Exhibits Technician

Virginia Living Museum, Inc.; Newport News (VA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, VA, seeks an Exhibits Technician to fabricate and maintain engaging exhibits. The role involves installing and removing temporary exhibits, coordinating with traveling exhibit teams, and overseeing exhibit lighting.

The position requires 1–3 years in exhibit production, carpentry skills, and the ability to work with blueprints. This full-time role includes on-site work, collaboration across departments, and leadership of volunteers.

Qualifications

• Creative and passionate about education.
• 1–3 years in three-dimensional exhibit preparation, preferably in a museum setting.
• Valid driver's license.
• Knowledge of construction and building practices; experience with blueprints/drawings.

Responsibilities

• Be a positive, enthusiastic representative of the Virginia Living Museum.
• Maximize guest experience by supporting all non-live exhibits and installations.
• Perform maintenance and repair of all non-live exhibits and ensure displays are clean and functioning daily.
• Install, maintain and remove temporary rental exhibits.
• Assist in fabrication and installation of educational exhibits (signage, graphics, banners).
• Oversee lighting for all museum exhibits, galleries, and spaces.
• Supervise volunteers to support the museum’s mission; collaborate across departments.

Skills

Creative

Exhibit fabrication

Driver's license

Blueprints & drawings

Carpentry & woodworking

Communication

Volunteer management

Education

Degree or certificate in Fine Arts, Industrial Design, or Museum Studies

Tools

Woodworking tools

Job description

Description

Who We Are

At Virginia Living Museum, we inspire people to discover, care for, and protect the natural world. Home to 1,100+ Virginia native species, we connect with our community through immersive experiences, innovative partnerships, and investments in sustainability.

Accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Virginia Living Museum is one of only fifteen institutions in the country to hold both distinctions. Community volunteers outnumber staff by approximately 8:1, extending our reach and strengthening our mission every day.

Our full-time employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including 35 days of paid time off per year (9 holidays, a birthday, 10 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 3 personal days), fully paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance, dental coverage, and health insurance costs full or partially subsidized by the Museum. Additional benefits include a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and the option to participate in a 401(k) retirement plan. Join this dynamic organizational culture to inspire and connect people with the natural world!

Status

Full Time, Exempt, 37.5 - 40 hours/week (on-site)

Department

Exhibits

General Statement of Duties

The Exhibits Technician supports the Museum’s mission to connect people to nature through educational experiences that promote conservation through the production and maintenance of high quality, engaging exhibits. The main responsibilities of this position include fabricating and building exhibits, as well as working with traveling exhibit companies on installation and removal of changing exhibits. This position’s priorities align with the VLM strategic plan's three core initiatives: immersive experiences, innovative partnerships, and investments for sustainability. This position reports to the Exhibits Manager.

Qualifications

• Creative and passionate about education
• A degree or certificate in a relevant field such as: Fine Arts, Industrial Design, or Museum Studies, preferred
• 1 - 3 years of experience in three-dimensional exhibit preparation, preferably in a museum setting
• Valid driver's license
• Demonstrated creativity through artistic design and build
• Sound knowledge of design, tools, and principals involved in the production of technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Knowledge of construction and building practices
• Skills in painting, general repairs, and carpentry
• Experience in woodshops, fabrication, building and prototyping experience
• Detail oriented, highly organized, effective time management
• Problem solver, ability to formulate creative ideas/concepts for exhibits and signage
• Must be able to clearly and professionally present thoughts and ideas through written and oral communication, often using sketches and drawings

Duties and Responsibilities

• Be a positive, enthusiastic representative of the Virginia Living Museum
• Maximize the guest experience by supporting all non-live permanent and temporary exhibits, including installation, lighting, artifacts, interpretive signage, and other methods to convey information in an engaging manner
• Perform maintenance and repair of all non-live temporary and permanent exhibits (including wall preparation, painting, finish carpentry, lighting needs, etc.)
• Ensure all displays and exhibits are clean and in working order each day
• Install, maintain and remove temporary rental exhibits
• Assist in fabrication and installation of educational exhibits to include signage, graphics, banners
• Manage the specialized lighting for all museum exhibits, galleries and spaces
• Care and maintenance for non-collection objects used for displays and exhibits
• Oversee a team of department volunteers to maximize and strengthen the Museum’s mission and commitment to the community
• Keep abreast of new technology and trends to ensure VLM exhibits remain engaging and relevant.
• Collaborate across Museum departments to improve exhibits based upon guest feedback
• Strategically utilize and manage department staff & volunteers and their applicable skills to strengthen the Museum’s mission and commitment to the community
• Follow museum safety policies and procedures
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ability to work the occasional evening, weekend or holiday
• Availability to participate as a member of the museum’s snow removal team
• Must be able to perceive detailed information through oral and written communication
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lift and/or exert 50 pounds routinely, 80 pounds occasionally
• Must be able to move throughout the Museum’s building(s) and outdoor trail as needed
• Must have visual acuity to be able to operate motor vehicles and/or equipment
• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crawl, reach, push, pull, lift, grasp, feel, and utilize repetitive motions. Must be comfortable at heights and using tall ladders.
• Will be subject to outdoor environmental conditions such as heat, cold, wind, snow, and humidity

Supervision Exercised

None

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. This position, Exhibits Technician, will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the appropriate Supervisor/ Director. Virginia Living Museum reserves the right to update, revise or change the job description and related duties at any time.