Vice President Museum

Full-time Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama insurance for medical prescription dental and vision. Vacation holidays and sick leave. State Retirement. The Vice President of Museum provides executive leadership for the museum experience ensuring the U.S. Space & Rocket Center delivers engaging educational and mission-aligned experiences for guests while safeguarding the institutions collections archives exhibitions and planetarium programming.

This role oversees Museum Visitor Services Planetarium Exhibition Management and Collections and Archives. The Vice President of Museum leads cross-functional museum strategy operational execution exhibit development guest engagement collections stewardship and interpretive planning in alignment with the Centers mission strategic plan and standards of excellence.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative data-informed executive leader with strong museum management experience sound judgment financial acumen and the ability to translate institutional vision into high-quality visitor experiences and sustainable museum operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Museum Oversight

• Provide executive leadership for the museum division including Museum Visitor Services Planetarium Exhibition Management and Collections and Archives.
• Develop and implement museum strategies that advance the Centers mission improve the guest experience strengthen educational impact and support long-term institutional growth.
• Lead planning and execution for new refreshed and traveling exhibitions with emphasis on compelling storytelling accessibility visitor flow interactivity and operational sustainability.
• Ensure museum programs exhibitions planetarium experiences and interpretive activities reflect high standards of scholarship guest engagement safety and mission alignment.
• Use data financial analysis audience feedback and operational metrics to guide priorities allocate resources improve performance and enhance the visitor experience.
• Collaborate with executive leadership Education Marketing Facilities Development Finance and external partners to align museum initiatives with institutional priorities.
• Represent the museum with internal and external stakeholders including the Smithsonian Institution aerospace partners donors community organizations peer museums and professional associations.

Museum Visitor Services

• Oversee the visitor-facing museum experience ensuring consistent welcoming safe and engaging service from arrival through departure.
• Establish and monitor service standards operating procedures staffing models training expectations and performance goals for visitor services functions.
• Support ticketing admissions guest wayfinding docent and volunteer engagement crowd flow accessibility and front-of-house coordination.
• Partner with Facilities Security Exhibit Maintenance and other operational teams to ensure public spaces exhibits and guest pathways are clean functional safe and visitor-ready.
• Work with Marketing and Membership teams to support admissions initiatives visitor communications promotions and audience development.

Planetarium

• Provide executive oversight for the planetarium ensuring programming is educational engaging scientifically accurate and aligned with the Centers mission.
• Guide the development of planetarium programming special presentations collaborations and revenue-generating opportunities that enhance STEM education and visitor engagement.
• Ensure planetarium operations are properly staffed scheduled maintained and supported by appropriate training and professional development.
• Support technology planning equipment maintenance system upgrades and capital planning necessary to sustain a high-quality planetarium experience.
• Coordinate with Education Marketing and museum leadership to promote planetarium offerings and integrate them into the broader guest experience.

Exhibition Management

• Provide strategic direction for exhibition planning design fabrication installation maintenance evaluation and deinstallation.
• Lead cross-functional coordination among curatorial creative education facilities marketing collections and operations teams to deliver high-quality exhibitions on time and within budget.
• Oversee exhibit content development and interpretive planning to ensure exhibitions are accurate engaging inclusive accessible and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Establish project management practices schedules budgets and decision-making structures for exhibition development and implementation.
• Assess exhibition performance through visitor feedback attendance data maintenance needs educational impact and operational outcomes.

Collections and Archives

• Provide executive oversight for collections and archives stewardship ensuring responsible care documentation preservation access and interpretation of institutional assets.
• Support policies and practices related to acquisitions loans deaccessions conservation registration archival management and collections documentation.
• Ensure collections and archives work is aligned with applicable museum standards donor expectations legal requirements and Smithsonian Affiliate responsibilities.
• Promote appropriate access to collections and archives for exhibitions research education public programs digital initiatives and institutional storytelling.
• Partner with Development and executive leadership on donor relations artifact-related opportunities grants sponsorships and strategic collections initiatives.

Leadership Budgeting and Collaboration

• Direct mentor and evaluate senior museum leaders fostering a culture of collaboration accountability professionalism innovation and guest-centered service.
• Lead annual planning budgeting forecasting procurement and resource allocation for assigned museum functions.
• Identify operational risks staffing needs capital priorities and process improvements and recommend practical solutions to the CEO and executive leadership team.
• Communicate clearly with staff executive leadership board members visitors donors industry partners and community stakeholders.
• Champion the U.S. Space & Rocket Centers commitment to education innovation preservation and the celebration of human space exploration.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Vice President of Museum holds executive-level supervisory responsibility for assigned museum functions. Direct reports include Museum Operations Planetarium Museum Creative Director and Curator. The role is responsible for aligning these teams around strategic priorities operational excellence fiscal responsibility guest experience exhibition quality and collections stewardship.

Travel Requirements:

This role may require occasional travel for industry conferences professional development partnership meetings donor or stakeholder engagement exhibition planning collections-related work and business development opportunities. Travel may also be necessary to collaborate with Smithsonian affiliates aerospace industry leaders peer institutions and other museum professionals to advance the strategic initiatives of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education

• Bachelors degree in museum studies public history history science education business administration nonprofit management hospitality management or a related field. Graduate degree preferred.

Required Experience

• At least five (5) years of high-level museum management experience preferably in a leadership role within a high-traffic museum science center cultural institution visitor attraction or related public-facing organization.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive senior leadership experience in museum operations visitor services exhibition management collections archives planetarium operations education guest experience or related institutional leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and align creative curatorial operational educational and guest-facing functions around shared strategic goals.
• Experience overseeing budgets revenue and expense management forecasting procurement contracts project timelines and operational performance metrics.
• Knowledge of museum standards and best practices related to visitor experience exhibition development collections care archives interpretation accessibility and safety.
• Strong strategic planning problem-solving analytical and organizational skills with the ability to manage complex priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills including the ability to engage effectively with executive leadership staff board members donors partners vendors and the public.
• Experience working with or within Smithsonian Affiliates science museums aerospace organizations or STEM-focused institutions is preferred.
• Passion for space exploration science education history and public engagement is strongly preferred.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Physical Requirements

This role requires:

• Ability to stand walk and move throughout the facility for extended periods.
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds for operational needs.
• May involve climbing stairs bending stooping and reaching as necessary for inspections event setup exhibition oversight collections-related reviews and overall operational leadership.
• Role requires flexibility to work extended hours including evenings weekends and holidays particularly during special events exhibition openings peak visitation periods and high-profile institutional engagements.
• Occasional travel may be necessary for industry conferences partnership meetings exhibition planning business development and professional networking.

Eligibility Qualifications

• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Factors

This role works in a dynamic fast-paced visitor-focused environment at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center a high-traffic museum and educational facility. The position involves a combination of office work on-site operational oversight and hands-on leadership across public spaces exhibitions planetarium areas collections and archives environments event spaces and outdoor areas.

The Vice President of Museum regularly collaborates with internal teams executive leadership external partners vendors donors and museum professionals to ensure high-quality museum operations and guest experiences.

This position requires the ability to work in indoor and outdoor settings with exposure to varying temperatures and weather conditions during events inspections or operational needs. The role demands flexibility including evening weekend and holiday hours to accommodate the museum schedule major events exhibition openings and peak visitation periods.

Expected Hours of Work

While standard business hours typically apply the Vice President of Museum must be available to work evenings weekends and holidays as needed particularly during peak visitation periods exhibition openings special events and high-profile engagements. Occasional extended hours may be required to ensure seamless operations address urgent matters and support major museum initiatives.

DISCLAIMERS

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment in accordance with applicable equal employment opportunity laws and organizational policy.

Duties and Responsibilities May Change with or Without Notice

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Required Experience:

Exec