Preparator and Exhibitions Project Manager
$56,014,400–$59,238,400 year
On-siteAlfred, New York, United States
Job Summary
Coordinate exhibition schedules, workflow calendars, installation, and deinstallation activities for museum exhibitions involving artwork exceeding $400,000 in insured value. Manage daily operations, including art handling, lighting, equipment use, and object protection, while collaborating with the Museum Director, Curator of Collections, artists, vendors, and campus partners. Oversee temporary staff recruitment, training, and supervision; obtain vendor quotes, coordinate transportation, and maintain inventory of tools and materials. Identify safety, security, and preservation risks, pause work when concerns arise, and provide regular project updates. Maintain organized records, documentation, and gallery spaces; work occasional evenings or weekends during installation and deinstallation. Operate within approved budgets without independent budgetary control or contract-signing authority.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in museum studies, fine arts, art history or related field
- Master's degree
- Minimum of 3 years of professional museum or gallery experience
- Demonstrated experience with professional art handling, exhibition installation and deinstallation, and the safe packing, movement, storage, and transportation of artwork
- Experience coordinating complex, deadline-driven exhibition projects involving multiple stakeholders, resources, and priorities
- Knowledge of professional museum practices related to exhibition preparation, object protection, storage, safety, accessibility, and documentation
- Experience with exhibition logistics, including scheduling, shipping, installation, vendor coordination, and recordkeeping
- Ability to interpret exhibition plans, layouts, and measurements and translate them into completed gallery installations
- Ability to identify operational, safety, and object-preservation concerns and develop practical solutions
- Experience with basic carpentry and the safe use of hand tools, power tools, ladders, lifts, and related exhibition equipment
- Knowledge of exhibition lighting and familiarity with multimedia equipment, including monitors and projectors
- Ability to train, supervise, and direct temporary employees, student workers, art handlers, and volunteers
- Strong project-management, organizational, problem-solving, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple exhibitions and priorities simultaneously
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with artists, curators, students, faculty, staff, vendors, contractors, visitors, and community members
- Profiency with Microsoft Office
- A valid driver's license
- Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends during exhibition installation, deinstallation, and special programming
Desired Qualifications
- Professional museum experience
- Experience working with ceramic, three-dimensional, fragile, or high-value artwork
- Knowledge of ceramic art, contemporary art, and general art history
- Experience with exhibition design, collections management, condition reporting, museum storage, or work within an educational environment
- Experience obtaining competitive quotes or vendor proposals and coordinating approved vendors or contractors
- Experience with Adobe InDesign, FileMaker Pro, SketchUp, AutoCAD, or comparable design and database software
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