Employment

Information on job, internship, and other opportunities to work at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. 


Staff positions

Guest Services Team Lead

The Guest Services Team Lead promotes a positive visitor experience and ensures protection of the Smart Museum’s art objects. The Guest Services Team Lead manages the Guest Services team that welcomes Museum guests and ensures compliance with Museum visitor protocols. This role manages the front-line daily operations of the Smart Museum and is responsible for the general management of front-line staff including full-time and part-time staff, as well as University students. The Team Lead also addresses patron issues and questions as well as any facilities and securities issues that arise when they are serving as primary keyholder for the Museum. In addition, when exhibitions are not on view, the Guest Services Team Lead works with colleagues across the Smart Museum to support ongoing operations including support for various administrative, operational and programmatic areas of the Museum.

This is a part-time benefits eligible position. 

To Apply
Review the posting details and submit your application through the University of Chicago's career portal using posting #JR25282. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday. 

Posted February 28, 2024


study Room Assistant

The Smart Museum of Art’s study room is a critical site for making the Museum’s wide-ranging collection of 16,000+ artworks accessible for teaching, learning, and research (approx. 150 class visits per year). Reporting to the Associate Director and Curator of Academic Engagement within the Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry, the Study Room Assistant has a special focus on supporting ongoing activities in the study room and collaborates with the Feitler Center’s staff and student interns, together with the Museum’s Curatorial, Registration, and Preparation teams in engaging with the collection. The Assistant offers broad support to the operational and programmatic activities of the study room and partakes in ongoing projects focused on enhancing pathways to the collection.

This is an 80% FT, benefits eligible position. This position has a limited term that is scheduled to be a one-year appointment.

To Apply
Review the posting details and submit your application through the University of Chicago's career portal using posting #JR24876. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday. 

Posted January 5, 2024


Deputy Director

The Deputy Director is a critical leadership position within the Smart Museum of Art. Reporting to the Dana Feitler Director, the Deputy Director is a member of the senior leadership team that oversees many fundamental areas of the Smart’s operations and administration, assuming a significant scope of responsibility. This new position serves as a partner and advisor to the Museum Director to achieve strategic goals and implement organizational initiatives with a focus on strategy, efficiency, process, and assessment.  

The Deputy Director has a deep understanding of museum operations and the ability to align the workflow of multiple departments and functions to create cohesive, collaborative teams. This position is charged with leading collections and registration, exhibition production and management, publications, communications, facility and security management, guest services and rental events. The Deputy Director is also a senior administrator overseeing the museum's legal needs, working with the Office of Legal Counsel and other external partners, and is the primary liaison for human resources support. They will oversee the Museum’s DEIA initiatives and serve as a key partner in creating a new strategic plan for the Smart.  

As a senior staff member at the Smart Museum, the Deputy Director works collaboratively with leadership colleagues to manage a dynamic museum team, promote interdepartmental communication, and increase efficiencies in museum-wide workflows. This position will have oversight over project management for key strategic initiatives.

This is a full-time benefits eligible position. 

To Apply
Review the posting details and submit your application through the University of Chicago's career portal using posting #JR24078. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday. 

Posted October 10, 2023


Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces

The Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces is primarily responsible for overseeing the environment, care and conservation of artworks and objects within University-owned and loaned collections that are exhibited and stored in non-traditional settings outside of campus museums, including Art at the David Rubenstein Forum; the Chicago Booth Collections in Chicago, Hong Kong, and London; the Campus Collections; and Campus Public Art, among others (Collections). The Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces works in collaboration with curators and curatorial advisors who oversee these collections and related programming to ensure that environmental factors are well reported and advise on conservation and implement best practices in collections management. 

The Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces works in collaboration with registrars, vendors including specialized conservators, facilities managers, and unit leaders across the organization, shares responsibility for managing, documenting, tracking, and reporting on the collections, and advises the public art committee. This position reports to the Director of the Smart Museum and has a dotted line report to the Senior Associate Vice President in the Office of the Executive Vice President. The Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces is part of a strong Smart Museum team with a collaborative work culture, and the role is key to the long-term success and sustainability of these significant art collections. 

This is a full-time benefits eligible position.

To Apply
Review the posting details and submit your application through the University of Chicago's career portal using posting #JR23955. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday. 

Posted October 10, 2023


University of Chicago student positions

The following jobs and internships are only available to University of Chicago students.


Undergraduate Internships

The Smart Museum of Art supports undergraduate internships across museum departments. Over the summer interns support the critical work of stewarding the Smart Museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. In addition to gaining valuable experience, interns have the opportunity to build community with museum professionals throughout Chicago through outings, brown-bag job talks, and professional development workshops.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they believe they meet all criteria. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that any applicant meets every single qualification for a given position. We encourage you to apply if you think you could excel in or benefit from this role. We are dedicated to considering a wide range of candidates, including those with diverse interests, experiences, and backgrounds.

There are no internship opportunities posted at this time. Please check back again later.


Smart Scholars and Undergraduate Research Associates

Smart Scholars

Each year, the Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry at the Smart Museum of Art welcomes proposals from University of Chicago undergraduates in any field of study for research projects resulting in an original creative work (of visual art, music, dance, writing), program, or scholarly essay. Students propose their own projects grounded in academic research into one or more objects in the Smart Museum’s collection.

Browse the archive of Smart Scholars projects »


Smart Undergraduate Research Associates

Presented in partnership with the College Center for Research and Fellowships, Undergraduate Research Associates work closely with a mentor—Smart Museum curators, educators, registrars, or conservators—to provide art-related research for specific Museum projects that are already in the planning stages and are scheduled to take place during the term of the student’s position, such as exhibitions or related programming. 


The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information, please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Academic job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773.702.5671 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request. Staff job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773.834.1841 or email talentacquisition@uchicago.edu with their request.