Manager of Education and Programs

Description

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia seeks an experienced, goal-oriented Manager of Education and Programs to lead its education, programming and visitor services initiatives.

Kluge-Ruhe is the only museum dedicated to Indigenous Australian art in the United States. Its vision is a world in which Indigenous people are listened to, and their arts and cultures are honored and celebrated. Its reputation in Australia and the United States is outstanding and it is leading the museum sector in working collaboratively and interculturally with Indigenous communities. This position is an opportunity to be a key member of a small but highly engaged and professional team that is increasing Indigenous leadership in museums and sharing the richness and diversity of First Nations Australian arts and cultures with the world. See the museum’s current strategic plan here: https://klugeruhe.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Kluge-Ruhe-Strategic-Plan-2021-Brief.pdf

The Manager of Education and Programs will provide high-quality educational experiences for in-person and online visitors and community volunteers in ways that advance Kluge-Ruhe’s strategic priorities and values.

Education and Programs

The Manager of Education and Programs will innovatively develop, lead and evaluate in-person and online programs with a goal-oriented approach that:

• enhance exhibitions and bring them to life
• support First Nations Australian artists, curators and knowledge holders by amplifying their voices locally and globally
• partner with organizations near and far to extend the museum’s reach and impact
• meet the needs of four pre-determined audience segments
• They will also lead tours for school and community groups, assist in implementing programs associated with the MADAYIN travelling exhibition, and will help with the marketing of programs they develop.

Visitor Services

The Manager of Education and Programs will ensure the museum visitor experience lives up to its acclaim by:

• managing two Visitor Experience Associates that staff the museum on weekends
• managing a volunteer program of 15 community volunteers that staff the front desk on weekdays, including recruitment, training and evaluation
• ensure daily tours led by staff and volunteers are high-quality and consistent
• providing an educational perspective in the development of exhibition text and didactics
• creatively develop ways for visitors to respond to current exhibitions in a hands-on art-making space
• evaluate the museum visitor experience via surveys and focus groups and work to improve it
• record visitation data and improve data accuracy
• ensure the museum improves accessibility measures wherever possible
• The Manager of Education and Programs will work collaboratively with team members and will be expected to manage their own projects, including creating budgets and tracking expenses, creating schedules and meeting deadlines, and communicating effectively both internally and externally. The schedule for this position may change from week to week. Availability to work some evenings and weekends is required because of ongoing collaboration with individuals in Australian time zones. Some programs are scheduled on Thursday evenings or on weekends.
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Skills Required

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree or a demonstrated mastery in their specialty area normally signified by significant equivalent experience.
• At least five years of experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate effectively with diverse audiences; attention to detail, policies and procedures; self-motivated and independent; able to easily learn new technologies; curious, explorative, empathetic, socially aware and interested in arts and culture; possess a high ability to multi-task and to adapt to unexpected circumstances. Must have weekday evening and weekend flexibility, as some museum programs and meetings occur on weekday evenings or on weekends.
• The Manager of Education and Programs will need to be proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Valid Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in art history, museum studies or education.
• 5-8 years of experience developing, leading and evaluating educational programs and interpreting objects for diverse audiences in a museum context; experience recruiting, training and managing volunteers; experience leading webinars or other digital educational initiatives.
• Knowledge and experience educating the public about Indigenous arts and cultures; knowledge and/or experience of Indigenous Australian art and culture; event planning experience; skills in project management; graphic design skills; video production skills; knowledge of basic marketing strategies.
• Experience using Adobe Suite, Meta Business Suite, WordPress.

Additional Info

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. Must be able to climb ladders up to 4 feet off the ground and lift up to 30 pounds. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs and to work evenings and weekends as required.

This position is In-Person at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection located in Charlottesville, VA.

The anticipated start date is July 24, 2023.

This is an Exempt level, benefited position.  For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

This position will remain open until filled. Review of applicants will begin June 12, 2023.

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas.