Exhibitions Project Manager

The Field Museum is a not-for-profit organization located on the Museum Campus of Chicago. Since the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, we have conducted research across all seven continents and accumulated a collection of over 40 million specimens and artifacts.

The Field Museum is searching for an Exhibitions Project Manager to join our team!

The Project Manager coordinates exhibition content development, design, graphics, production, and installation for both in-house or traveling temporary exhibitions. They perform ongoing project management, including (but not limited to) leading exhibition team meetings, representing the team at Museum-wide and inter-departmental meetings, and ensuring that exhibitions are on schedule and on budget. They are the conduit of information between the exhibition team and other Museum departments and the Museum’s main contact with outside partners on these projects. As needed, the Project Manager acts as the Museum’s spokesperson to the press and media for these exhibitions.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Reports to the Exhibitions Operations Director
• Reinforces institutional goals for the project and makes sure the team is responsive to these goals, which form the starting point in the conception of the project
• Facilitates the team throughout the exhibition development, design, production, and installation process
• Organizes meetings and develops agendas, and ensures that all team members are aware of deadlines and specific deliverables
• Documents decisions and next steps, and notes when team members will bring deliverables back to the team
• Helps guide team to meet budgetary goals
• Drafts project-related contracts and works to ensure contract compliance
• Acts as spokesperson for the team to outside groups and serves as a conduit of information into the team from outside
• Works closely with Exhibition Directors to best position the team’s work within the institution; prepares team and individual team members (as needed) for presentations
• Facilitates positive interpersonal dynamics on the team; works as needed with individuals and the group to help eliminate roadblocks
• Helps build team spirit and actively seeks activities and opportunities for team building outside of the project
• Equally supports all team members in their roles of design, production, development, etc. Encourages communication between team members. Ensures quieter team members can be heard. When there are dissenting opinions, encourage team members to clearly articulate their differing points of view and work toward resolution. When needed, drive the team toward decisions to reach closure

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. At least 3 years of museum experience working on exhibitions, and a background in anthropology, art history or related field is preferred
• Excellent communication skills (interpersonal, public speaking, and written) are required
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate diverse teams and experience working in a creative, multidisciplinary and fast-paced work environment
• Experience with creation and reviewing contracts, budgets, and schedules
• Demonstrated organizational, planning and project management experience with exceptional attention to detail and communication skills
• Embraces working with people of different cultures, nationalities, and localities
• Exhibits positive, professional manner and maintains strict confidentiality at all times
• Knowledge of standard Office suite software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.), with Microsoft Project experience preferred
• Experience with Google products, and other project management software such as Basecamp desirable

Important Note: In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, guests and their families, the Field Museum is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for exemptions from the vaccine will not be considered as given the nature of this position, we are unable to provide an accommodation for anyone who has not been vaccinated.

The Field Museum is an equal opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected class. We strive to create a working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. We believe every member of our organization enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, to identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.

The Field Museum strives to ensure that our career website and recruiting process are accessible to all. If you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application, or if you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [email protected].
The Field Museum