Traveling Exhibits Manager at Minnesota Children's Museum – Saint Paul, Minnesota

The Traveling Exhibits Manager leads all aspects of the museum’s traveling exhibits program, including sales, marketing, financial management, operations, and customer relationships. This role is responsible for generating revenue through exhibit bookings, managing budgets and forecasts, maintaining strong client and licensor partnerships, and overseeing the maintenance, fabrication, and logistics of exhibits on tour. The Manager ensures a high-quality experience for host institutions while supporting the long-term sustainability and growth of the program.

We currently have 14 exhibits in our own portfolio, and two exhibits that we manage for other museums. There are three rental periods each year: Spring (January – May), Summer (May – September) and Fall (September – January). The Traveling Exhibit Manager is responsible for renting all of the exhibits out for each period, supervising the team of installation technicians, customer service and satisfaction for each host’s rental period. Typical customers include children’s museums, science museums, and other cultural organizations.

The Traveling Exhibit Manager also works with the Traveling Exhibits Props Specialist and the Traveling Exhibits Operations Lead to coordinate logistics of shipping, installation/de-installation, and maintenance of the exhibits.

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Museum Experiences

SALARY: $78,000 Annually

CLASSIFICATION: Full-time; Exempt

SCHEDULE: 40 hours/week hybrid eligible. Typically in the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Sales, Marketing, and Booking

• Drive revenue by marketing and booking traveling exhibits to new and returning clients.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications department to develop and execute marketing strategies to strengthen brand identity and maximize bookings.
• Oversee creation and distribution of marketing materials, including exhibit catalogs, website content, and trade show assets
• Identify and pursue sales leads; build and maintain relationships with prospective and current clients.
• Negotiate, draft, and execute contracts.

Financial Management

• Develop and manage annual budgets and financial forecasts for the traveling exhibits program.
• Track and project revenue across current and future fiscal years.
• Analyze profit and loss statements and cash flow scenarios.
• Monitor expenses, reconcile budgets, and analyze variances.
• Ensure timely receipt of all client payments prior to exhibit delivery.

Exhibit Coordination and Customer Satisfaction

• Provide strategic oversight of exhibit maintenance, component and prop fabrication, and tour logistics, with execution led by the Traveling Exhibit Operations Lead and Exhibit Props Specialist.
• Supervise and support the Operations Lead and Props Specialist to ensure exhibits remain in excellent condition and meet quality standards.
• Ensure host museums receive a high level of customer service throughout the duration of each exhibit rental.
• Guide staff in troubleshooting and resolving exhibit issues, ensuring proper documentation of repairs and updates.
• Oversee planning and prioritization of annual refurbishment work for exhibits on tour, in coordination with operations staff.
• Review host museum condition and final reports to evaluate exhibit performance and customer satisfaction, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Data and Systems Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date sales, client, and communication records in Salesforce.
• Track sales activity and pipeline data.
• Share relevant sales and customer insights with internal teams.

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, business administration, marketing, arts administration, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in museum operations, traveling exhibits, sales, or project management
• At least 2 years of supervisory or team leadership experience, including coaching and performance management
• Demonstrated experience in sales, client relationship management, or business development with revenue targets
• Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales or earned revenue goals
• Experience developing and managing budgets, financial forecasts, and expense tracking
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, including logistics coordination and timelines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including contract negotiation and professional correspondence
• Experience working with CRM systems and maintaining accurate records
• Experience working directly with customers/clients to prioritize and troubleshoot issues as they arise

• Experience working in or with museums or other cultural organizations
• Experience developing marketing strategies, branding, and promotional materials (print and digital)
• Familiarity with touring exhibit logistics, including shipping, installation, and on-the-road troubleshooting
• Proficiency with Salesforce, including reporting and pipeline management

• Ability to collaborate with Finance department including invoice reconciliation and cash flow.
• Highly skilled in attention to detail – scheduling, managing contracts and ensuring they are given to correct departments.
• Ability to manage multiple service issues with customers during installations of exhibits and throughout their contract length.
• Skilled in negotiation of contracts.
• Ability to communicate effectively, network and build relationships with current and future customers.
• Ability to proactively generate new contacts and resources.
• Ability to navigate interactions with others effectively and efficiently to obtain final goals.
• Advanced financial management skills, including P&L analysis and long-range forecasting.
• Experience managing trade show presence and creating strategies to generate leads.

SELECTION PROCESS

Research shows that women and underrepresented groups apply only if they meet 100% of the requirements outlined in the posting. One of the museum’s priorities is producing equitable outcomes when it comes to the workplace. We encourage women, black, indigenous, people of color, those in the LGBTQ+ communities, and Veterans to apply even if you do not check all the boxes.

The on-site interview will give candidates the opportunity to see both the mission in action and our workplace environment. Interview questions will be provided prior to each round for candidates to prepare as you wish.

• Questionnaire
• 1st ROUND: In person interview with Vice President of Museum Experience, Director of Marketing & Communications, Exhibit Production Manager
• 2nd Round: In person interview with Vice President of Museum Experience and a tour of the exhibit fabrication space

BENEFITS

• Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) for Health Insurance
• Employer paid: Basic Life Insurance, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Long Term Disability
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• 403B and Roth Retirement savings plans with employer match
• Pre-tax options for: health spending, dependent care, and transportation
• PTO & Floating Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Free family admission to museum

ABOUT MINNESOTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Minnesota Children’s Museum’s mission is sparking children’s learning through play. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion is integral to fulfilling our mission. As a community resource for thousands of families, Minnesota Children’s Museum is dedicated to providing children with a fun, hands-on and stimulating environment to explore and discover.

Located in downtown St. Paul, MN, we employ 55 full-time and 55 part-time employees and engage a variety of volunteers and interns. The workplace values that guide how we work together are: Play, Include, Grow, Serve, and Strive.

We are dedicated to growing a diverse and culturally competent team of highly engaged staff and volunteers to reflect and equitably serve the vibrant community around us. We embrace differences in age, ability, color, ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. We strongly encourage the application of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to: Black, Indigenous, and people of color; immigrants and refugees; LBGTQIA individuals; people with disabilities; religious minorities; and the elderly.

Minnesota Children’s Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse work environment.