Ryan Learning Center Operations Manager

MISSION

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Generous paid time off
• Paid holidays (up to 14 days)
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits
• Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)
• Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program
• Great employee discounts
• Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions
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OUR VALUES

All staff members are expected to embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution and to adhere to the museum’s shared values.

• Our museum reflects and deepens our collective humanity; the arts are integral to an inspired and just society.

• We respect and acknowledge each of our colleagues’ contributions and expertise across all roles within our organization.

• We share in the responsibility to create an antiracist culture built on equity, inclusion, and justice for all, acknowledging that these efforts are intersectional and ongoing.

• We encourage and advance a culture of hospitality, empathy, and gratitude for each visitor, supporter, and member of our staff.

• We embrace innovation and foster change with a progressive understanding of—and obligation to reconsider—our past.

• We sustain an open and dynamic civic platform, inviting and advancing the diverse perspectives of our city, staff, visitors, and supporters.

 

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Learning Center is a platform for culturally responsive experiences that bring young people and the adults around them into dynamic and inspiring encounters with art and creativity. The Ryan Learning Center team:

• champions the role of art and culture in people’s lives,

• promotes access and equitable participation in art and the museum,

• fosters critical and creative thinking.

 

As a result, youth, teens, families, students, and educators from various backgrounds and abilities engage with each other and with works of art from across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, activating the museum as a place for learning, insight, inspiration, and community. These museum experiences enable young people and the adults around them to feel more connected and confident in their capacity to imagine, create, and make sense of art and their world.

 

ABOUT THE POSITION

As part of the Operations and Volunteers team, the Manager plays a key role in helping to develop and manage the systems that enable the smooth operations of the Ryan Learning Center, the learning space for students, teachers, teens, families, and adult visitors to the museum. This role is highly focused on systems development, implementation, operations, and analysis. This includes organizing  and communicating a staffing schedule that encompasses staff, volunteers, and contractors in the Art Exchange; scheduling groups; and allocating spaces for programmatic use. The Manager maintains a birds’-eye view of the Ryan Learning Center operations and manages the logistics that enable the Center to operate efficiently and to maximum effect. They bring problem-solving skills, detail-orientation, and a love of making all the pieces work together to a critical role that positions the Ryan Learning Center to be a welcoming and inclusive place for people of all abilities.

 

The Manager collaborates with colleagues across all areas of the RLC department and throughout the museum to deepen audience connections and position the museum as a valuable space for connection, learning, and meaning-making.

 

This position is 35 hours a week and holds a standard Tuesday-Saturday schedule. Occasional evening work may be required. This position is a fully onsite position.  Other duties as assigned.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Volunteer Management

Working closely with the Director, Operations and Volunteers, engag