Project Manager, Exhibitions and Collections

About this role

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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:

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Post closes on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 11:55 PM EST.

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

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.

About the Exhibition Planning Department:

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.

General Information:

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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Demonstrated project management or project coordination experience involving multiple stakeholders, schedules, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Highly proactive and self-directed approach to work, with demonstrated ability to identify next steps, anticipate needs or risks, and move work forward with limited day-to-day supervision.
• Demonstrated reliability, strong follow-through, and ability to take ownership of assignments and see projects and action items through to completion.
• Strong work ethic, reliability, and demonstrated ability to take ownership of assignments and see projects and action items through to completion.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively and diplomatically with individuals representing a wide range of roles, priorities, communication styles, and personalities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead meetings, facilitate discussion, communicate decisions and next steps, and hold stakeholders accountable for project deliverables in a collaborative manner.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify risks, evaluate options, adapt to changing circumstances, and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, cross-functional environment.
• Experience developing and managing project schedules and tracking project budgets.
• Strong written communication and documentation skills.
• Proficiency with standard office software and demonstrated ability to learn and effectively use project management, document management, and other technology systems.

Additional Considerations:

• Experience managing exhibitions, collections projects, gallery installations, or other complex projects within a museum, cultural, educational, design, construction, or similarly complex, cross-functional environment.
• Knowledge of museum exhibition planning, collections care, registration, conservation, art handling, design, interpretation, or related museum workflows.
• Experience coordinating project budgets, contracts, procurement activities, vendors, or consultants.
• Experience working with external partner organizations, lenders, or traveling projects.
• Experience with project and information management systems such as Asana, SharePoint, TMS, or comparable platforms.
• Consistent with the Commonwealth of Virginia's