Exhibit Designer

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

10/17/2025

PAY GRADE:

Grade 21

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The Birmingham Museum of Art is seeking a well-qualified, motivated Exhibit Designer to design, prepare, and install museum exhibits. An Exhibit Designer procures goods needed for exhibits, assists in the development of the exhibit budget, communicates with vendors and negotiates contracts. Employees in this job class also meticulously catalog and document the movements of all artifacts in the museum. The work of an Exhibit Designer is reviewed by a supervisor or Museum Director through direct observation and quality of work product.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is presented below:

City of Birmingham: $47,382 - $73,507

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Experience working in the design field (e.g., design work in creating & preparing displays, architectural design, graphic design, industrial design).                                                            

• Experience assembling and preparing displays of artifacts, objects, or art pieces/collections.                        

• Experience in project management (e.g., defining project components, establishing work-completion timelines, coordinating work with contractors or sub-contractors).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications deemed desirable by the Birmingham Museum of Art. These qualifications may be considered by the hiring agency when reviewing applications and inviting candidates to participate in subsequent steps in the selection process.

• Post-secondary education in the areas of studio art with an emphasis on design, graphic design, architectural design, industrial design, or a related field.

• Experience working with design software.

• Experience working in construction (e.g., reading and interpreting blueprints, elevations, diagrams, design plans, etc.)

• Skill in wood and/or metal working.

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Plans, designs, and oversees the implementation of permanent and/or temporary exhibits for the museum by utilizing drawing physical sketches, drawing construction plans, and/or utilizing graphic design software.

• Coordinates and oversees the activities of installers to ensure proper execution of exhibit plans and proper installation of the exhibit.

• Assists in providing archival needs of the museum's permanent collection and temporary exhibitions utilizing current conservation material available.

• Inventory Procurement/Management:  Procures and/or manages inventory (i.e., supplies and equipment) to ensure the products and services are available to meet the operational needs of each department.        

• Assists in documenting the movement of artifacts within the collection.

• Assists in the cataloging of objects that are brought into and out of the museum collection.

• Assists in conservation, preservation and restoration of objects within the collection. 

• Meets with staff to discuss exhibit budget considerations, time limitations, and other factors that may impact the exhibit installation and execution.

• Plans production schedule for fabrication and installation of exhibit components.

• Confers with administrative, curatorial, and exhibit staff members to determine theme, content, and informational purpose of the exhibit.

• Meets with staff to examine the space and location of the exhibit being planned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is conducted almost exclusively indoors in an office setting. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc. Work involves use of various hand tools such as hammer, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc.

EEO STATEMENT:

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.  Each Merit System member city/agency operate its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System. More detail regarding this job is available by clicking Apply.

DISCLAIMER:

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required to do the job and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.