Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation and Other Leave

12 Paid Holidays

Health Benefits

Sickness and Disability Program

Deferred Compensation with Cash Match

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness Program

Retirement Plans

Job summary

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is seeking a detail-oriented Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections, to lead assigned exhibitions, collection installations, and rotations from planning through installation and closeout.

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Exhibition Planning, you will coordinate cross-functional teams across curatorial, conservation, design, procurement, and external partners, manage budgets and schedules, and ensure successful on-site execution with occasional

Qualifications

• Demonstrated project management experience with multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Self-directed work style with proactive risk identification.
• Reliability and ownership of assignments and action items.
• Strong written communication and documentation skills.
• Ability to lead meetings and hold stakeholders accountable.

Responsibilities

• Manage exhibitions, collection installations and rotations from planning through installation and closeout.
• Coordinate budgets, schedules, resources, and approvals across departments and partners.
• Lead meetings, track action items, and communicate decisions and next steps.
• Collaborate with Curatorial, Registration, Conservation, Design, Art Handling, and external lenders/vendors.

Skills

Proactive work style

Stakeholder coordination

Meetings facilitation

Communication skills

Project leadership

Budget monitoring

Schedule management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Asana

SharePoint

TMS

Job description

Title: Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections

State Role Title: Gen Admin Supv I/Coord I

Hiring Range: $48,000

Pay Band: 4

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Location: MAIN MUSEUM

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 Planning Department

The Exhibition Planning Department leads the planning and coordination of VMFA’s temporary exhibitions, collection installations and rotations, traveling exhibitions, and related gallery and institutional projects. The department works collaboratively across the museum to translate curatorial and institutional goals into well-organized, achievable projects, coordinating schedules, budgets, resources, approvals, and communication among numerous internal departments and external partners. The department includes a team of Project Managers who manage assigned project portfolios while working collaboratively to support shared departmental priorities, processes, and initiatives.

General Information

We are currently seeking applications for a highly organized, proactive, and collaborative individual to join the Exhibition Planning Department as Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Exhibition Planning, this position manages assigned exhibitions, collection installations and rotations, loan-based projects, traveling exhibitions, and other initiatives. The Project Manager expected to independently manage their assigned projects from early planning through installation, operation, deinstallation, and closeout, with guidance and oversight from Exhibition Planning leadership.

The Project Manager is responsible for keeping complex, cross-functional projects moving forward. The position oversees project scope, schedules, budgets, stakeholders, resources, risks, documentation, and communications; leads meetings and work sessions; identifies potential conflicts or delays; follows up on decisions and action items; and works with teams to develop practical solutions when priorities, schedules, or project needs change.

Success in this role requires initiative, independence, excellent attention to detail, strong follow-through, and ability to take ownership of work. The Project Manager interacts with a wide range of personalities and professional disciplines and must be comfortable leading meetings, asking questions, communicating concerns, building consensus, and maintaining productive working relationships while balancing competing priorities.

The position partners closely with Curatorial, Registration, Conservation, Exhibition Design & Production, Art Handling, Editing, Interpretation, Programs, Marketing, Procurement, Facilities, Security, and other departments, as well as lenders, vendors, contractors, and partner institutions. Responsibilities also include maintaining accurate project information in systems such as Asana, SharePoint, and TMS; coordinating project and exhibition budgets; supporting contracts and procurement; coordinating approvals and deliverables; and providing on-site support during installation and deinstallation periods. Some domestic and international travel may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated project management or project coordination experience involving multiple stakeholders, schedules, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Highly proactive and self-directed approach to work, with demonstrated ability to identify next steps, anticipate needs or risks, and move work forward with limited day-to-day supervision.
• Demonstrated reliability, strong follow-through, and ability to take ownership of assignments and see projects and action items through to completion.
• Strong work ethic, reliability, and demonstrated ability to take ownership of assignments and see projects and action items through to completion.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively and diplomatically with individuals representing a wide range of roles, priorities, communication styles, and personalities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead meetings, facilitate discussion, communicate decisions and next steps, and hold stakeholders accountable for project deliverables in a collaborative manner.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify risks, evaluate options, adapt to changing circumstances, and escalates concerns appropriately.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, cross-functional environment.
• Experience developing and managing project schedules and tracking project budgets.
• Strong written communication and documentation skills.
• Proficiency with standard office software and demonstrated ability to learn and effectively use project management, document management, and other technology systems.

Additional Considerations

• Experience managing exhibitions, collections projects, gallery installations, or other complex projects within a museum, cultural, educational, design, construction, or similarly complex, cross-functional environment.
• Knowledge of museum exhibition planning, collections care, registration, conservation, art handling, design, interpretation, or related museum workflows.
• Experience coordinating project budgets, contracts, procurement activities, vendors, or consultants.
• Experience working with external partner organizations, lenders, or traveling projects.
• Experience with project and information management systems such as Asana, SharePoint, TMS, or comparable platforms.
• Consistent with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s skills-based employment model, VMFA recognizes multiple pathways to demonstrate competency for this role. Equivalent combinations of educational attainment, applicable training, relevant work experience, and job-related credentials may be considered to meet the requirements of the position.

Benefits

The Commonwealth of Virginia offers a comprehensive total compensation package that includes health benefits, paid leave, and flexible work schedules. The following benefits are available to classified employees:

• Vacation and Other Leave
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Health Benefits
• Sickness and Disability Program
• Deferred Compensation with Cash MatchGroup, 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

Special Instructions

You will be provided with confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

All applicants must submit an online application. This position will close at 11:55 pm on the designated closing date listed at the top of this posting on Jobs.Virginia.gov.

Please provide three professional references, including their full name, phone number, and email address. References should be able to speak to your qualifications for the position and may be included in your resume or cover letter or attached separately in the portal’s "other" field.

VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Contact Information

Name: HR Services

Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.

Email: [e-mail] for recruitment related questions.

Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.

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 their 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.