The Department Coordinator and Assistant to the Chair of Learning and Interpretation plays a critical role in the life of the department, most importantly creating a strong support system for the Chair’s day-to-day activities. Additionally, this position coordinates administrative work with staff across the department, and acts as the primary contact and liaison with MFAH staff museum-wide, with donors, trustees, and volunteers who support the department, and with outside partners and organizations. The person in this position is the public face of the department, setting a congenial and professional tone. Internally, this position is responsible for liaising with staff in the department and across the museum to collect and report program statistics, create reports of L&I programming for Development and Exhibitions, and organize all department-related meetings, internal and external.

Responsibilities:

Assistant to the Chair

• Maintains calendar, plans meetings, and screens calls for the chair.
• Anticipates needs the Chair will have for meetings and projects, preparing support materials well in advance of all meetings and in preparation for funding and other important initiatives.
• Coordinates all the chair’s travel plans and makes arrangements for conference and special meeting attendance.
• Provides support in the creation of annual reports, and additional reports, as needed.
• Serves as a loyal confidant to the department chair and is entrusted with sensitive and confidential information.

Department Coordination

• Serves as primary department contact and liaison with all MFAH departments and outside individuals and organizations.
• Maintains department budget under the supervision of the Chair, is familiar with MFAH accounting and room reservation software, and assists with fiscal year budget processes by recording figures, gathering and maintaining support documents, department area budget files, and spreadsheets.
• Maintains departmental files on all programs, attendance statistics, and other data.
• Coordinates all department statistics and files them daily with Guest Services.
• Serves as the department procurement officer for office supplies and maintains copy room supplies; serves as department purchase order captain.
• Assists new staff members and familiarizes them with MFAH procedures.
• Supervises selected volunteers on special projects, as needed.

Museum-wide Program Review Coordination

• Assembles all program proposals for each review period (three times per year).
• Creates searchable spreadsheets for program review committee and program approval committee, inserting information from each program proposal.
• Creates checklist of all proposals for committee members to record their comments, and provides calendar with programs inserted.
• Works with Public Programs area of Learning and Interpretation to compile results of the program review for distribution to program proposers.

Department Funding Priorities Preparation

• Creates searchable spreadsheets for all five department area programs, with descriptions, attendance statistics, budget information, and funding priority notations from the Chair.
• Creates searchable spreadsheets for new projects, with descriptions, budget projections, and funding priority notations from the Chair.

Meeting Coordination

• Sends meeting notices and agendas to trustees, education leaders, and staff for quarterly Learning and Interpretation Committee meetings.
• Prepares packets for Learning and Interpretation Committee members, maintains RSVP list, and submits room, A/V, and catering requests for each meeting.
• Records, transcribes, and distributes minutes for the Learning and Interpretation Committee meetings.
• Organizes meetings with external consultants or partners and cross-departmental staff.
• Organizes cross-departmental meetings related to collaborative projects, including exhibition and collection programming, marketing and promotion of programs, and funding initiatives.
• Organizes department staff and manager meetings, and is point person for these agendas.
• Attends museum-wide meetings, as needed.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Excellent administrative and organizational skills, follow-through, and attention to detail, as well as the ability to develop effective work processes, and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to act as a loyal confidant, capable of being entrusted with sensitive and confidential information
• Strong facility with Microsoft Office software programs, especially Excel spreadsheets.

Education and Experience:

• B.A. required.
• Previous administrative experience required.
• Familiarity with museum field desired.
• At least 2 years relevant administrative and work experience.

Equal Opportunities for All

At the MFAH, we believe that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusivity are fundamental to our organization. We welcome all candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our organization and our pledge for workplace diversity, inclusion, and excellence.

Our commitment to our policy and practice of nondiscrimination represents more than good intentions. It provides for employment decisions that are made without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law or any other reason unrelated to your ability to join and contribute to our organization and support our mission to provide a museum experience for all.

Research shows that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely for an applicant to meet 100% of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if much of this job description describes you, then you are highly encouraged to apply for this role.

The MFAH is equally committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals interested in employment with the organization. As part of this commitment, we want to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation needed to 1) participate in the job application or 2) interview process; 3) perform essential job functions; and/or 4) participate in the benefits and privileges of employment with the MFAH. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the human resources department: HR@mfah.org