The Taubman Museum of Art Curatorial Assistant Manager provides critical support to the Museum’s Curatorial department by assisting with administrative and research duties related to ticketed and free general admission exhibitions, collections, registration, installation, and all cross-departmental relations with specific focus on member and donor relations.

This position works closely with the Deputy Director of Exhibitions to help prepare and organize materials for the special ticketed exhibition committee: researching potential exhibitions, presenting to the committee, taking/distributing notes from the meetings, and assisting with managing the exhibitions timeline.

In addition, the Curatorial Assistant Manager–in coordination with the Museum’s Development department–is the lead for the coordination and implementation of virtual and onsite curatorial programs, tours, and presentations for key donors and groups. This position is also responsible for compiling data and working with the Marketing department on the creation of lender stewardship packets.

In coordination with the Museum’s Registrar, this position assists with the preparation, tracking, installation, care, documentation, and necessary follow-up for the Museum’s collections and exhibitions. Responsibilities include handling art, packing and unpacking crates, keeping records, and specific administrative support as assigned.

The Curatorial Assistant Manager–in coordination with the Museum’s Community Engagement department–is the lead for the preparation, tracking, installation, care, documentation, and curation for the Museum’s educational sharing collection.

In coordination with the Museum’s Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager, the Curatorial Assistant Manager co-leads the Museum internship program, providing curatorial support for exhibition-focused projects.

Special projects for this position include but are not limited to the administrative oversight and co-lead of exhibitions as assigned; the administrative oversight as assigned for 75th anniversary projects; co-lead for artist celebrations; and curatorial liaison for the Late Nights, Roanoke Arts Pop, and other community events as part of a cross-departmental team.

The Curatorial Assistant Manager must exhibit a positive, team-oriented attitude across departments, and support the Museum’s strategic goals and mission. The role requires strong research, writing, data management, and presentation skills, along with exhibition administration and installation functions, program development, the ability to analyze and catalog artwork with care and accuracy, strict attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task and organize multiple projects.

This is a Monday-Friday full-time position and includes a flexible schedule for monthly late nights, fundraisers, and Museum events on occasional weekends and evenings.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

- Assists the Deputy Director of Exhibitions with preparing and organizing materials for exhibition opportunities. Duties include researching potential special ticketed exhibitions; outreach to museums, collectors, and lenders to collect information; presenting information to the special ticketed exhibition committee; taking detailed notes of meetings and disseminating to committee members afterwards; and managing the Museum’s annual exhibitions timeline

- Administrative lead for exhibitions planning and documents to include oversight of exhibition and artists contracts; production of illustrated exhibition checklists; creation and formatting of object labels and other exhibition texts; production of exhibition quick looks and summaries; and the gathering and maintenance of special ticketed and other exhibition proposals

- Assists Deputy Director of Exhibitions with logistics/facilitation of documents related to exhibitions that include correspondence and appointments; creates briefings as assigned; and coordinates logistics including travel arrangements for guest curators and artists

- Works with Marketing to provide label, didactic, and title texts for design and final formatting

- Aids in onboarding and mentoring the annual TMA Fellow, who reports to the Registrar

- Manages artist, lender, and collector lists; inputs notes from studio and collection visits by Deputy Director of Exhibitions, Executive Director, and Registrar

- Serves as website lead for the Curatorial department, uploading content and facilitating review by appropriate departments and other parties

- Provides responses to unsolicited exhibition proposals and facilitates their review by Deputy Director of Exhibitions; responds to accession offers from artists or other parties, and coordinates meeting times for viewing artworks on offer to permanent collection

- Provides research and writes overview summaries of accession offers

- Serves as co-lead with guest and in-house curators for juried exhibitions or other opportunities as assigned–includes but is not limited to submission of applications, coordination with artists and guest curator, and lead for opening celebration program and logistics

- Lead curatorial staff person for tours of exhibitions for community groups, Institutional Members, Museum members, and donors - this includes for upper-level members the research and implementation of the annual major donor tour

- Lead curatorial staff person and on-site for cross-departmental teams including but not limited to Late Nights, fundraisers, membership events, and large community events including but not limited to Roanoke Arts POP, Member openings, and as scheduled for the following: including but not limited to volunteer and Host/Guard trainings, and Museum Studies presentations

- Leads off-site presentations regarding exhibitions for Institutional Members and community events

- Primary point of contact for artist/curator submission of lecture PowerPoints; lead for content collection and creation of exhibition/artist PowerPoints for community presentations, member/donor events, and outreach programs; works in coordination with Museum Curatorial department liaison for artist and guest curator marketing and collateral approvals

- Assists the with the creation and distribution of lender and donor exhibition stewardship packets including but not limited to exhibition materials

- Lead content submission as requested/pertinent for the Museum’s bi-monthly e-newsletter on behalf of the Curatorial department to the Marketing department

- Attends weekly internal logistics meetings, monthly Marketing, monthly Community Engagement/Curatorial, special ticketed exhibition meetings, or others as needed on behalf of the Curatorial department

- Performs art handling duties and assists as requested with unpacking and packing of objects, receiving and shipping of artwork; is co-leader for Museum Associates, Contract Handlers, and Volunteer team

- Assists the Registrar with the care, oversight, cataloging, and record keeping of the Museum’s permanent collection and the implementation of the collections digitalization project

- Helps keep the collections management database current for all objects loaned, borrowed or owned, including the Educational Sharing Collection

- Helps supervise Museum Host/Guard Associates and interns in the gallery and for projects

- Occasionally serves as back up for Visitor Services and Welcome Desk coverage

- Other special projects and duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Excellent oral and written communication skills; strong research skills; strong project management skills; ability to respond effectively and professionally to inquiries or complaints; strong public presentation skills; ability to work effectively with all units and levels of the organization, and demonstration of initiative in taking on new projects; ability to function well with internal and external customers; ability to effectively solve problems and strong conflict resolution skills; knowledge of best practices in museum exhibitions and collections code of ethics; art handling skills and installation skills; excellent computer skills with proficiency in use of spreadsheets, word processing and Windows; ability to use office software and email

Training, Education, and Experience:

- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in art, art history, museum studies, or related field

- 2-4 years experience working in an art museum or relevant cultural organizations preferred

- Exceptional candidates with less experience may be considered for a Coordinator-level position

Special Requirements:

- Must possess and maintain a valid Virginia driver's license and maintain a driving record acceptable to the Taubman Museum of Art.

- Must be available to work flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Salary Range: $37,000-$54,000 per year

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to hr@taubmanmuseum.org.