Title: Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections
State Role Title: Gen Admin Supv I/Coord I
Hiring Range: $48,000
Pay Band: 4
Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Location: MAIN MUSEUM
Agency Website: https://www.vmfa.museum/
Recruitment Type: General Public - G
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.
Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.
Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.
VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.
The Exhibition Planning Department leads the planning and coordination of VMFA’s temporary exhibitions, collection installations and rotations, traveling exhibitions, and related gallery and institutional projects. The department works collaboratively across the museum to translate curatorial and institutional goals into well-organized, achievable projects, coordinating schedules, budgets, resources, approvals, and communication among numerous internal departments and external partners. The department includes a team of Project Managers who manage assigned project portfolios while working collaboratively to support shared departmental priorities, processes, and initiatives.
We are currently seeking applications for a highly organized, proactive, and collaborative individual to join the Exhibition Planning Department as Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Exhibition Planning, this position manages assigned exhibitions, collection installations and rotations, loan-based projects, traveling exhibitions, and other initiatives. The Project Manager expected to independently manage their assigned projects from early planning through installation, operation, deinstallation, and closeout, with guidance and oversight from Exhibition Planning leadership.
The Project Manager is responsible for keeping complex, cross-functional projects moving forward. The position oversees project scope, schedules, budgets, stakeholders, resources, risks, documentation, and communications; leads meetings and work sessions; identifies potential conflicts or delays; follows up on decisions and action items; and works with teams to develop practical solutions when priorities, schedules, or project needs change.
Success in this role requires initiative, independence, excellent attention to detail, strong follow-through, and ability to take ownership of work. The Project Manager interacts with a wide range of personalities and professional disciplines and must be comfortable leading meetings, asking questions, communicating concerns, building consensus, and maintaining productive working relationships while balancing competing priorities.
The position partners closely with Curatorial, Registration, Conservation, Exhibition Design & Production, Art Handling, Editing, Interpretation, Programs, Marketing, Procurement, Facilities, Security, and other departments, as well as lenders, vendors, contractors, and partner institutions. Responsibilities also include maintaining accurate project information in systems such as Asana, SharePoint, and TMS; coordinating project and exhibition budgets; supporting contracts and procurement; coordinating approvals and deliverables; and providing on-site support during installation and deinstallation periods. Some domestic and international travel may be required.
The Commonwealth of Virginia offers a comprehensive total compensation package that includes health benefits, paid leave, and flexible work schedules. The following benefits are available to classified employees:
Additional information relating to the benefits available to eligible state employees can be found online at: https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/employeebenefits
You will be provided with confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
All applicants must submit an online application. This position will close at 11:55 pm on the designated closing date listed at the top of this posting on Jobs.Virginia.gov.
Please provide three professional references, including their full name, phone number, and email address. References should be able to speak to your qualifications for the position and may be included in your resume or cover letter or attached separately in the portal’s "other" field.
VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Name: HR Services
Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.
Email: recruitment@vmfa.museum for recruitment related questions.
Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.
Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.
The Commonwealth of Virginia is located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. It was the 10th state to be admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788. Home to approximately 8 million residents, Virginia is the 12th most populous state in the United States. The capital is Richmond, and its most populous city is Virginia Beach.
The narrative history of the Commonwealth of Virginia often begins with the founding of Jamestown in 1607, near what is now modern day Williamsburg, Virginia. Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in the New World, and the Virginia General Assembly, established on July 30, 1619, is now recognized as the oldest legislative body in the western hemisphere. When Virginia became a royal colony in 1624, the robust tobacco trade that had been developing in Virginia helped establish the American colonies as a powerful economic force. During the American Revolution, Virginia witnessed the final surrender of British forces at Yorktown and later became known as the birthplace of many revolution-era figures and future American presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. To date, 8 United States presidents have been born in Virginia, more than in any other state.
The modern government of Virginia is nearly identical in structure to the federal government, and is divided into 3 branches, these being the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. The Virginia General Assembly is comprised of the 100-member House of Delegates and the 40-member Senate. A governor and lieutenant governor are elected every 4 years. Governors cannot be elected to or serve consecutive terms. Virginia’s judicial system consists of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Circuit Courts, and the lower General District Courts and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. Virginia has 13 electoral votes in presidential elections, and possesses 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
