Director of Exhibitions

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The Chicago Architecture Center is a nonprofit cultural organization with tours, exhibitions, programs, and events for all ages. Our mission is to inspire people to discover why design matters. The CAC is the leading organization devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation. As Chicago’s forum for the exchange of ideas on urban design, CAC inspires people to participate in the building of vibrant communities and to demand the highest standard in urban design.

*CAC employees are currently working a combination of in-office and remotely.*

The Director of Exhibitions administers, directs, and coordinates more than 6,000 square feet of exhibits at the Chicago Architecture Center, guiding projects from conception to completion while ensuring upkeep of existing spaces and installations. Working with the CEO, Vice President of Education and Audience Engagement and other staff, this position will guide the development of a vision for exhibitions at the Center, create changing and interactive elements in permanent galleries, and identify opportunities for mission-focused temporary installations in alignment with the strategic plan and institutional content priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Guides the development of the vision for CAC exhibitions and creates comprehensive multi-year exhibition plans, in direct collaboration with leadership team, other staff and stakeholders
Oversees the development of new and refurbishment of permanent exhibits, providing leadership in project management, design, fabrication, lighting, and installation
Coordinates maintenance for permanent exhibitions, manages exhibition logistics and operations, and oversees relevant contractors and consultants
Represents exhibition-related needs and opportunities across the institution, including programming, partnerships, communications and fundraising
Works cooperatively with exhibit design and fabrication firms, contributing to design development and exercising responsibility for competitive bidding, contracting, design review, installation monitoring, and quality control
Facilitates communication among all parties involved in projects, including external consultants and curators, CAC leadership and stakeholders, internal team members, fabricators and vendors; leads regular meetings and provides updates
Participate in organization-wide and departmental initiatives focused on becoming a more equitable and inclusive organization
Remains current in and applies best practices in museum exhibit design and fabrication
Prepares and manages departmental and project budgets
Assists with grant writing and development for exhibit projects
Collaborates with the Director of Education, Director of
Interpretation and Volunteer Manager for exhibit educational content and staff and volunteer training

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in history, museum studies, architecture, design, education or a related field, plus a minimum of five years of experience in exhibit and production design, fabrication and installation
Demonstrated experience in leadership and administration of exhibit projects, including design, personnel management, project planning and management, and budget oversight
Commitment to promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment for colleagues, volunteers, and visitors/audience
Knowledge of the tools and techniques of exhibit fabrication and graphic production, lighting systems, security and conservation requirements, and practices related to exhibitions
Demonstrated skill with design and drafting software such as: AutoCAD, Vectorworks, Sketchup Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
Knowledge, awareness, or enthusiasm for architecture, engineering, urban planning, and design preferred
Willingness to travel and work outside of normal operating hours as needed to design, fabricate, install, repair and maintain permanent and temporary exhibits
Ability to analyze bids and contracts
Experience with digital interactive exhibits preferred
Proficiency with hand and power tools a plus
Must be a strategic thinker with the ability to plan and execute goals and objectives across multiple departments
Flexibility, a collaborative attitude, and a sense of humor to adapt to schedule and organizational changes, and unforeseeable circumstances that arise
Must have excellent interpersonal and customer service skills and have the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Must be highly organized and detail oriented, with strong follow-through and ability to meet deadlines
Ability to work successfully in collaborative team environments