Museum Administrator Job Description

Museum Administrator Job Profile and Description

The Museum Administrator works in the large museum who manages a team of curators, archivists, exhibit managers, HR, accounting, purchasing, security services and IT departments, to mention a few of the services working for a museum.  The Museum Administrator provides the executive leadership, allowing the curators and archivists to operating the various departments in a large museum. He also provides a face for communicating with the public, governments and the academe.

Museum Administrator Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the museum’s resources to ensure that they are productively expended and utilized to their maximum benefit
• Request or apply for grants from archeological foundations, corporations and philanthropic associations to finance archeological explorations and excavations to ensure fresh artifacts for the museum’s collection.
• Provide leadership to a number of curators or archivists to ensure they perform their duties and responsibilities in accordance with museum polices and procedures
• Approve the department budgets as submitted including manpower and services support internally or outsourced
• Maintain relations with other museums and galleries to support exchange of artifacts for any sponsored exhibits.

Museum Administrator Skills and Specifications

• Excellent leadership, supervisory, organizational and managerial skills
• Excellent command in the management of a museum.
• Strong interpersonal, diplomatic and negotiation skills

Museum Administrator Education and Qualifications

• A masters degree in management is basic with a BS degree in history, paleontology, archeology or any of the social sciences
• 8-10 years of experience as a museum administrator in the small museum or a curator in a large museum is preferred.

Museum Administrator Salary

The median annual salary of Museum Site Administrators is in line with that most corporate Presidents and CEOs and can vary depending on the size and nature o the museum.  In 2008, it stood at around $65,000 with lowest 10% taking less than $50,700, and the highest 10% about $90,300.