Manager of Museum and Events

Manager of Museum Experiences and Events – Williams College Museum of Art, MA

Williamstown, MA

Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) is seeking a Manager of Museum Experiences and Events in a role that blends event management, hospitality, museum space reservations, stewardship, and evaluation to support the mission‑driven operations of the first purpose‑built art museum for Williams College, currently under construction. You cultivate a museum environment where everyone is welcome and where visitors have a meaningful experience at WCMA and Williams College.

You collaborate with many partners to develop and implement events, supporting the museum’s Curatorial Engagement program managers, managing the museum’s café and catering operators, and collaborating with College partners such as Alumni Engagement, College Relations, Events and Dining Services. With WCMA’s Manager of Security and consultants, this role participates in training and supporting the hospitality skills of the museum’s front‑of‑house Security and Visitor Services team, and plays an important role in achieving the museum’s institutional impact by routinely engaging in evaluation processes.

At this exciting moment in WCMA’s 100‑year history, you will play a key role in leading the opening celebrations of the new WCMA, interfacing with donors, alumni, museum audiences and other art and architecture professionals. As needs are identified to best support the new WCMA building and program, other duties related to museum experiences and event management may be assigned.

Event Planning, Execution & Relationship Management

In advance of the new museum’s opening in the Fall 2027, you lead the planning and manage the implementation of all opening events for the new museum in collaboration with museum staff and the College’s Development Special Events Manager. Events include press previews, donor and alumni previews, campus and community welcome events, dinners and opening ceremonies. Upon the start of operations, you manage the planning, coordination, and execution of all museum‑programmed and museum‑hosted events, including exhibition openings, social gatherings, receptions and dinners, donor functions, and staff workshops and gatherings.

Other event planning responsibilities include:

• Manage event inquiry and booking processes for museum spaces including the café, auditorium, lobbies, and galleries; lead routine event calendaring meetings to assess needs and capacities. Develop agreements and contracts with partners
• Coordinate with Curatorial Engagement staff on classroom and gallery tour bookings and implementing reception functions for public programs
• With Building Manager, coordinate facility needs for events, including A/V setup, room configuration, seating, décor, lighting, and security, ensuring compliance with museum policies for artwork protection
• Direct an Events and Building Coordinator to support museum events, facility setup and break downs, event and way finding signage deployment, light‑duty facility maintenance
• Organize WCMA events and dinners on the road for alumni, collectors, and other key WCMA constituencies in cooperation with museum and College Relations colleagues; periodically travels to host and manage events out of town

In the lead‑up to opening, you are a key member of the WCMA working group who evaluates and selects the café operator and crafts event policies and procedures. In operation, while overseeing and implementing event management for public programs, dinners and other private internal events, and catered daytime meals, you serve as the primary point of contact and liaison for the third‑party food and beverage contractor responsible for the café operations.

• Engage in planning and oversight to ensure F&B operators maintain the highest standards of food safety, hygiene, customer service, and operational quality in food service at the museum
• Act as the main facilitator between the café contractor and the College’s Dining Services staff to coordinate resources, logistics, and scheduling for College functions held at the museum
• With the Building Manager, regularly inspect food service spaces to ensure…