Job description
Join the Lakeside Heritage Museum as a Museum Operations Manager. Based in Chicago, IL, you will lead the daily operations that keep our museum safe, accessible, and welcoming for all visitors. This role blends facilities management, visitor services, program execution, and staff leadership to deliver outstanding cultural experiences.
As a catalyst for collaboration, you will partner with curators, educators, development professionals, and volunteers to optimize processes, steward our collections, and ensure sustainable budgeting. The ideal candidate demonstrates nonprofit operations expertise, a passion for cultural heritage, and exceptional communication skills to mentor a high-performing team while advancing public engagement.
Responsibility
- Oversee daily museum operations including facilities, security, and visitor services to ensure a safe, accessible, and engaging environment.
- Lead budgeting, financial reporting, and procurement to optimize resource allocation.
- Coordinate collections logistics, exhibitions, and object handling in collaboration with curatorial staff.
- Manage human resources, recruitment, training, performance management, and staff development.
- Develop and execute programming calendars and community outreach to attract diverse audiences.
- Support fundraising efforts through donor relations, grant tracking, and sponsorship coordination.
- Ensure compliance with safety, accessibility, and regulatory standards across all operations.
- Partner with education and marketing teams to enhance guest experience and measure impact.
Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, history, arts administration, or related field; master’s preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of operations or administration experience in a museum or cultural institution.
- Proven leadership and staff management skills with the ability to mentor a diverse team.
- Strong budgeting, procurement, and financial reporting abilities with attention to detail.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
- Experience with collections management, exhibitions, or program development is a plus.
- Knowledge of safety, accessibility, and compliance standards; proficiency with museum management systems or CRM tools.