Museum Manager (Contract Position), Venice Heritage Museum

Venice Heritage Museum

Museum Manager (Contract position)

Role description: Responsible for managing all creative and day-to-day operational functions of the Venice Heritage Museum, including long and short-term exhibitions and events, archives and collections management, supporting VHM’s ongoing oral histories project, and volunteer and contractor oversight, in collaboration with the Board of Directors.

Contract (Part-time): $55,000 for 1-year contract (October 2023-September 2024), 25-30 hours/week, with possibility to renew

Location: On-site in Venice, California

TO APPLY

Send your resume, cover letter, and portfolio (if available) to info(at)veniceheritagemuseum.org with the subject line: Museum Manager_First + last name. Applications due by 5 pm PT on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Introduction:

The Venice Heritage Foundation is thrilled to launch our search for an inaugural Museum Manager to lead the Venice Heritage Museum (VHM) — the first-ever hub celebrating the diverse cultural heritage and history of the internationally renowned city of Venice, California.

After building a groundswell of support over the last few years thanks to the support of countless passionate community members, partner organizations and allies, and our devoted Board of Directors, we are now poised to launch this much-anticipated institution.

Opening in 2023, the Venice Heritage Museum will be a space for discovery. In the face of constant change, VHM will be an inclusive hub to celebrate the diverse cultures and unique facets of Venice history. Venice’s accepting and progressive legacy will be on display, with exhibits highlighting both well-known and more obscure stories, showcasing their relevance in today’s world.

Ultimately, the Venice Heritage Museum will enrich the lives of current and future generations through exhibitions, events, and educational activities, connecting the present with the past.

Read more about our Mission, Vision, & Values here.

Essential functions of this role:

• Engage with the VHM Advisory Council, partner organizations, historical institutions, and community members to leverage borrowed images and media for exhibitions, and continue building the VHM Community Archives
• Maintain essential upkeep of content on the VHM website, periodically adding updates regarding exhibitions, events, programming, and other news
• Ensure items in the VHM Gift Shop are stocked and presented in an organized manner
• Strategically and enthusiastically represent VHM at public functions (ad hoc) and in the press
• Collaborate with the PR team, providing contextual material about exhibitions, events, and other programming for press releases and other opportunities
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Venice Heritage Museum (VHM), serving as the primary keyholder during the museum’s hours of operation (Thurs-Sun | 11 am-5 pm)
• Organize the VHM Volunteer program, providing training for docents, maintaining the on-site volunteer schedule, and ensuring regular duties are met according to set standards
• In collaboration with the Board of Directors, help facilitate the VHM Oral History Project, assisting in booking interviewees, coordinating and hosting filming dates with the production team, and ensuring post-production duties are executed
• Write and distribute monthly email newsletter, as well as periodic emails advertising exhibitions and events
• Collaborate with the Social Media Coordinator, providing access to exhibition and archival images and video to creatively and accurately represent the Museum’s programming on its social media accounts (Instagram; Facebook; X/Twitter)
• In collaboration with the Board of Directors, provide contextual material to the contract Grant Writer about the Museum’s programming for grant applications
• Work with the Venice Heritage Foundation Board of Directors to create engaging rotating exhibits highlighting facets of the city of Venice, CA’s diverse cultural heritage, overseeing the curation and display of exhibition materials utilizing the Museum’s permanent collections, as well as borrowed and community materials
• Respond to queries concerning VHM’s permanent collections and requests for digital image reproduction
• Provide educational presentations for visiting school and community organizations; occasionally, conduct off-site outreach regarding educational programming, guided tours, and promotional outings
• Collaborate with contractors (Archival; PR; Social Media), ensuring that working agreements are fulfilled and executed to desired standards;
• Collaborate with the Archivist to ensure proper ongoing preservation of the Museum’s permanent collection

Knowledge / Skills preferred:

• A curator’s eye and passion for visual and written storytelling
• Museum administration/management, including knowledge of onsite / keyholder operations
• Demonstrated commitment to equitable representation of communities and their stories
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, etc.)
• Compassion and discretion regarding privileged information and sensitive cultural issues
• Direct or applicable experience working with and/or training and supervising volunteers
• Able to operate a variety of office equipment, including computer terminal and printer
• Adept at conveying oral and written instructions, as well as policies and procedures to multigenerational colleagues
• History and anthropology studies
• Strong project managerial and organizational skills
• Public relations and customer service, e.g. comfortable and enthusiastic about engaging with visitors; able to prepare and deliver public speaking presentations on occasion

Note: This position description is a general guideline and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all job duties. Therefore, it is also not, nor can it be implied to be, a contract of employment.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential tasks.