Museum Exhibit Preparator (Carpenter)

DHRM; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

12 paid holidays

Vacation and other leave

Sick and disability program

Retirement plans

Wellness program

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts seeks a Museum Exhibit Preparator (Carpenter) to fabricate display casework, pedestals, and architectural elements for temporary and permanent gallery displays. You will read drawings, consult with designers, and build in MDF, plywood, and Plexiglas to exacting standards.

Applicants should have cabinetmaking and woodworking experience, with ability to work under deadlines and adapt to changes.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of cabinetmaking, woodworking techniques, materials, and joinery techniques.
• Ability to operate carpentry shop tools and fabrication equipment safely.
• Experience with museum exhibit fabrication and installation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate display casework, pedestals, and architectural elements for exhibitions and gallery displays.
• Read and assess architectural drawings used for exhibit fabrication.
• Consult with designers on mechanical design applications.
• Work with MDF, plywood, Plexiglas, and related materials; build galleries per plans.
• Follow safety protocols and use PPE; operate lifts after training.

Skills

Cabinetmaking

Woodworking

Joinery

Tool operation

Safety practices

Education

Industrial arts training or cabinet making experience

Tools

CNC routers

Jigsaws

Planers

Panel saws

Joiners

Painting equipment

Job description

Title: Museum Exhibit Preparator (Carpenter)

State Role Title: Media Specialist II

Hiring Range: $41,200

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Location: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Agency Website: https://www.vmfa.museum/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

About the Exhibition Design & Production Department

The VMFA’s Exhibition Design and Production department enhances audience experiences at numerous points of engagement, in museum galleries, throughout campus, and in the wider world. The team includes professionals in exhibition design and production, graphic design, and audiovisual and lighting design, working collaboratively to generate and execute original concepts on behalf of VMFA exhibitions and programming.

General Information

We are currently seeking applications for detail oriented and energetic individuals to join our Department of Exhibition Design & Production as a Museum Exhibit Preparator (Carpenter). This position supports the Exhibition Department in the presentation of the Museum’s collection and special exhibitions to its audiences both local and statewide.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Fabricate display casework, pedestals, and architectural elements involved in the installation of the Museum’s temporary exhibitions and permanent gallery displays, adhering to the high standards of quality and appearance that the Museum requires.
• Read, review, and assess the architectural drawings used in such work.
• Consult with the designers regarding mechanical application of design ideas.
• Uses specialized materials such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, and Plexiglas, as required by exhibit design. Builds and sets up galleries according to plans (modular walls, casework, platforms, furniture, etc.).
• Follows all safety protocols including wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as needed to maintain the highest level of safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance when using tools, machines, and equipment,
• Operates motorized lifts (lift training and certification will be administered by the VMFA during onboarding).

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge and skills in cabinetmaking and woodworking techniques, methods, and materials, and joinery techniques. Skill in the operation of carpentry shop tools and other fabrication equipment, as well as the safety precautions and practices associated with them, such as CNC machine routers, jigsaws, handsaws, crosscut saw, panel saws, planers, construction, and joiners. A working knowledge of museum exhibit fabrication and installation, and of furniture design, construction, and painting. Some knowledge of art conservation principles. Demonstrated ability to perform a wide range of carpentry and cabinet making work; to work with tight deadlines and adapt to last minute changes; to work with a variety of materials and to different tolerances, and to know which are appropriate in different situations.

Additional Considerations

Industrial arts training and cabinet making experience. Experience in building museum displays preferred.

Knowledge and skills in cabinetmaking and woodworking techniques, methods, and materials, and joinery techniques. Skills in using various hand tools and power tools, including the ability to expertly and safely use and maintain various types of equipment such as CNC machine routers, jigsaws, handsaws, crosscut saw, panel saws, planers, shapers, and joiners, as well as painting equipment.

Benefits

The Commonwealth of Virginia offers a comprehensive total compensation package that includes health benefits, paid leave, and flexible work schedules.

• Vacation and Other Leave
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Health Benefits
• Sickness and Disability Program
• Deferred Compensation with Cash Match
• Group, Optional Life, and Long-term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness Program
• Retirement Plans
• State Employee Resources

Additional information relating to the benefits available to eligible state employees can be found online at: https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/employeebenefits

Conditions of Employment

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get your AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Advertised: 22 Sep 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 05 Oct 2026 Eastern Daylight Time