Preparator and Exhibitions Project Manager

The Preparator and Exhibitions Project Manager serves as the operational project manager for museum exhibitions annually, each typically involving artwork with an aggregate insured value exceeding $400,000. The position is responsible for coordinating the planning, preparation, installation, deinstallation and documentation of exhibitions. Working closely with the Museum Director and Curator of Collections, the position supports the curator’s exhibition plan and manages the operational activities necessary to complete exhibitions safely, professionally and on schedule. 

Long-term priorities are established in collaboration with the Museum Director. Within those priorities, the position independently organizes daily work, coordinates resources and exercises professional judgment in areas such as art handling, installation methods, exhibition lighting, equipment use, object protection and workplace safety. The Museum Director retains final authority for exhibition decisions  but works in close consultation with the Project Manager to ensure exhibitions are on time, on budget, properly promoted and meet professional museum standards.

Rate: $26.93-$28.48, 35hrs/week

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the operational project manager for museum exhibitions, each typically involving artwork with an aggregate insured value exceeding $400,000.
• Coordinate exhibition schedules, workflow calendars, installation and deinstallation activities, staffing, facilities support, transportation, equipment, and required materials.
• Work with the Museum Director to establish long-term exhibition priorities and independently organize daily work to support those priorities.
• Support the curator’s exhibition plan and coordinate the operational activities necessary for successful implementation.
• Collaborate with the Museum Director, Curator of Collections, artists, exhibitors, faculty, staff, vendors, and campus partners.
• Identify scheduling, operational, safety, security, and object-preservation risks and communicate concerns or potential delays promptly.
• Provide regular project updates to the Museum Director.
• Support the timely completion and opening of exhibitions, with final accountability retained by the Museum Director.

Exhibition Preparation and Art Handling:

• Install and deinstall high-value artwork and exhibition materials using professional museum practices.
• Pack, unpack, move, arrange, store, and transport museum objects and incoming or outgoing loans.
• Prepare gallery spaces and museum infrastructure for exhibitions.
• Assemble, maintain, and dismantle exhibition furniture, display structures, plinths, wall text, and related materials.
• Install and adjust exhibition lighting according to accepted museum standards.
• Install and support multimedia equipment, including monitors, projectors, and related technology.
• Create and maintain exhibition work lists for insurance, logistics, and documentation purposes.
• Assist with condition reports for incoming and outgoing objects.
• Exercise independent technical judgment regarding art handling, installation methods, equipment use, lighting, and object protection.
• Pause or stop work when a safety, security, or object-preservation concern is identified.

Collections and Storage Support:

• Oversee the organization and maintenance of the museum’s off-site storage space in collaboration with the Curator of Collections.
• Assist with collection-management activities, artwork movement, storage planning, and object documentation.
• Help ensure that stored artwork and museum equipment are appropriately arranged, protected, and accessible.
• Maintain gallery, storage, preparation, and work areas in a safe, secure, and organized condition.
• Maintain an inventory of exhibition tools, equipment, furniture, materials, and supplies.
• Support compliance with insurance requirements and loan agreements involving national and international lenders.

Temporary Staff and Volunteer Coordination:

• Recruit and hire temporary student employees and temporary art handlers based on exhibition needs and established University procedures.
• Train, schedule, supervise, and direct temporary workers.
• Provide instruction in professional art handling, equipment use, safety procedures, and assigned exhibition responsibilities.
• Monitor work to ensure tasks are completed safely and according to museum standards.
• Coordinate temporary assignments that may range from one day to several weeks.
• Provide performance feedback and address work concerns involving temporary workers and volunteers as appropriate.

Vendor, Facilities, and Purchasing Coordination:

• Obtain competitive quotes or vendor proposals for exhibition-related services, transportation, materials, equipment, and other project needs.
• Present vendor information and recommendations to the Museum Director for review and approval.
• Coordinate approved vendors and contractors and monitor their work through completion.
• Work with University Facilities staff on gallery modifications, exhibition installations, equipment needs, and specialized projects.
• Serve as a primary museum contact for Facilities and Public Safety regarding exhibition and building needs.
• Initiate purchases within approved exhibition plans and established University purchasing procedures.
• Track exhibition-related purchases and provide documentation to the Museum Director.
• Coordinate the rental of appropriate vehicles and transportation of artwork as needed.
• Operate within approved budgets without independent budgetary control, vendor-selection authority, or contract-signing authority.

Exhibition Communication and Documentation:

• Maintain organized exhibition records, including schedules, contracts, work lists, correspondence, images, catalogs, publicity materials, and installation documentation.
• Coordinate with artists and exhibitors to obtain images, statements, biographies, curricula vitae, and other supporting materials.
• Assist with gathering and organizing information for exhibition labels, wall text, and related interpretive materials.
• Coordinate museum photography and professional exhibition documentation, including photography, video, and virtual tours.
• Work with appropriate University staff or external partners to support advertising, press releases, graphic design, and exhibition publicity.
• Assist with artist visits, lectures, special programs, and other exhibition-related events.
• Ensure that exhibition files are complete, accurate, and maintained according to museum and University practices.
• Communicate project requirements, deadlines, responsibilities, and changes to appropriate stakeholders.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supports and assists in creating intersections and pathways for faculty, staff and students that will assist in transforming people’s lives.
• Supports and assists in creating an evolving culture of connection, mentoring and rich engagement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
• Maintains a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experiences, therefore welcoming and supporting all faculty, staff and students and expanding access to the AU experience.
• Maintains a safe working environment within and around their facilities and associated equipment and supplies including, but not limited to, obtaining Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information pertaining to any hazards associated with their work environment.
• Participates in all required assigned training, including safety training and will comply with safety rules, regulations, and protocols.
• Contributes to the overall success of the University by performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications-Education & Experiencem, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, fine arts, art history or related field is required. Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum of 3 years of professional museum or gallery experience is required, professional museum experience is preferred.
• 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.
• Experience working with ceramic, three-dimensional, fragile, or high-value artwork is preferred.
• Knowledge of ceramic art, contemporary art, and general art history is preferred.
• Experience with exhibition design, collections management, condition reporting, museum storage, or work within an educational environment is preferred.
• Experience obtaining competitive quotes or vendor proposals and coordinating approved vendors or contractors is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office is required. Experience with Adobe InDesign, FileMaker Pro, SketchUp, AutoCAD, or comparable design and database software is preferred.
• Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends during exhibition installation, deinstallation, and special programming.
• A valid driver’s license is required.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required.  A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required.  Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc., may or may not be available.  The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus.  The Campus is in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility-impaired individuals.

About Alfred University:
Lighting the way for students since 1836. “We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor, and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836.”

Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth-century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.

Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York.
 

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.