Exhibition Coordinator [Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR]

Description

Position Summary

The Exhibition Coordinator is responsible for coordinating multiple projects within the Exhibitions Department, a key area delivering on the museum’s mission. S/he is an integral part of the Exhibitions team, facilitating all administrative aspects of the installations and exhibitions in his/her assigned portfolio, with the goal of facilitating teams to create and implement exhibitions and installations that inform, engage, surprise and delight our guests.

The Exhibition Coordinator works closely with the Director of Exhibitions & Interpretive Installations (DE&II), team members in the Exhibitions & Interpretation department, and other colleagues inside and outside the Museum. The duties of this position are complex in nature, and the ideal candidate must be professional, pleasant, proactive, highly organized, an outstanding problem solver, and have the energy and ability to balance multiple tasks. The position requires considerable diplomacy, and discretion in the handling of sensitive information.

An essential function of the Exhibition Coordinator’s work is to facilitate the exhibition planning and implementation process for gallery installations and temporary exhibitions across multiple departments, while also ensuring that numerous day-to-day details are taken care of, often handling multiple installations and exhibitions at once. Key areas of coordination include creating, tracking and maintaining multiple project schedules, processing and organizing project invoices and documents, tracking budgets, facilitating the teams’ forward movement, keeping the DE&II informed as to any issues or changes in project scope, and insuring all inter-departmental communications are clear, timely, helpful and documented.

The Exhibition Coordinator works in collaboration with many museum departments, including curatorial, collections management, preparation, education, communications, digital, creative services, guest and member services, development, security, and facilities.  The coordinator works primarily Monday through Friday, with occasional night and weekend hours during installation weeks and openings. The Exhibition Coordinator reports to the Director of Exhibitions & Interpretive Installations (DE&II).

Principal Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• Project Coordination
  • Coordinates all aspects of his/her projects, working closely with the DE&II, and members of each project team. Develops, communicates and tracks schedules for all exhibition and installation work such as painting and construction, and the creation of interpretive elements, including texts, activities, digital tools, etc. Nudges colleagues as needed to keep projects on track.
  • Schedules timely meetings, books meeting rooms, prepares agendas, and facilitates productive meetings.
  • Orders exhibition supplies and liaises with outside vendors for fabrication and gallery work.
  • Tracks spending against project budget, make suggestions for keeping projects on budget, and alerts DE&II to potential budget issues.
  • Generates possible solutions as challenges crop up.
  • Helps foster team collegiality, timeliness, and mutual respect to create experiences that engage and delight guests.
  • Monitors contracts for assigned projects to ensure obligations are met in an appropriate and timely manner.
  • Creates, maintains, and archives project files.
  • Answers inquiries from the public and colleagues via phone and email in a prompt, professional manner.
  • Works with teams to deliver terrific exhibitions and installations on time and on or under budget.
  • Acts as the point person for all communications across all Museum departments for the projects in his/her portfolio.
  • Oversees organization and archiving of exhibitions documentation.
  • Assists the DEII in developing and monitoring project and fiscal year budgets.
  • Processes exhibition-related invoices and payments, tracks project budgets, and generates expense reports and financial reports as directed.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

Education, Training:

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in project management, art history, museum studies, arts administration, communications, or equivalent degree/experience required.
• Proven experience and success in project coordination and in meeting deadlines within fast-paced working environments is required.
• Demonstrated experience with accounting and project management software strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current practices in exhibitions management, design, and development, or equivalent experience desired.

 Work Experience:

• At least one year demonstrated project coordination experience (tracking budgets, developing and tracking schedules, organizing and facilitating meetings, coordinating people) is required.
• Two years’ work experience coordinating projects in a museum or related environment preferred.  Experience in exhibition planning and implementation preferred.

 Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and One Note.  Experience with Microsoft Project and other scheduling software a plus.
• Experience with or the ability to learn specialized software systems is required, including TMS, EMS, and Financial Edge. Key skills include accurate data entry and generating reports.
• Professional and approachable, with excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to work independently, and facilitate teams of diverse personalities.
• Willingness to work weekends and evenings, and adjust hours, as required.
• Natural ability to effectively multitask in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion.
• Flexibility, creativity, a positive attitude and a good sense of humor are essential.

 Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands:  Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to travel independently regionally and in communities served.  In the work environment described below, position requires working at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination. Vision abilities required by the job include close and distant vision. When not in the office, the person in this position will require the capability to move and be present in the galleries for extended periods of time during all phases of construction, installation and deinstallation, and be able to navigate through the different Museum buildings and on the trails and grounds.  When working in public spaces and galleries, physical stamina is needed to lift and carry supplies, and at times, assist with installation of labels, objects, and other exhibition related elements.
• Work environment:  Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, outdoors, and in the communities served.  When not in the office, the employee will be spending extensive amounts of time in the Museum buildings, grounds, galleries, and library. The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate.