Museum Operations Manager; Historic Property, Choice, Inc. Washington DC

Position: Museum Operations Manager (Historic Property, Contract role) at The Choice, Inc. Washington DC Museum Operations Manager (Historic Property, Contract role) job at The Choice, Inc. Washington DC.

Job Description

The Choice is facilitating an upcoming contract for our client, a small historic property museum. This is an interim employment opportunity due to a staff member on family leave. Estimated Timeframe: Nov 2025 – February 2026 with potential extension Hours/ Location: approximately 40 hours weekly, including on‑site for public tours 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Thursday through Sunday, the remaining hours may be worked from home during the week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, public history, historic preservation, arts administration, architecture/design, or related field (or equivalent experience) required. Master’s degree in museum studies, public history, arts administration, architecture/design, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience managing operations, exhibitions, or facilities in a museum, historic site, or cultural venue.
• Demonstrated success producing exhibitions and writing/editing interpretive content (submit two short writing samples).
• Strong project management skills: budgets, schedules, vendor/fabricator coordination, and risk tracking across multiple concurrent projects.
• Proficiency with collections/CRM and office tools (e.g., Past Perfect or equivalent; MS/Google suite; basic PM software).
• Excellent interpersonal skills; consistent, welcoming public presence; commitment to inclusive, accessible experiences.
• Experience with event/rental operations; first‑aid/CPR or incident management training preferred.
• Familiarity with ADA/inclusive‑design standards and plain‑language editorial practices preferred.

Job Duties: This role will manage the stewardship, maintenance, exhibitions, and public programs of the museum as well as programming coordination. Duties will include:

• Lead the day‑to‑day operations of the museum, ensuring a safe, welcoming, and engaging experience for all visitors.
• Daily site operations:

Open/close procedures; front‑of‑house readiness; visitor services; ticketing/check‑in; gallery standards.

• Safety & compliance:

Life‑safety checks; incident reporting; first‑response coordination; adherence to policies/procedures; authority to pause operations for safety and initiate incident command protocols until relieved.

• Environment & collections care:

Monitor temperature, humidity, and light; uphold housekeeping standards; conduct integrated pest management checks; coordinate with collections consultants for handling and preventive care; maintain logs.

• Docent & volunteer oversight:

Schedule and oversee docents, temps, and volunteers.

• Exhibitions:

Build production calendars; coordinate fabrication, installation, and de‑installation; proof and approve labels and room text for accuracy, tone, and accessibility (including ADA and inclusive‑design practices).

• Programs & rentals:

Serve as day‑of on‑site lead for tours, programs, partner events, and rentals; coordinate facilities and vendors; manage run‑of‑show and post‑event resets.

• Project management & risk:

Keep to budgets and schedules for the museum operations and exhibits; track deliverables, risks, and mitigations; maintain dashboards and compliance records.

• Support the design and delivery of exhibitions and public programs that introduce audiences to the Global Campus and its vision for design literacy.
• Exhibition content:

Research, draft, and edit interpretive materials (object labels, section/room text, handouts, family activities) in collaboration with leadership and designers.

• Production coordination:

Maintain content calendars and milestones; route proofs; coordinate with fabricators and vendors; support installation days as assigned; manage credit lines and acknowledgments.

• Public programming:

Coordinate with programming and operations on logistics, staffing plans, run‑of‑show, and audience experience; assist on‑site for select events.

• Stakeholder alignment:

Liaise with partners, educators, and community groups to ensure mission alignment, audience accessibility, and brand consistency.

• Capital project liaison:

Serve as liaison to the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for capital projects including HVAC modernization, roof replacement, and accessibility upgrades—key steps toward making the museum the oldest LEED‑certified building in the United States.

• Procurement:

Draft project scopes; solicit quotes and RFPs for museum operations and maintenance.

• Vendor coordination:

Act as the primary point of contact for associated external vendors, contractors, and consultants.

• Facilities maintenance:

Liaise with JLL engineering services for oversight of the physical plant; coordinate maintenance vendors and service providers for ongoing facility needs.

• Planning & reporting:

Maintain workplans, calendars, and outcome dashboards for exhibits, programs, rentals, donations, maintenance, and capital projects. #J-18808-Ljbffr Apply tot his job Apply To this Job