National Museum of the Great Lakes seeks an Exhibits Specialist.

The Exhibits Specialist facilitates the planning, development, curation, and execution of all temporary, traveling, and micro-exhibitions at the museum. This role blends project management, interpretive planning, exhibit writing, historical research, and cross‑departmental coordination to deliver engaging, accurate, and educational experiences. The position ensures exhibitions are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of scholarship, accessibility, and design.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Temporary Exhibit Development

• Manages exhibition timelines, budgets, production schedules, and vendors.

• Coordinates cross‑functional teams and project meetings (collections, education, design, marketing, and leadership teams).

• Develops exhibit content including interpretive goals, exhibition narratives, and themes— writing all exhibition text and supplemental materials.

• Collaborate with collections staff to select objects and facilitate loans; coordinate object mounting, installation logistics, and environmental requirements.

• Liaise with community partners, scholars, and subject‑matter experts as needed.

• Ensures compliance with museum standards, AAM best practices, and accessibility guidelines.

Other Responsibilities:

• Develop and sustain a traveling exhibition program.

• Assist Collections and Publications teams as needed.

• Support events, public programs, and media inquiries as needed.

Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate would be a strong writer with excellent research and communication skills, as well as a collaborative, detail-oriented individual.

• A Bachelor’s degree in history, museum studies, public history, or a related field is required; a Master’s degree is preferred.

• Applicants should have 2+ years of experience in museum exhibitions, project management, or interpretive content development; with 3-5 years preferred.

Other qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

• Familiarity with museum standards, object handling, and accessibility guidelines.

• Experience with exhibition design software or project management tools and knowledge of digital storytelling, multimedia interactives, or UX design preferred.

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid office/exhibition‑floor environment.

• Occasional evening or weekend hours during installation periods or public programs.

• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs and work safely around tools, ladders, and installation equipment.

Salary range: 45,000-55,000

Job classification: full-time, salary

To apply: To Apply: Submit a Resume, Cover Letter, 2-3 Samples of Work*, and 3 Professional References via email to [email protected] by June 7, 2026.

*Samples of work can include exhibit panels or links to online exhibits and can be supplemented with photos of full exhibits. Samples should demonstrate research and exhibit writing abilities.

Only applications with all required materials will be considered. For more information, visit https://nmgl.org/exhibits-specialist/.

Posted: May 12, 2026
Deadline: June 7, 2026