Exhibition Content Writer/Manager

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences?

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872), Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture (HMSC) are dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – including fostering respect for all, serving the greater good, and welcoming individuals from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. HMSC is a partnership of public museums in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences that includes the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. To learn more about HMSC's mission, objectives, and core values, please visit our website https://hmsc.harvard.edu/

The Exhibition Content Writer/Manager is responsible for producing exhibit content across 4 museums in the HMSC partnership - the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Reporting to the Director of Exhibitions, the Exhibition Content Writer/Manager provides overall leadership and direction for the content development process, executing tasks in line with field-specific best practices from preliminary planning through final design and installation. They research and produce interpretive content including label copy and other print, digital, and interactive materials. They also oversee the image acquisition process, monitoring intellectual property ramifications and obtaining permissions as needed to secure images, video, and audio for public museum exhibits. This position manages up to two direct reports and/or contract staff who contribute to exhibit and multimedia content development. The Exhibition Content Writer/Manager must understand universal design and approach projects with a strong focus on visitor experience.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Develop exhibit content for delivery through text

• In partnership with the Director of Exhibitions, ensure that exhibit goals, objectives, themes, and key messages are clearly established and reviewed at specified points in the process
• Develop interpretive exhibit content by conducting, in-depth research through literature reviews, subject matter expert interviews, and collaborating with other team members and exhibit stakeholders
• Coordinate outreach and communications to new, existing, and prospective content advisors, including all scheduling matters
• Coordinate and review material from academic and curatorial partners and integrate into exhibit label text
• Write, edit, revise, fact-check, and proofread text for exhibit labels and scripts
• Ensure that the style standard for language, punctuation, and vocabulary usage, is consistent with museum field best practices for readability

Develop and/or oversee development of exhibit content for delivery through images, video, interactives, and audio:

• Conduct research on visual imagery appropriate for inclusion in exhibits
• Select visual and other imagery, such as photographs, videos, illustrations, and audio for exhibits.
• Coordinate outreach and communications to prospective partners to secure copywrite or other intellectual property permissions for use of images, video, or audio files in HMSC exhibits
• Ensure that audio/visual exhibit components are consistent with museum field best practices for accessibility

Coordinate translation of label text to additional languages as appropriate

• Conduct ou