Job Description

JOB TITLE: Project Associate 

LOCATION: History Center – 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

COMPENSATION: $50,356.80 annual minimum 

STATUS & HOURS: Full-time, regular (approximately 2,080 annual hours) position. 

BENEFITS: Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution. Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays. 

DESIGNATION: Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 3173 

POSTING DATE: December 19, 2023 

DEADLINE DATE: Open Until Filled – Priority will be given to applications received before January 15, 2024. 

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date. 

DESCRIPTION: This position exists to coordinate exhibition development, design and production necessary to ensure the successful, on time, and within budget completion of Exhibit department projects. 

Their primary responsibility is for shepherding the exhibit development process through facilitating team meetings, providing project updates and reviews, tracking the budget, coordinating materials and services spending, establishing schedules and monitoring progress on all assigned projects. The Project Associate requires strong skills in gathering and synthesizing information from, and directing and negotiating with a broad range of people. A spirit of harmony, cooperation, and tolerance coupled with strong skills in setting expectations for and motivating others is essential for the successful fulfillment of the responsibilities above. Coordinating work without necessarily having supervisory authority requires skill at negotiation and the ability to express requests with clarity and specific priority. 

The Project Associate is challenged to lead teams composed of MNHS staff and outside participants through a complex development process in conceptualizing, designing, planning, and implementing exhibits that accomplishes the goals of the Exhibits Department and the Minnesota Historical Society. Challenging and complex work issues confronting this employee frequently may include conflicting team interests, budget constraints, impending deadlines, workload issues and the delegation and deployment of staff resources. Considerable negotiation skills are required to optimize project, departmental and institutional goals. Staff and resources of many departments and divisions must be considered and coordinated in this position. The Project Associate must be well-organized and able to work under time pressure and to handle simultaneous projects with various deadlines. 

SUMMARY OF WORK: 1) Plan and manage exhibit development and implementation project support to optimize productivity and operating costs; 2) Provide project management for assigned projects; and 3) Provide financial management for assigned projects.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience in production planning / scheduling, or project management in a museum, education and/or artistic environment or equivalent. 
• Strong skills in leading, planning, coordinating, and monitoring the work of project teams.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel statewide. 
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds. 
• Ability to occasionally reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; turn, twist, or bend at waist; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. 

DEMONSTRATED SKILLS IN: 

• Delegate and allow others to contribute and make decisions. 
• Ability to adjust to or compensate for unanticipated or unscheduled circumstances.
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office and all aspects of Google suite.
• Strong organization and documentation skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to think imaginatively and problem solve. 
• Demonstrated positive customer service skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines, prioritize and adapt to changing priorities. 
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and take individual initiative while also being able to collaborate effectively and contribute positively in a team environment. 
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain positive working relationships with an organization’s staff, contractors, consultants, technicians, professionals, and the general public.
• Strong detail orientation with the ability to synthesize and organize complex information and maintain/upgrade systems and processes. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience in exhibit production, installation and deinstallation. 
• Ability to compile and synthesize verbal, written and visual information into production strategies and work plans. 
• Ability to write clear and accurate specifications. 
• Strong research skills in sourcing and selecting materials, supplies and contractors.
• Proven experience creating bid documents and managing bid processes. 
• Ability to evaluate vendors’ proposals and workmanship. 
• Proven experience coordinating production with contractors. 
• Knowledge of and use of MUNIS financial database. 
• Knowledge of MNHS policies and procedures. 

Should you have questions with the application process, email hu************@mn**.org. 

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: conceptualizing, designing, exhibits, history, museum, and planning. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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