Associate Director for Exhibitions and Public Programs, The Harry Ransom Center

Description

Job Posting Title:
Associate Director for Exhibitions and Public Programs, The Harry Ransom Center

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Hiring Department:
Harry Ransom Center

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Position Open To:
All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40

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FLSA Status:
Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately

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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue

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Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:
General Notes

The Harry Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin. The Center’s extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of some of our finest writers and artists, deepening our understanding and appreciation of literature, theatre and the performing arts, film, photography, and art. The Ransom Center maintains an active program of exhibitions and public programs that interpret and provide insight into the Center’s collections for broad and diverse audiences.

Purpose

The Associate Director for Exhibitions and Public Programs provides strategic vision for the Ransom Center’s community engagement initiatives. The Associate Director leads and directs the Education & Exhibitions Division with responsibility for developing and managing exhibitions, the visitor experience, and public programs that promote discovery and learning. The Associate Director oversees an active program of external loans and collaborates with the Director, the Center’s senior leadership team, in-house and guest curators, communications and marketing, contract service providers, and community partners on the development of exhibitions and public programs that promote greater understanding of, and engagement with, the Center’s world-renowned collections.

Responsibilities

Manages an inclusive process of exhibition and public program content development that advances the Center’s educational mission in alignment with the Center’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
Reviews and assesses the Ransom Center’s exhibition and public program activities and collaborates with the Center’s Director and leadership team to set goals for and advance these activities in strategic ways.
Coordinates a 3-5 year exhibition schedule and manages budgeting for exhibitions, visitor services, and public programs.
Manages the Exhibitions and Public Programs Division consisting of a Registrar, an Exhibition Coordinator (vacant), three Exhibition Preparators, an Event Manager, and two Visitors Services Assistants and volunteers.
With support of the Exhibition Coordinator and Preparators coordinates exhibition preparation and installation in order to meet all exhibition related deadlines.
Negotiates contracts with guest curators and program speakers and with support of the Ransom Center business office ensures prompt and timely processing of honoraria and related expenses.
Works with the Registrar, Exhibition Manager, Preparators, Curators, and Conservators to ensure the safe handling, transport, and display of collection items.
Works with the Director of Development and Marketing and Communications to secure exhibition sponsorship support and engage Ransom Center members.
Supervises the Registrar with responsibility for an active program of exhibition loans in support of the Center’s educational mission.
Supervises and provides vision and leadership for Visitor Services staff and volunteers with responsibility for the visitor experience.
Supervises Event Manager with responsibility for internal and external events.
Collects and reports on gallery visitation, program participation, and audience survey feedback, in order to inform long-range planning.
Serves on the Ransom Center’s senior leadership team and participates in institution-wide strategic planning.

Required Qualifications
Advanced degree in one of the Ransom Center’s areas of collection strength (e.g. literature, theatre, film, photography, or art).
A minimum of 3 years exhibition experience in a special collections, archives, museum, gallery, or comparable setting.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work simultaneously, and effectively, on multiple projects.
Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines and work well under pressure.
Flexibility of schedule and the need to work on site on some weekends and evenings
Familiarity with museum exhibition best practices.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications
Ph.D in one of the Ransom Center’s areas of collection strength (e.g. literature, theatre, film, photography, or art)
5 or more years of exhibition experience in a special collections, archives, museum, gallery, or comparable humanities setting.
Experience with collection management systems (e.g. TMS or QI)

Salary Range

$83k+, depending upon qualifications

Working Conditions

May work around standard office conditions.

Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Prolonged screen time.

Use of manual dexterity.

Work Shift

M - F, 8am – 5pm

Occasional weekends and evenings for mission-related events.

Required Materials

Resume/CV

3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197.