Museum Program Manager supporting the USCG

Ruchman and Associates; New London (CT); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ruchman and Associates, Inc. (RAI) is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead daily operations for a high-visibility federal museum. The role oversees visitor services, education programming, IT/AV support, and surge staffing for an 80,000 sq.

ft. facility hosting around 300,000 visitors annually. The Program Manager will direct operations, manage staffing, onboarding, risk, and performance reporting while coordinating with USCG and contractor teams to ensure service delivery and full

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in management, public administration, museum studies, business, or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Ability to obtain Tier 1 / NACI Public Trust clearance.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience supervising multi-disciplinary teams and staffing schedules.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, quality control, scheduling, and risk management for all museum support functions.
• Direct daily operations across Visitor Services, Education & Public Programming, and Technical/AV Support.
• Manage staffing plans, shift coverage, and year-round operating schedule.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and training of baseline and surge personnel.
• Support new hire onboarding including Tier 1 NACI background check.
• Maintain operational readiness and rapid response to outages, exhibits, and flow challenges.
• Coordinate with USCG stakeholders, museum leadership, and contractor team members.
• Lead project phase-in activities to achieve full operational capability.
• Monitor SLAs, produce performance reports, and implement corrective actions.
• Manage risk, safety stewardship, and crowd control during peak visitor periods.
• Support event operations, VIP visits, and high-visibility public engagements.

Skills

Leadership

Scheduling

Risk management

Quality assurance

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Conflict resolution

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Description

Ruchman and Associates, Inc. (RAI) is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead daily operations, workforce management, and service delivery for a high-visibility, 80,000 sq. ft. federal museum expected to host 300,000 visitors annually. The Program Manager is responsible for day to day operational oversight in visitor services, education programming, IT/AV technical support, and surge staffing.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, quality control, scheduling, and risk management for all museum support functions.
• Direct daily operations across Visitor Services, Education & Public Programming, and Technical/AV Support.
• Manage staffing plans, shift coverage, and performance for a year-round operating schedule.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and training of baseline and surge personnel.
• Support new hire onboarding including Tier 1 NACI background check
• Maintain operational readiness and ensure rapid response to technical outages, exhibit issues, and visitor-flow challenges.
• Coordinate with USCG stakeholders, museum leadership, and contractor team members.
• Lead project phase in activities to achieve full operational capability.
• Monitor SLAs, produce performance reports, and implement corrective actions.
• Manage risk, safety stewardship, and crowd control strategies during peak visitor periods.
• Support event operations, VIP visits, and high-visibility public engagements.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in management, public administration, museum studies, business, or related field.
• 5-8 years of experience managing operations, programs, or staff in a museum, cultural institution, visitor-center, federal facility, or high-volume public attraction.
• Demonstrated experience supervising multi-disciplinary teams (visitor services, education, technical support).
• Proven ability to manage staffing schedules, shift coverage, and high-turnover roles.
• Strong background in quality assurance, risk management, and customer-facing operations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Tier 1 (T1) / NACI Public Trust clearance.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to support occasional extended hours during peak events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management credential.
• Experience supporting federal museums, military heritage institutions, or government cultural programs.
• Familiarity with IT/AV exhibit systems, digital interactives, or technical troubleshooting workflows.
• Prior experience leading project phase-in or standing up new operational programs.

RAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and will not discriminate against any application for employment on the basis of age, race, color, gender, national origin, religion, creed, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, disability, or sex including pregnancy and childbirth or related medical condition or on any other basis prohibited by law. RAI participates in the E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all persons hired. This means that we will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. RAI will not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants.