Jobs

Who are we?

We are Scotland’s design museum. Designed for everyone, firing imaginations and sparking curiosity in design across Scotland and around the world. At V&A Dundee we are on a mission to inspire and empower through design.

Design shapes our world, it’s part of everyday life and it’s everywhere. We are a museum with energy and have a vision of the future where everyone is inspired through design and recognizes its far-reaching impact in our lives.

We are a welcoming place for people of Dundee to explore design and to use as an everyday part of their city, as well as inviting visitors from around the world. We are part of the V&A family of museums that celebrate creativity in all its forms from across centuries, for everyone.

Role Profile

This exciting appointment comes following our 5th birthday, as we look to grow from the success of Tartan and deepen our role and reach in Dundee, in Scotland, as part of the V&A family and across the world.

At V&A Dundee, we champion exhibition making, engaging audiences in design through explorations of themes, collections, archives and designers. Exhibitions sit within the Programme team which is defined in broad terms, comprising ticketed exhibitions, a free offer of changing exhibitions and displays, Scottish Design Galleries, learning, UNESCO City of Design, a creative public programme of talks and events, V&A Dundee’s Design and Innovation programme, as well as our design research programme. A distinct strand of our programme is delivered through the renowned collections of V&A and includes the Scottish Design Galleries as well as an outstanding exhibitions programme. The V&A Dundee programme is delivered by a site-based programme team, in collaboration with teams across the museum.

This is an exciting opportunity to initiate V&A Dundee’s exhibition touring programme as the museum looks to develop its international role and reach. This post has a particular focus on developing plans for an international tour of ‘Tartan’, the first blockbuster exhibition to be curated by the museum. The Touring Exhibitions Manager is responsible for developing the tour model to deliver Tartan, seeking and confirming venues and the overall organisational management and delivery of the tour. The post-holder will work closely with the Head of Exhibitions to develop and deliver V&A Dundee’s touring exhibition programme more broadly, setting up core processes and systems. As a member of the Exhibitions team, the Touring Exhibitions Manager contributes to the Museum’s programme by actively participating in cross-team collaboration and ideation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To organise and deliver multiple national and international touring exhibitions within the exhibition programme concurrently, with particular focus on the international tour of V&A Dundee’s first in house exhibition ‘Tartan’, including overall project and loan management.

• Work to achieve V&A Dundee’s mission, vision and aims developing and delivering the Touring Exhibitions at V&A Dundee, ensuring cross team and partnership working.

• Work closely with the Head of Exhibitions and Programme Director to implement new touring exhibition processes, procedures and systems.

• Develop strong collaborative relationships with high level stakeholders and touring partners.

• Be the key point of contact for all aspects of the tour of ‘Tartan’ and other specific projects, liaising with partners, and internal and external colleagues, including museums, galleries, curators, advisors, designers, transport agents and more.

• Effectively manage exhibition tours from start to finish including drafting and negotiating contracts, liaising with legal experts as needed, forecasting, developing and managing exhibition budgets and risk schedules associated with each project; schedule and manage the installation and deinstallation of exhibitions in liaison with tour partners; organise insurance and customs documentation and oversee the sign off process for exhibition design and object layouts by tour partners and venues.

• Work closely with the Tartan curatorial team to project manage the de-installation of the Tartan exhibition at V&A Dundee and prepare the exhibition for tour including liaising with conservators, technicians and lenders, coordinating crating of all objects, managing and maintaining all project documentation including schedules, object lists and budget.

• Undertake venue finding research and develop a strong network of potential tour partners and venues to develop a market for future V&A Dundee touring exhibitions. Work closely with 2D designers and colleagues in Audiences & Media to develop exhibition tour packs.

• Organise collaborative meetings with touring partners to discuss and share key activities and outcomes and to develop and maintain key relationships.

• Represent V&A Dundee at local, national and international events, attending touring exhibition conferences to present and market V&A Dundee touring exhibitions to the widest possible audience.

• Liaise with key internal colleagues including the Head of Exhibitions, Head of Production, Curators, Technical Manager and AV Manager to adapt and compile all necessary documentation for touring partners including object lists, crate lists, packing instructions, interpretation, AV manuals etc.

• Develop opportunities around tours, with colleagues, stakeholders and partners that develop international relations; champion design from Scotland, and Scotland more broadly on the world stage.

Personal Specification
Essential

• Experience of working on touring exhibitions and working both nationally and internationally, for a museum, gallery or other cultural organisation.

• Ability to prepare exhibition materials for tour, creating tour packages including object, packing and crate lists, condition reports, graphic and text packages, floorplans and any other elements relevant to the exhibition.

• Practical experience of working with museum objects including object handling, condition checking and working with technical teams to project manage installations/de-installations.

• Experience of managing all administrative practices related to touring exhibitions including loan agreements, budgets, condition reporting, known consignor status, customs and excise, crate lists, GIS and commercial insurance.

• Ability to undertake public speaking responsibilities and to present and market touring exhibitions at local, national and international events and conferences and to wide-ranging audiences.

• Experience of collaborative and cross organisational working and with external stakeholders including curators, lenders, transport agents, exhibitions designers, insurance companies, GIS and more.

• Excellent organisational and time management skills to proactively co-ordinate and lead the touring exhibitions programme.

• Good knowledge of the international and national museum network, ensuring broad promotion of the touring programme.

• A commitment to the work of V&A Dundee.

Desirable

• Experience of managing a touring exhibition programme for a cultural organisation.

Deadline for applications: no later than 17.00, 06 November 2023. Interviews will be held week commencing 13 November 2023.

This is a full-time fixed term position, working 37.5 hours per week working in a hybrid flexible environment with a mixture of home working and working from our museum in Dundee. We offer a generous package including 38 days holiday, pension scheme, company sick pay, entry to V&A Dundee paid exhibitions and many more discounts and benefits.

Application Deadline: Monday 06/11/2023