Public Art Administrator

Overview

The City of Mountain View is hiring a Public Art Administrator in the Economic Development Division. This is a new position that will lead public art projects across the City and support a City Council priority to expand public art through rotating exhibits, park installations, and integration into capital projects that will shape the City of Mountain View over time.

You will be working on projects people actually see and interact with, in areas like downtown, parks, neighborhoods, and other public spaces that continue to evolve. You will also serve as the primary point of contact for public art across the City, managing multiple projects at different stages at any given time. Check out our Public Art Map to see artwork throughout the City.

You will take the City’s in-development Public Art Strategy (anticipated for adoption in Fall 2026) and turn it into real projects, managing work from early concept through installation and ongoing care.

A big part of the role is developing and managing new and existing art programs and projects. You ll run artist selection processes, including developing RFQs and RFPs, coordinating review panels, and managing contracts for temporary, permanent and rotating art installations across the City.

Some parts of the program are still taking shape, so you will help build processes and policies along the way, including maintenance, partnerships, and the incorporation of public art into private development. In addition, you will manage budgets and grants, lead community and artist outreach, and provide updates to City leadership.

You will be the internal and public primary point of contact for all things Mountain View Public Art.

This is a new position, and there isn’t an established playbook. You ll have a direct role in shaping how the program operates and grows.

The work is also highly visible. Public art brings strong opinions, and you will need to balance different perspectives while keeping projects moving forward.

You have experience in public art, cultural programming, or project management and understand what it takes to move a project from idea to completion. You are organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable balancing creative work with contracts and budgets.

You are someone who can carry work forward without needing a lot of direction. This role will require you to step into something new, get up to speed quickly, and take ownership of how the program develops over time. You re comfortable stepping into work that isn’t fully defined and figuring out how to move it forward.

You communicate clearly, ask thoughtful questions, and can move projects forward while working with a range of partners and perspectives. You are also comfortable working in a high-visibility, high-priority project environment.

• Three years of progressively responsible experience in public art, arts programming, or related project management
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (master’s may substitute for one year of experience)
• Valid California driver’s license and ability to attend occasional evening or weekend events

You will work in the Community Development Department and report to the Economic Vitality Manager. You will work within the small, highly collaborative economic development division that partners across departments to deliver projects.

In your first year, you will focus on getting projects underway, building relationships across the City and the community, and laying the foundation for how the Public Art program will operate long term.

The work you do in this role will become part of the City’s everyday experience. It will appear in places people regularly pass through, including Downtown, parks, and new developments. The City is committed to growing its public art program, and this role will help carry that work forward.

If you’re interested in building a public art program and seeing that work take shape across the City, we encourage you to apply!

Notes:
Written by the City of Mountain Human Resources team — powered by public service and a little help from AI.

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