Director of Exhibits

Job Description

Job Description

Position Title

Rate of Pay  

Director of Exhibits

$110,000 per year

Department 

Work Location

Exhibits

Hybrid; On-site at least 3 days/week

Reports to

Work Schedule

Chief Research and Impact Officer 

Monday – Friday (9 am – 5 pm)

FLSA Status 

Position Classification

Exempt

Full time

Since its founding at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) has inspired millions of people — children, teachers, and families — by offering innovative, participatory ways to learn and encouraging people to explore their curiosity and nurture their creativity. Located in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the country, NYSCI welcomes 400,000 visitors each year and serves thousands more through outreach in schools, teacher professional development, and participation in a variety of public events and research initiatives.

NYSCI is a leader in the science museum field, recognized for its highly regarded exhibitions, programs, and products, all of which are informed by our inclusive, research-derived approach to STEM learning and engagement called Design, Make, Play . The defining characteristics of Design, Make, Play — open-ended exploration, imaginative learning, personal relevance, deep engagement, and delight — are the ingredients that invite broad participation in STEM and make learning and engagement irresistible. Through this transformative model for STEM exploration, NYSCI engages communities of learners in STEM by fostering excitement for self-directed exploration and tapping into the joy of learning intrinsic to young people’s play. NYSCI has approximately 100 full-time and over 130 part-time and casual staff members.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Exhibits provides strategic and operational leadership of NYSCI’s exhibition program. Working with an internal exhibits team and a network of external partners, the Director leads the planning, development, fabrication, iteration, and delivery of exhibitions and exhibit experiences across NYSCI’s campus.

This position is an opportunity for an experienced exhibit developer and strong project manager to have a significant impact on the future of a leading science center. It requires a passion for human-centered design, a strong point of view on exhibition design, and expertise in creating science and engineering exhibits that support open-ended visitor agency, exploration, curiosity, and collaboration. The role requires a strong understanding of how audiences of all ages engage with both physical and digital informal learning environments, and how facilitation practices and educational programs can deepen the relevance and impact of exhibitions. The Director will also be an experienced project manager, able to oversee a small, dedicated exhibits team, collaborate effectively with departments across the institution, and collaborate with external partners across a range of projects within the institution, on our grounds, and across the city.

The Director will report to the Chief Research and Impact Officer and will lead a small, dedicated exhibit team. The Director will work closely with colleagues across teams including Visitor Experience, Research and Evaluation, Education, and Operations to expand NYSCI’s reach and impact across the campus and the city through our exhibition program, expanding NYSCI’s leadership in the development of exhibitions that support inclusive, creative STEM learning.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director will report to the Chief Research and Impact Officer and will be accountable for three primary areas of responsibility:

Exhibit Creation

• Lead a program of exhibition design/development, fabrication, iteration, and remediation that executes on existing institutional strategies and plans, meets the highest standards of visual design and interaction design, and ensures that NYSCI audiences have robust, creative, and engaging opportunities to discover their own curiosity, agency, and competency as scientific thinkers and problem-solvers.
• Manage exhibit development processes, ensuring that new exhibitions align with NYSCI's mission and pedagogical approaches, meet all project requirements, and tap into a range of sources of input including internal staff, visitors, community members, and external experts.
• Ensure exhibits staff have access to the partners, resources, and professional learning opportunities they need to deliver a high-quality exhibit experience in high-touch, high-traffic environments.
• Lead and/or contribute to exhibit content development as appropriate, depending on project scope, partners, and timeline.
• Lead prototyping processes as needed, in collaboration with other exhibit team members and NYSCI research staff.
• Identify and collaborate with external partners as needed to achieve project goals within given timelines and budget constraints.
• Ensure cross-departmental needs are addressed in exhibit offerings and iterations by involving necessary teams in the design process and keeping them in the loop as design phases progress.
• Stay abreast of trends in museum design, including learning research, technical advances, new methodologies, and products, and share this knowledge with peers and partners across the museum as needed.

Project and Process Management

• Lead, with support from other NYSCI departments and external partners, all dimensions of project management for exhibit projects, including scoping, documentation, staff management, and monitoring budgets, contracts, and timelines.
• Lead internal design and fabrication processes to remediate and improve existing exhibits.
• Represent exhibit experience perspective in planning for and supporting all aspects of visitor experience; maintain cross-departmental relationships to inform exhibit planning and production.
• Establish and maintain communication, documentation, and archival systems that provide a strong foundation for an excellent exhibitions program and support the long-term maintenance of exhibitions.
• Monitor project budgets, schedules, and requirements, with support from internal and external partners in finance and project management.
• Source and manage external partners in exhibit design, development, and fabrication as projects require.
• Work with peers to scope yearly budgets and projects and to set and deliver on monthly exhibit goals.

Team and Organizational Leadership

• Oversee and support the exhibits team, providing clear direction, priorities, coaching, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Cultivate a network of internal and external collaborators and experts, develop lasting professional relationships, and establish the communication and documentation systems that provide a strong foundation for an excellent exhibitions program.
• Contribute to NYSCI’s long-term planning for expanding the scope and scale of our exhibition program, in partnership with internal and external partners.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five years of experience developing interactive exhibitions for museums or other informal learning environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading exhibition development processes with both internal and external partners.
• MA, MS, or MFA in a relevant field such as museum studies, science communication, industrial design, learning, or psychology. 
• Proven record of developing and executing systems that support creative design work. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage, support, and develop a creative, human-centered, mission- and visitor-focused exhibits program. 
• Working knowledge of ADA requirements.

REQUIREMENTS

• Readiness to lead exhibit development processes for a highly interactive science museum serving large and diverse audiences.
• Experience creating, facilitating, or supporting accessible, inclusive learning in out-of-school environments.
• Mastery of exhibition development processes, combined with an understanding of design and visual presentation methods, interaction design, and general museum exhibition concepts, standards, applications, procedures, and terminology.
• Demonstrated experience developing exhibitions that take into consideration the talents and perspectives of learners of diverse ages, backgrounds, and interests.
• Readiness to provide leadership through supervision and collaboration with a wide range of colleagues
• Strong conceptual and creative abilities, along with a solid technical background, to support content development and the c