Museum Development Specialist

American Association for State and Local History; Bowling Green (KY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition discount for employees and own

Wellness benefits

Job summary

Western Kentucky University seeks a Museum Development Specialist for the Kentucky Museum on WKU's main campus in Bowling Green, KY. The role advances fundraising, grants, external relations, and exhibitions planning, coordinating with internal staff and external partners to secure funding and deliver compelling exhibitions.

The position emphasizes proposal writing, donor cultivation, and project management, with responsibilities across communications, memberships, and schedule oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communication, humanities, social studies, museum studies or related field.
• Minimum three years professional, post-undergraduate, experience in grant writing, non-profit development, and/or fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience securing funding from foundations, corporations, government agencies, individuals, or other funders.
• Demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals, funding requests, and writing for a public audiences.
• Experience developing project budgets, schedules, and funding plans.
• Must possess a valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead grant writing, fundraising, and external relations activities for the Kentucky Museum.
• Coordinate exhibition planning, timelines, and collaboration with WKU staff and external partners.
• Create external communications, press materials, and membership outreach.
• Assist with departmental purchasing and project management.
• Occasionally travel to meetings with donors and external collaborators; work may occur outside regular hours.

Skills

Grant writing

Fundraising

Nonprofit development

Project management

Budgeting

Editing/writing

Communication

Collaboration

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communication, humanities, social studies, museum studies or related field

Job description

Museum Development Specialist

About the Kentucky Museum

The Kentucky Museum opened in 1939 as a place for "Kentuckians to know Kentucky." Today, the Kentucky Museum continues this charge while increasing interdisciplinary knowledge of, appreciation, and respect for a collection representative of Southcentral Kentucky. As a teaching museum part of Western Kentucky University, we conduct research and preserve and interpret artifacts in a variety of fields, with special emphasis on fine, decorative, and folk arts; clothing and textiles; toys; political memorabilia; and other culturally significant items from our community.

About Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a student-centered, applied-research institution committed to providing its students with a transformative academic and social experience and to elevating its surrounding communities. Founded in 1906, WKU is the third largest public four-year institution in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with approximately 16,293 students and nearly 2,612 faculty and staff employees.

Western Kentucky University is committed to empowering its campus community. At the heart of our mission, we seek to provide holistic education and employment experiences that prepare students, faculty, and staff to become effective scholars, contributors, and leaders in our ever-evolving communities.

Located 65 miles north of Nashville, TN, and just over 100 miles south of Louisville, KY, WKU's main campus is in Bowling Green, KY - a city with approximately 70,000 residents. Our population is ethnically diverse, with more than 85 languages spoken in and around Bowling Green, and people from 35 nationalities call our community home.

Western Kentucky University seeks to attract talented faculty and staff who are inspired individually to contribute to WKU's strategic plans and ongoing success. We offer comprehensive wellness and health benefits to employees and their families, including domestic partners and other qualified dependents and take pride in providing a workplace culture that supports balancing the responsibilities of work and family life. Paid-time off for holidays, vacation and sick leave, and a tuition discount program for employees and dependents are also provided. Learn more about WKU and Bowling Green at wku.edu/about.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Museum Development Specialist advances the Kentucky Museum's fundraising, grant development, external relations and communications, and exhibitions planning and execution activities. The position researches and develops funding opportunities, writes grant proposals, cultivates relationships with funders and community partners, supports the museum's membership and development initiatives, and guides exhibitions through the planning and creation process. Exhibition work will include helping museum staff identify guest curators, manage project schedules and budgets, facilitate communication between internal staff and external partners, and support the successful development and implementation of exhibitions.

Primary/Key Responsibilities

Development, Grant Writing, and Funding (50%)

• Work with Museum Director, museum staff, and WKU Philanthropy to identify funding priorities and translate museum exhibitions, programs, education initiatives, collections, research, and other activities into persuasive funding proposals.
• Research, identify, and pursue grant and fundraising opportunities from foundations, government agencies, corporations, individuals, or other potential fundraising sources.
• Work with museum director and WKU Philanthropy staff to identify funding opportunities.
• Stay up to date on emerging trends in funding opportunities related to museums, higher education, arts, humanities, and cultural organizations.
• Write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, project narratives, budgets, supporting documents, and other funding materials.
• Manage grant submission calendars, deadlines, reporting requirements, renewals, and other deliverables. This includes ensuring principal investigators complete any needed reports and documentation.

Exhibition Project Management (30%)

• Responsible for managing the development of exhibitions by leading the exhibitions committee, identifying guest curators (often WKU faculty) and other external collaborators, and managing timelines.
• Assist museum staff in identifying and evaluating potential guest curators whose expertise aligns with proposed exhibition themes and museum priorities.
• Serve as exhibits and special projects manager, coordinating project schedules, meetings, contracts, deliverables, budgets, and communications in collaboration with museum staff.
• Coordinate purchasing supplies required for exhibition creation.
• Ensure guest curators and external collaborators know the museum's processes and policies.
• Facilitate communication between guest curators, external collaborators, and museum staff.
• Document exhibitions committee meetings, project decisions, assignments, and deadlines, ensuring all team members are kept up-to-date throughout the project.
• Assist with writing, editing, designing, and coordinating exhibition labels, interpretive panels, educational materials, exhibition descriptions, website copy, press materials, and other audience-focused content.
• Provide editorial and project-management support for exhibition content and team while recognizing that primary curatorial responsibility may rest with the assigned curator or guest curator.

Communications and Membership (20%)

• Develop the museum's regular external communications, including press releases, member communications, and social media content that informs public audiences about the museum's exhibitions, programs, activities, and institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with the Museum Director to cultivate and steward membership through our existing membership program.
• Manage museum's Adopt-an-Artifact campaign to continue raising funds for collections care.

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in museum staff meetings, planning activities, and institutional initiatives.
• Share duties related to departmental purchasing, including acquiring quotes and working with agents in the WKU Purchasing Department.
• Along with museum staff, work occasional evening and weekend museum events outside regular work hours.
• This is not a remote or hybrid job. Work will be physically conducted at WKU's main campus.
• Occasional independent travel required to meet with donors and/or external collaborators and make public presentations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communication, humanities, social studies, museum studies or related field.
• Minimum three years professional, post-undergraduate, experience in grant writing, non-profit development, and/or fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience securing funding from foundations, corporations, government agencies, individuals, or other funders.
• Demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals, funding requests, and writing for a public audiences.
• Experience developing project budgets, schedules, and funding plans.
• Must possess a valid driver's license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of museum exhibition development standards and procedures.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines and follow budgets and priorities involving multiple team members.
• Excellent writing and editing skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate with museum staff and external partners, including providing and accepting constructive feedback.
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs.