How to hire a director of exhibits

How to hire a director of exhibits, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of exhibits hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of exhibits job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of exhibits
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your director of exhibits job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a director of exhibits for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of exhibits's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of exhibits from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of exhibits salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Exhibits	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Exhibits	Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. Curators oversee collections of artwork and historic items, and may conduct public service activities for an institution... Show more	$21-48
   Museum Curator	A museum curator looks after and manages exhibitions within a museum. Responsibilities of this position include building collections, developing interpretations for the museum contents, organizing events and exhibitions, designing and arranging installations, and carrying out administrative tasks in the museum... Show more	$12-37
   Curator	A curator is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing exhibits and collections in art museums and similar establishments. Their responsibilities include handling acquisition procedures, conceptualizing plans, designing exhibits and presentations, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals and timelines, managing the budgets and fundraisers, and developing strategies to market the museum's events... Show more	$12-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Exhibit Design
   • Event Management
   • Trade Shows
   • Contemporary Art
   • Contract Negotiations
   • Educational Programs
   • Corporate Events
   • Audio Visual
   • Program Development
   • Exhibit Development
   • Press Releases
   • Concept Development
   • Site Selection
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage domestic and international travel arrangements including transportation, lodging, and logistics for individuals and groups utilizing travel management systems.
   • Create division budget, and report month to month ROI.
   • Organize the RFP process for selection of audio-visual, decorators, hotels and other vendors.
   • Develop RFP's and RFQ's for all major projects and maintain a positive relationship with vendors.
   • Provide strategic leadership and planning for the environmental nonprofit's commercial energy efficiency services, program design, and program implementation.
   • Used Marriott computer applications to manage and administer events.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of exhibits job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of exhibits salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of exhibits' average salary in hawaii is 52% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of exhibits earn 56% less than senior-level directors of exhibits.
   • Certifications. A director of exhibits with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of exhibits's salary.

   Average director of exhibits salary

   $66,960yearly

   $32.19 hourly rate

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   Entry-level director of exhibits salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 26, 2026

4. Writing a director of exhibits job description

   A job description for a director of exhibits role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a director of exhibits job description:

   Director of exhibits job description example

   • Medical and dental
   • 401(k)
   • Flexibility
   • Paid time off
   • Flexible spending accounts
   • Income protection- (Life Insurance Coverage up to 2x salary) & disability plans at no cost.
   • Tuition and membership reimbursements
   • AIA employees have access to a variety of other programs, including:
     • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their family members
     • SmartBenefits transportation program, featuring up to $55 monthly in public transportation as well as pretax METRO parking
     • Computer purchase program
     • Fitness club discounts
     • Prepaid legal services program
     • Identity theft protection

   Travel Requirements: Travel is required

   Work Location: Remote from the AIA Approved States:

   AR, DE, FL, GA*, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NM, NY, NC, OK, PA, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WY

   Applicants from states not listed above are ineligible.

   This position will periodically be required to be on-site at the AIA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

   An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, in accordance with the applicable law.

   
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   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of exhibits for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of exhibits job on Zippia to find and recruit director of exhibits candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit directors of exhibits, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of exhibits

   Once you have selected a candidate for the director of exhibits position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new director of exhibits. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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