Deputy Director, Museum of Art

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

Museum of Art

Job Description

Job Summary

The Deputy Director occupies a critical leadership position within the museum, collaborating closely with the museum’s Director and Chief Curator and the Senior Leadership Team on aligning museum operations with the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and core values. The Deputy Director supervises essential museum functions including visitor experience, safety, finance, and retail. They are responsible for developing long-term financial strategies that support the museum’s organizational priorities and, with the Senior Leadership Team, they play a key role in promoting collaborative and inclusive ways of working across museum departments. The Deputy Director of Strategy & Operations coordinates with campus partners on facilities operation and maintenance of the museum building and serves as a primary liaison to the College’s Human Resources, Information Technology, and Sponsored Research and Grants teams. In the absence of the Director and Chief Curator, this position is charged with day-to-day leadership decisions.

Essential Functions

Inclusive Leadership & Supervision (30%)

Provide leadership and support for the museum’s visitor experience, safety, and retail operations; directly supervise the Safety Manager, the Visitor Experience Manager, and the Financial & Systems Manager; support the Safety Manager and the Visitor Experience Manager in supervising the Safety Team, Gallery Assistants, Shop team and front desk staff. Be a thought leader about organizational and strategic matters, overseeing and directing policies and procedures related to museum operations, operationalizing vision and strategies for the museum, and developing strategies to support the museum’s long-term financial priorities.

• Lead the collaborative development of museum-wide policies and procedures related to visitor experience, safety, and the museum building

• Lead the development and implementation of process to establish museum vision and strategies

• Working with the museum Financial & Systems Manager, develop strategies to support the museum’s long-term financial priorities    

Visitor Experience & Safety (30%)

Collaborate with the Visitor Experience Manager and the Visitor Experience team on continually improving visitor experience and visitor engagement and developing visitor-centered approaches to museum operations.

collaborate with the Visitor Experience Manager and the Safety Manager on prioritizing a visitor-centered approach to safety and visitor experience and on promoting a dynamic, inclusive, and engaging experience for museum visitors; ensure the highest level of visitor enjoyment and safety; ensure compliance with best practices and adherence to standards for accessibility; ensure safety of museum collection (in coordination with Collections Manager/Registrar and Safety Manager); collaborate with the Visitor Experience team and the Financial & Systems Manager on developing systems for attendance tracking, assessment, and data collection and analysis; oversee preparation of annual statistical reports; develop, coordinate, and execute policies and procedures affecting all areas of the Museum; formulate policies to ensure best practices, non-profit integrity and ethics in accordance with legal statutes and current standards of the field; supervise legal matters on behalf of the museum including negotiating and monitoring contracts.

Consult regularly with the Director and Chief Curator and the museum Safety Manager about long-term facilities issues and, safety and security matters, including emergency preparedness. "         

Finance (20%)

Supervise the museum’s financial and budget activities in order to fund operations and support strategic priorities; oversee short- and long-term strategic financial planning; supervise all accounting functions; oversee annual budgeting and planning process in conjunction with the Financial & Systems Manager, the Director and Chief Curator, and the Senior Leadership Team.

Support grant preparation and oversee grants administration. Collaborate with Safety Manager and Visitor Experience Manager on regular training and workshops for public-facing staff to promote an engaging, inclusive, and safe visitor experience. Serve as a key liaison to Facilities Management and Information Technology Services; oversee identification and implementation of administrative techno