Deputy Director
& Senior Curator
About
Department: Exhibitions & Engagement
Status: Full-time, Exempt
moCa Cleveland seeks a skilled, experienced Deputy Director & Senior Curator to provide curatorial and engagement leadership, overseeing strategy, supervision, execution, and evaluation of moCa's artistic and audience-focused programming and supporting fundraising and outreach.
Strong candidates for this position are experienced contemporary art curators who are looking to enhance executive management responsibilities at a value-driven, 55-year-old art institution.
This position brings moCa's mission and vision to life through strategic, collaborative work with artists, curators, educators, donors, cultural leaders, and colleagues. The Deputy Director & Senior Curator leverages trusting relationships and draws from relevant curatorial and programming expertise to identify emerging artistic and curatorial talent that moCa can help further develop. Organizing exhibitions is an important facet of this position, however managing and supervising strategic work by direct reports and contracted staff is equally important to this role. The Deputy Director is also charged with fostering external relations as a means for assisting with the museum’s contributed income goals.
The ideal Deputy Director & Senior Curator finds reward in connecting artists and audiences through future-looking initiatives; nurturing a deep understanding of and engagement with the contemporary art ecosystem; leading and following; embracing a lifelong-learning perspective; strengthening planning and evaluation skills; growing management and leadership skills; fundraising and relationship building; imbuing all work through an authentic DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) focus and commitment; and embracing positive impact through a sustained commitment to moCa's vibrant future.
As Northeast Ohio's premier site for contemporary art, moCa advances the critical role that art and artists play in our world. Grounded in Cleveland and engaged in the global cultural ecosystem, we focus on art now to open and connect people to new possibilities. Our work culture is passion-driven, inclusive, fast-paced, collaborative, and fun. We value and support an enterprising staff who anticipate and react nimbly to change, embrace new opportunities, embrace and learn from failure, and face challenges responsibly and thoughtfully. moCa is the people who help to realize its mission and each employee has agency and accountability for moCa's success and value to our community and audiences.
The Deputy Director & Senior Curator (DDSDSD) is an executive manager who provides critical curatorial and engagement leadership, strategizing, supervising, fundraising for, and evaluating moCa's curatorial and engagement programming. With the Kohl Executive Director, the DDSD sets a vision for moCa's curatorial, visitor, and community engagement initiatives, managing the implementation of this vision and ensuring its alignment with moCa's mission, vision, values, and sustainable business needs. The DDSD oversees the Exhibitions and Engagement teams, managing related staff, contracted agents, budgets, partnerships, outcomes, and assessment. This position works with the Management Team on institutional planning and forecasting and is an integral part of moCa's fundraising and communication efforts. The DDSD is a key moCa representative in the community and the broader field, helping to lead new approaches to curatorial and engagement museum work and nurture relationships that realize and strengthen the museum's goals and value.
ARTISTIC & ENGAGEMENT VISION:
With the Kohl Executive Director, sets the museum's artistic and engagement vision, developing and managing the implementation of a balanced, aligned plan across both departments, setting and tracking strategies, making key decisions, analyzing metrics, and leading innovative strategies to help realize organizational goals through exhibitions, programs, outreach, and engagement.
EXHIBITION MANAGEMENT:
Recommends, coordinates, and helps to evaluate the museum's exhibition program using an astute and innovative combination of self-generated, collaboratively organized, guest curated, and traveling shows; supervises archiving of exhibition records and digital assets.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:
Supervises the development, planning, execution, and evaluation of moCa's self-generated and partner-created residency, interpretation, visitor experience, public programming, and community engagement initiatives; reviews, authorizes, and monitors organizational partnerships and collaborative programming.
DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT:
Provides dynamic leadership to direct and indirect reports that creates valuable, reciprocal teamwork and prioritizes integrity, equity, efficiency, and value; oversees the exhibitions and engagement budgets and metrics, maintaining an active awareness for use in decision-making across the staff and board of directors; supervises the appearance of public-facing spaces such as gallery and learning environments.
FUNDRAISING & STEWARDSHIP:
With the Kohl Executive Director and Development team, actively and effectively engages in fundraising and cultivation activities in Cleveland and elsewhere, helping to identify and execute fundraising strategies with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government officials and hosting visiting artists, curators, arts professionals, and other cultural producers visiting for short or long-term engagement.
INTERPRETATION:
Supervises the development of interpretive content including but not limited to program and exhibition brochures, rack cards, wall text, labels, educational spaces, printed guides, audio tours, videos, exhibition catalogs, and other interpretive interactive materials.
MARKETING & PROMOTIONS:
Creates and stewards relationships with local, national, and international galleries, museums, arts organizations, artists, businesses, and colleagues to promote moCa's programs and mission; partners with Marketing+ Communications staff to prepare and edit PR print and digital materials that promote and publicize exhibitions and public programs.
STRATEGIC PLANNING:
Collaborates with the Kohl Executive Director and Management Team on annual institutional planning that connects and leverages the museum's artistic and engagement plan towards contributed and earned revenue, communication and outreach strategies, work culture, DEIA impact, and financial sustainability, ensuring that programs are aligned with departmental and institutional capacities, resources, and goals; supports efforts to grow audience, deepen engagement, enhance artistic reputation, advance equity, and contribute to institutional sustainability.
EDUCATION:
Four-year degree from an accredited institution required, preferably in fine art, art history, art education, design, communications, or community development. Master's degree preferred.
REQUIRED LENGTH AND TYPE OF EXPERIENCE:
10+ years professional, full-time experience in a curatorial or related contemporary art-focused role, with at least 5+ years full-time experience in a curatorial or programming management-level position. Demonstrated success developing, realizing, and evaluating exhibitions and public programs. Demonstrated success managing staff members and volunteers who execute artistic and engagement-based activities with diverse audiences. Demonstrated success establishing and managing budgets. Demonstrated experience and success in external relations and fundraising. Demonstrated experience working in successful partnership with galleries, museums, cultural organizations, and/or community to execute shared goals
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
Advanced experience creating and evaluating exhibitions, artist projects, residencies, interpretation, and public programs Brings and nurtures a strong art and cultural network and maintains an extensive and regularly updated understanding of international contemporary art, art history, and theory; national and international galleries; peers and peer organizations; exhibition philanthropic trends; and current topics in critical cultural and social discourse. Exceptional writing and editing, organizational, public speaking, and communication skills, with direct experience leading tours and moderating public discussions with artists and art professionals. Proven skills collaborating with diverse audiences using a keen understanding of engagement methodologies and practices like in-community programming, visitor experience approaches, and public events. Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Google products (Gmail, etc) Written and spoken English fluency required; additional languages preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Both stationary and mobile work required Must communicate information effectively in-person, by phone, by zoom, and by digital communication vehicles (email, text, etc.) Required to work weekends and evenings as directed Required to travel regularly locally and nationally; international travel is possible but infrequent
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Must have reliable, appropriate transportation and a current Driver's license Must have a valid and current United States passport Must be comfortable with working in a glass walled office with visibility to the open administrative area
401(k)
Dental insurance
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
Paid time off
Reports to the Kohl Executive Director
DIRECT REPORTS: Curator-at-Large, Exhibitions Director, Visitor Engagement Director, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships
Curious and open-minded lifelong learners who enjoy new ideas and perspectives Inspired by and interested in contemporary art and culture
Committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
Responsive, flexible, and adaptive to regularly changing content and needs
Self-starters who are enterprising in their time and resource management
Respectful, collaborative, caring team players
$110-125K
Interested candidates should email a PDF resume or CV along with a separate PDF cover letter to apply@moCacleveland.org using the subject line: "Deputy Director Application.” Questions may be directed to this email address. Applicants should not reach out directly to moCa staff with materials or questions.
moCa &
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Job objective
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Benefits
Reporting
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All moCa staff
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To apply
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily. The duties above are intended to outline those functions typically performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This description of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive or to limit the discretionary authority of the Kohl Executive Director to assign other tasks of a similar nature or level of responsibility nor does it imply an employment contract The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential duties.