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 51,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Desert Botanical Garden is seeking an Exhibits Coordinator to support planning, installation, maintenance, and removal of temporary art exhibitions, seasonal experiences, and signage. You will collaborate across creative, horticulture, operations, interpretation, and external partners to bring exhibit concepts to life.

From concept development through deinstallation, you will manage schedules, logistics, documentation, and budgets, supervise volunteers, and ensure safety and high-quality visitor

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in art, art history, museum studies, or related field preferred; or a minimum of two years’ related experience and/or training.
• Excellent writing, editing, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience working in a museum, gallery, botanical garden, cultural institution, exhibition environment or similar setting.
• Experience with art handling, exhibit installation, maintenance, storage or related technical exhibition duties preferred.
• Working knowledge of safety standards, security considerations, environmental controls and legal or regulatory matters related to collections and exhibitions.
• Experience with project coordination, budget administration and vendor management.
• Ability to communicate effectively using technical construction, fabrication, exhibit and installation terminology.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage strict timelines and multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate exhibit projects from concept through installation, opening, maintenance, and deinstallation.
• Develop schedules, installation timelines, task lists, storage records and supply inventories.
• Coordinate project logistics and communication among internal departments, fabricators, artists, designers, vendors, contractors, and other project partners.
• Assist with sourcing materials, décor, furnishings, signage, lighting, props, and exhibit components.
• Facilitate sign requests for Garden events, programs and exhibits under the direction of Exhibits Design Specialist.
• Assist with exhibits budgets, purchase tracking, expense documentation and invoice submissions.
• Lead post-installation and post-project evaluations, including exhibit testing and assessment of completed exhibits.

Skills

Project management

Budget administration

Vendor management

Communication skills

MS Office & Adobe CS

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in art, art history, museum studies, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Description

Position Purpose

The Exhibits Coordinator supports the planning, sourcing, installation, maintenance, and removal of temporary art exhibitions, seasonal experiences, and Garden-wide signage. Working collaboratively across creative, horticulture, operations, facilities, interpretation, and external partners, this role helps transform exhibit concepts into engaging, well-executed visitor experiences.

This position supports projects from early concept development through production, installation, opening, ongoing maintenance, evaluation and deinstallation, ensuring that exhibits are delivered safely, efficiently, on schedule and in accordance with established design standards and creative intent.

Essential Duties

• Assist in the coordination of exhibit projects, such as but not limited to, Garden After Dark, seasonal decor, trailside exhibits, and temporary art exhibitions from early concept development through installation, opening, maintenance, and deinstallation.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, installation timelines, task lists, storage records and supply inventories.
• Develop and maintain project schedule, installation timelines task lists, production documentation, storage records and supply inventories.
• Coordinate project logistics and communication among internal departments, fabricators, artists, designers, vendors, contractors, and other project partners.
• Assist with sourcing materials, décor, furnishings, signage, lighting, props, and exhibit components.
• Facilitate sign requests for Garden events, programs and exhibits under the direction of Exhibits Design Specialist.
• Assists with the implementation and installation of temporary Garden signage.
• Conduct regular exhibit walk-throughs and coordinate repairs, replacements, cleaning, and visual refreshes. Help ensure exhibits maintain established standards and design intent throughout their run.
• Oversees volunteer cleaning team and schedules as needed for temporary and semi-permanent outdoor Garden artwork in coordination with Exhibits Manager.
• Project manage small-scale exhibits and design-related projects, ensuring timely completion and effective coordination of resources.
• Coordinate and provide direction to volunteers supporting exhibit-related projects.
• Works directly with the Event Logistics team for all physical logistics, installations, removals and other exhibit-related activities throughout the Garden.
• Assist the Exhibits Manager with the coordination and management of seasonal gallery attendant staff as needed.
• Serves as the Exhibits office coordinator, including ordering water, supplies and office supplies, submitting office-related work orders, preparing team meeting minutes and maintaining department archives and records.
• Assists with exhibits budgets, purchase tracking, expense documentation and invoice submissions.
• Lead post-installation and post-project evaluations, including exhibit testing and assessment of completed exhibits, and document recommendations for future installations.

Pay Range: $51,000 - $52,000

Requirements

Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in art, art history, museum studies, or related field preferred; or a minimum of two years’ related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Excellent writing, editing, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience working in a museum, gallery, botanical garden, cultural institution, exhibition environment or similar setting.
• Experience with art handling, exhibit installation, maintenance, storage or related technical exhibition duties preferred.
• Working knowledge of safety standards, security considerations, environmental controls and legal or regulatory matters related to collections and exhibitions.
• Experience with project coordination, budget administration and vendor management.
• Ability to communicate effectively using technical construction, fabrication, exhibit and installation terminology.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage strict timelines and multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to prioritize, adapt and effectively respond to multiple, changing and sometimes conflicting priorities.
• Strong creative problem-solving skills, design awareness and planning abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Ability to maintain project documentation, inventories, records and resource tracking.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of internal teams, artists, vendors, contractors, volunteers and other partners.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment and take initiative in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong visual and design sensibility with an understanding of visitor experience and exhibit presentation.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Valid Arizona driver’s license required.
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors throughout the year and in varying weather conditions.
• Ability to work off-hours with occasional evenings, weekends and/or holidays to support exhibit installations, events and operational needs.

Equipment Used

In addition to typical office equipment, this role will use small hand tools, hand power tools, paint, cleaning agents, electric carts, burden carriers, and aerial work platforms.

Scope of Authority

Facilitate, review and enforce vendor contracts under the direction of Senior Director of Exhibits.

Financial Authority

Assist with managing project budgets under the direction of Senior Director of Exhibits.

Internal Communication

Frequent communication with department staff, volunteers, and visitors.

External Communication

Frequent communication with artists and vendors.

Working Conditions

Physical effort is beyond what’s typically required in a normal office environment. Potential for tight deadlines or time periods of high workload may require additional hours. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Ability to participate in physical exhibit installation, maintenance, deinstallation and related activities required.

Ability to safely navigate and work throughout the Garden and around active installation, construction and event environments.

This role requires the ability to walk, sit, stand, stoop, kneel, bend, see, hear, speak, read, and type. Manual dexterity and the ability to lift up to 25 pounds required. All seasons outside work is required.

Reasonable accommodation may be made, when necessary and feasible, to allow a qualified individual to perform essential job functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Desert Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by law.

The Garden fosters and supports workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion to honor the unique perspectives, experiences, and contributions of all, to celebrate successes, and to cultivate individual and institutional excellence.

All employees will help add to the Garden’s diversity and fully embrace it.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and deliverables of the role. This is not a contract and should not be viewed as such. Other duties may be assigned by supervisor and/or his/her/their designee.