Position Summary

This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction and implementation of initiatives at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) at Utah State University as it embarks on a new era. In 2025, the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art will open a new facility, the Wanlass Center for Arts Education and Research, to augment and expand current learning and engagement opportunities to better serve students, scholars, and the community as a leading academic, land-grant university museum in the 21^st century. The Deputy Director is a senior leadership team member overseeing many fundamental areas of NEHMA’s operations and administration, assuming a significant scope of responsibility. This new position serves as a partner and advisor to the Museum Executive Director to achieve strategic goals and implement organizational initiatives focusing on strategy, efficiency, process, and assessment.

The Deputy Director deeply understands museum operations and can align the workflows of multiple departments and functions to create cohesive, collaborative teams. As a senior staff member at the NEHMA, the Deputy Director collaborates with leadership colleagues to manage a dynamic museum team, promote interdepartmental communication, and increase efficiencies in museum-wide workflows.

This position leads finance management, facility and security management, visitor services, public relations and marketing, grants, and event rentals. There are three direct reports, the Visitor and Events Services Coordinator, PR and Marketing Coordinator, and the Business Manager. 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, is the primary liaison for human resources support, working closely with the Business Manager, and liaising with Facilities Management as needed.

Responsibilities

50%

• Assesses strengths and gaps in current operational workflow, processes, and procedures to create a new overall operations strategy.
• Manages professional staff and establishes performance goals, allocates resources, and assesses policies for direct subordinates.
• Provides leadership and guidance for timelines, deadlines, staffing, communications, and budgets.
• Manages budgets for all areas of the museum, working closely with the Business and Finance managers and Grant Writer/Development Officer to ensure financial compliance.
• Collaborates with the Executive Director and other senior staff to track organizational performance against both the annual budget and strategic plan objectives.
• Guides the strategy and implementation for all communications, marketing, public relations, and collateral materials to enhance the NEHMA’s presence in the regional, national, and international community through print media and digital platforms. This includes advertising, branding, website, publicity, annual report, grants, reports, communications, and other needs.

30%

• Serves as primary liaison for Museum human resources initiatives, working with HR Business Manager on projects involving employee engagement, training and development, safety and health, succession planning, conflict resolution, onboarding/offboarding protocols, and Museum-specific staff policies and procedures.
• Provides leadership and guidance for Museum facilities and security. Responsible for facilities, maintenance, and events/rental of all NEHMA-occupied spaces, ensuring the building operates efficiently and safely in compliance with AAM standards and best practices.
• Serves as staff representative to Facilities and external contractors.
• Manages relationships for the Museum with the Office of Risk Management, Office of Public Safety, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, IT Services, and Facilities.
• Serves as NEHMA representative overseeing the museum's legal needs, working with the Office of Legal Counsel and other external partners.
• Represents the Museum at campus, community, and other external events as necessary.

10%

• Oversees external reporting, including annual reports and reports for the Advancement Board and Board of Trustees. Prepares and presents reports as needed.
• Acts as a key partner in the creation of NEHMA’s next strategic plan and collaborates with the Executive Director and senior leadership to manage its implementation for the Museum.
• Implements streamlined institutional archival processes and organization for museum’s digital files.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: A college or university degree in a related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related position, ideally with museums and/or higher education.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Master’s degree in arts administration, business administration, management, or related field.

Work Experience: At least five years of progressive experience in a leadership role, preferably in a museum. This could also be from higher education, arts, philanthropic, or non-profit organizations.

Previous experience with strategic planning and long-term visioning.

Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge of museum best practices and current and emerging trends in the academic museum field.
• An adept leader who can effectively manage and mentor staff reports in an active and diverse environment.
• Budget development and financial management in higher education or a non-profit organization with multiple sources of revenue, including state and federal grants.
• Conceptualize steps involved in implementing programs, events, and broader projects.
• Knowledge of systems of assessment and evaluation.
• Establish and maintain collaborative and effective relationships with the Museum’s internal team, internal and external University collaborators, and diverse museum audiences.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work positively and collegially with staff, administration, students, and the public.
• Well-developed written/oral communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

About the Organization

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University is a site for rigorous inquiry and exchange that encourages the examination of complex issues through the lens of art objects and artistic practice. The Museum has long served as a model for academic art museums by combining creative and intellectual engagement and open dialogue that bridge lines of culture, language, and lived experience. It also supports the land grant mission of Utah State University in providing extensive learning opportunities and experience with the community and to K-12 schools across the state of Utah. Thousands of visitors annually experience NEHMA, with exhibitions and programs highlighting permanent collections, works by modern and contemporary artists, and objects on loan from institutional partners and private collectors.

NEHMA’s permanent collection dynamically supports academic and artistic study, inspires new ideas and creative interpretation, and provides a space for reflection and conversation for the Museum’s many audiences. Comprising over 5700 objects, this growing body of artworks represents American Art, emphasizing art and artists in the western US. With the new Wanlass Center for Art Education & Research opening next year, Utah State University is keen to support the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art’s dynamic role as a leading 21^st-century academic art museum.

University Highlights

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public-service university. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local, regional, and global communities. USU prepares students to be active, civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality and affordable education, USU remains a leader in research, discovery, and public impact.

USU enrolls 28,900 students, both online and in person at locations throughout the state. Utah State’s 30 locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level, USU is a proud member of the Mountain West Conference and will join the Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026-2027 season. The Aggies’ long-standing tradition of athletic and academic excellence is exemplified by conference championships in multiple sports, reflecting USU's commitment to perseverance and achievement.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

To apply for this position, visit USU's HR website posting: Deputy Director, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art