Director, Art Museum

The Director provides strategic, operational, and curatorial leadership for the Art Museum of the University of Memphis (AMUM), a principal teaching museum of the University stewarding collections in Egyptian art and archaeology, African art, works on paper, and American architectural and design history. The Director is responsible for the museum's exhibitions and public programs, staff and budget management, collections stewardship, donor cultivation and grant development, and administration of AMUM's interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Museum Studies. The position works in close partnership with the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) — a separately governed entity housed within AMUM's building — and teaches up to 3 equivalent credit hours per semester in the Department of Art and Design as part of the position's assigned responsibilities, per the Provost's approval.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Institutional Relations

• Set and implement AMUM's strategic direction in consultation with the Dean and the Museum Advisory Board.
• Oversee daily museum operations, including the Egyptian Hall exhibit space, in coordination with IEAA's Director. Maintain a close working relationship with IEAA's Director on matters affecting shared exhibit space and collections.
• Represent AMUM within the University and to external constituencies, including peer institutions and professional associations such as AAMG.
• Serve as a non-voting ex officio member of the AMUM Museum Advisory Board (an advisory body without independent governing or budget authority) and work with the Board to implement museum programs and policy.

Collections and Curatorial Management 

• Oversee the stewardship, documentation, and care of AMUM's permanent collection.
• Curate and coordinate exhibitions and public programs, including collaborations with Department of Art and Design and IEAA faculty.
• Maintain and expand AMUM's digital collections access and related public-facing resources.

Operations, Budget, and Staff Management

• Develop, manage, and report on AMUM's annual operating budget. Monitor expenditures and ensure fiscal accountability consistent with University and College (RCM) budget policy.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate museum staff, graduate assistants, interns, and student workers.
• Support professional development opportunities for AMUM staff.

Fundraising, Grants, and Advancement

• Cultivate donor relationships and identify philanthropic opportunities in coordination with University Advancement.
• Pursue grant funding to support AMUM's exhibitions, programs, and collections.

Teaching and Academic Engagement 

• Teach up to 3 equivalent credit hours per semester in the Department of Art and Design, including within the Museum Studies Certificate Program as scheduling permits.
• Support object-based and experiential learning opportunities for students across the University.

Other Duties as Assigned 

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean, consistent with the level and scope of this position.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree (PhD strongly preferred) in art history, museum studies, anthropology, or a closely related field; candidates with a master's degree and a substantial record of professional museum leadership will also be considered.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible museum experience, including direct curatorial and exhibition development work.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, staff, and collections in a museum or comparable cultural institution.
• A record of scholarship or public curatorial practice.
• Demonstrated experience with, or clear aptitude for, donor cultivation and institutional fundraising.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a university- or college-affiliated museum.
• Subject expertise in ancient Egyptian art and archaeology, African art, or American architectural/design history.
• Experience building cross-departmental academic partnerships or faculty-curator collaborations.
• Experience with digital collections management, digital exhibition strategy, or object documentation technologies.
• Experience with organizational or operational redesign within a museum setting.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

About UsThe University of Memphis is a leading, student-centered, urban public R1 research institution. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, on 1,160 acres. The University serves a population of nearly 20,000 students and 2,500 employees, including more than 1,000 full-time faculty members. The University offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 230 areas of study, master’s degrees in more than 50 subjects and doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines; supported an institutional record of more than $100 million in research awards for FY24; and has an operating budget of close to $500 million.