Employment
Information on job, internship, and other opportunities to work at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art.
Staff positions
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. 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 to 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. The Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces reports to the Director of the Smart Museum of Art 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 #JR20016. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday.
Posted January 20, 2023
Associate Registrar of Art in Public Spaces
The Associate Registrar is primarily responsible for overseeing registration activities for 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. The Associate Registrar works in collaboration with curators and curatorial advisors who oversee these collections and related programming, the Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces, and other staff to ensure that registration services are expertly provided and decisions are well informed with respect to current best practices in registration and collections management. The Associate Registrar works in collaboration with other registrars, vendors, facilities managers, the Campus and Public Art Committee, and unit leaders across the organization. The Associate Registrar reports directly to the Associate Director of Art in Public Spaces, with a dotted reporting structure to the Head Registrar of the Smart Museum of Art.
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 #JR20017. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday.
Posted January 20, 2023
Assistant Director of Finance and Grant Management
The Assistant Director of Finance and Grants Management facilitates financial planning and management, financial processing and reporting, grants management, and development functions including grant reporting. This position coordinates other organization administrative processes including supply ordering and equipment management. This role manages a broad range of business operations and organizational activities. Develops and implements select office procedures and policies and ensures compliance. Prepares and monitors the budget for a unit.
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 #JR19968. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday.
Posted January 13, 2023
Director of Development
The Director of Development will be responsible for leading and coordinating comprehensive fundraising efforts for the Smart Museum of Art. The Director will design and implement holistic strategies and build relationships to identify, cultivate and solicit annual, major, and principal gift donors in collaboration with Smart Museum leadership, the Smart Museum Board of Governors, University leadership, and development colleagues. Working closely with the Smart Museum and Alumni Relations & Development (ARD) teams, the Director will identify and define funding opportunities, support individual and foundation donor engagement opportunities and solicitations, and collaborate with the Smart Board and the Dana Feitler Director to develop strategic approaches for fundraising growth. This Director is a senior fundraising position with management responsibilities for the Smart Museum fundraising team and will work closely with other arts leaders across the University of Chicago and develop partnerships with other University of Chicago fundraising colleagues.
Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Development-Humanities and the Arts, and the Dana Feitler Director of the Smart Museum, the Director is a member of the Smart Museum’s senior leadership team and a member of the ARD Humanities and the Arts Directors group.
The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for programs designed to meet University fundraising goals for contributed income. Manages relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators, and organizations with potential to make gifts in support of the University. Develops communication strategies for projects and contributes to the development of larger advancement strategies.
To Apply
Review the posting details and submit your application through the University of Chicago's career portal using posting #JR19329. Current UChicago employees should search and apply through Workday.
Posted November 4, 2022
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.
The following internships are currently planned to support in-person Museum activities. If campus guidelines change, the positions may be reconfigured to be remote.
Registration Internship
The Registration Intern will catalog and review Museum records in The Museum System (TMS), the Museum’s collections database and/or Media Studio, the Museum’s digital asset management system and assist with the packing, unpacking, installation, deinstallation, and storage of artwork. As a part of the Registration team, the intern will learn first-hand the ethics and best practices of maintaining and preserving a museum collection.
Compensation and Hours
$2,500-3200 stipend for part time summer internship, 15-20 hours over 8-10-weeks. Anticipated start date beginning of the 2023 Summer Quarter to be confirmed with candidate availability.
To Apply
All UChicago College students are welcome to apply. Review the posting details and submit your application materials to Handshake. Cover letters can be addressed to Emily Edwards, Associate Registrar. Applications accepted on a rolling basis with priority deadline on Sunday, March 5th 11:59 PM.
Teen and Community Engagement Internships (2 openings)
The Teen and Community Engagement Interns will be vital members of the Public Practice team supporting projects across the Museum, focusing intensively on teen engagement. Teen programming at the Smart Museum provides multivalent opportunities for South Side youth to access their lived experience, step into their creative brilliance, and contribute to civic dialogue through artful expression. The interns will support our flagship program, produced in partnership with Chicago Housing Authority, where teen participants pursue ambitious real-world, human-centered design projects that will impact the larger community. The work will span sites across campus and the South Side.
Compensation and Hours
Up to $5,000 stipend, 30-40 hours over an 8-10-weeks. Anticipated start date beginning of the 2023 Summer Quarter to be confirmed with candidate availability.
To Apply
All UChicago College students are welcome to apply. Review the posting details and submit your application materials to Handshake. Cover letters can be addressed to Nicole Bond, Manager of Learning and Public Engagement. Applications accepted on a rolling basis with priority deadline on Sunday, March 5th 11:59 PM.
College Summer Institute | Early Collections Research (4 openings)
As the Smart Museum of Art approaches its 50th anniversary in 2024, the institution is keen to reflect critically upon its history, looking back to the early collections that form its bedrock. To that end, we will be hiring four College Summer Institute research scholars to conduct an in-depth exploration of pivotal historical collections over the past five decades. These will include, but are not limited to, the Max Epstein Archive, the F.B. Tarbell Collection, the Edward A. and Inge Maser Collection, and Joel Starrels, Jr. Memorial Collection. The Scholars' roles will be two-fold; to chart the trajectory of these important acquisitions, and to generate critical, object-centered scholarship on select understudied artworks within these clusters. The project aims to bolster the Museum's archives by deepening our understanding of individual objects as well as the broader contexts under which they were acquired.
Compensation and Hours
$5,500 stipend, 30-40 hours over a 9 weeks. Anticipated start date beginning of the 2023 Summer Quarter to be confirmed with candidate availability.
To Apply
The Summer Institute is aimed at rising 3rd- and 4th-year College students. Visit the College Center for Research and Fellowships and review project description #7 for eligibility requirements and to apply. Cover letters can be addressed to Tara Kuruvilla, Collections Research Preceptor. Applications deadline is Monday, March 13th 11:59 PM.
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.