The Henry Ford is a nonprofit organization, an internationally recognized cultural destination, and a one-of-a-kind workplace. Our team is inspired daily by one another as well as the authentic stories of innovation that we share across our four venues. We want you to be part of this legacy and take it forward.
The Experience Design team works as a collaborative studio to create impactful, memorable, and best in-class exhibition experiences to support the institution's vision and mission. The Lead Exhibition Designer is responsible for leading design of temporary and permanent in-house exhibition projects of all sizes for all institutional venues. This individual works at every stage of exhibition creation and in close collaboration with many institutional departments and external partners.
A perfect fit for this position will be an individual who is innovative in approach while committed to creating authentic, memorable, and exciting experiences, with a demonstrated ability leading the creation of story based exhibitions from concept to installation. Experience in the blending of technology and physical components to create unique interaction opportunities is important. A curious and inquisitive personality is beneficial. A professional with experience designing exhibits for use by children would be ideal.
Essential Responsibilities
+ Participates in the story development and conceptual design of new and revised exhibits that bring together innovative guest experiences, the synthesis of historical content and contemporary stories, interpretive best-practices, and engaging exhibit design techniques.
+ Creates programmatic and space planning solutions that support the physical exhibition's objectives, docent use, and other identified needs.
+ Leads design effort of projects from concept through design development. Prepares design intent and ready-to-bid drawing packages. Works with outside vendors to ensure exhibitions are fabricated, produced, and installed according to design intent.
+ Ensures designs are supportive of learning and guest experience objectives and supportive of institutional educational priorities.
+ Works with Experience Design leadership and other institutional stakeholders to define project scopes, budgets, and timelines.
+ Works cross-functionally with institutional departments to make recommendations on exhibit fabrication methods that may include print production, audio-visual components, technology solutions, interactives, lighting, and facility modifications.
+ Designs exhibit experiences and components that meet internal and select external conservation, accessibility, guest comfort and safety, maintenance, cleaning, and programmatic use requirements.
+ Creates necessary deliverables that clearly communicate experience planning, design intent, look and feel, materials and their use, interface and coordination of exhibit components, and suggested fabrication techniques through a variety of formats including concept sketches, architectural plans, elevations, sections, diagrams, and other renderings.
+ Presents ideas visually and verbally to internal stakeholders, external partners, and vendors.
+ Revises and modifies designs to fit budgets and maximize opportunities.
+ Pursues solutions for exhibition design, fabrication, and maintenance that meets institutional environmental sustainability goals.
+ Evaluates and collaborates cross-functionally to identify improvements to design solutions in the areas such as guest engagement, maintenance, and programmatic use.
+ Ensures best design practices by staying up to date on industry trends and developing strong working relationships with outside experts, and continuously seeks out and recommends ways to make The Henry Ford's campus a more engaging and accessible space.
+ Contributes to the effective team management of all problems, issues, and opportunities, including leading and participation in meetings and planning sessions.
+ Responsible for creative work which includes, but is not limited to, publications in any medium, experience and exhibition development and design, and all related collateral materials.
The Experience Design Team works part time in person on The Henry Ford campus and part time remotely. Availability for meetings, in person or virtual, is required during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. There is also the potential of occasional travel for project work or training.
Your Qualifications
+ Bachelor's Degree in a spatial based design related field, certificate, or equivalent work experience is required.
+ Seven or more years of demonstrated success in creating physical/environmental spaces that are built upon storytelling and engagement of users.
+ Familiarity with the concerns, challenges, and evolving industry of museums and similar organizations.
+ Experience successfully discussing, presenting, and creating documents to express the work you're doing and its results.
+ An understanding of fabrication techniques related to artifact conservation, interactives, object mounting, graphics, and exhibit components.
+ Proficiency in CAD applications such as Vectorworks (preferred) or AutoCAD, SketchUp, and 3D rendering software leveraging a variety of techniques for designing user experiences within physical spaces.
+ General familiarity in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.
+ Knowledge of current exhibit fabrication practices, products, and industry standards, with a familiarity of green building materials and the life-cycle costs of exhibits.
Special Skills
+ Able to communicate clearly and effectively in a variety of ways (in person, via phone, email, chat, Zoom or Microsoft Teams, etc.)
+ Able to track multiple projects, meet deadlines, and anticipate future issues of concern.
+ Act proactively, independently, and collaboratively in a team with members who have diverse job responsibilities and backgrounds.
+ A passion for understanding how people interact with the world with a level of empathy and attention to detail.
+ Ability to focus on project details and keep bigger-picture project goals in mind.
+ Enthusiasm for learning new skills, training, and trying new processes to accomplish your work.
+ Experience interacting with others with a high-level of customer service.
+ Must be a critical thinker and quick problem solver.
PORTFOLIO REQUIRED As part of the application, a portfolio of 5-10 projects is required for consideration. Include projects that demonstrate your most innovative, exciting, and engaging experiences. Projects should highlight your ability to work at different stages of the exhibition design process and include built projects when possible.
It is the policy of The Henry Ford to prohibit discrimination in any employment, donor or volunteering opportunity (including but not limited to recruitment, hire, employment, program participation, promotion, salary, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment or service as a volunteer) based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, genetic information, pregnancy, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability. Marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, height, weight or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. This Policy applies to all of our employees, donors and volunteers to ensure that they are treated without discrimination.
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How to hire an exhibition designer
Exhibition designer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring exhibition designers in the United States:
- In the United States, the median cost per hire an exhibition designer is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
- On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new exhibition designer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.
How to hire an exhibition designer, step by step
To hire an exhibition designer, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an exhibition designer, you should follow these steps:
Here's a step-by-step exhibition designer hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write an exhibition designer job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new exhibition designer
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
What does an exhibition designer do?
An exhibition designer creates appealing and creative display stands, meeting the practical, budgetary, and aesthetic requirements. Besides organizing and participating in meetings, explaining design issues, and producing competitive and realistic quotes, exhibition designers also respond to clients' queries and transport their display 'stands' to the required exhibition venues. They deliver finished display stands to clients for reviewing, erecting, and dismantling the stands at different locations and create sketches and 3D computer-produced images. Also, they negotiate and agree on time-scales and budgets.
Post an exhibition designer job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
First, determine the employments status of the exhibition designer you need to hire. Certain exhibition designer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?An exhibition designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, exhibition designers 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.
This list presents exhibition designer salaries for various positions.
Type of Exhibition Designer Description Hourly rate Exhibition Designer $18-47 Visual Merchandiser A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more $12-25 3D Artist A 3D Artist uses complex software to develop graphics and animations for use in various media, such as video games, television shows, and multimedia presentations. They often work in teams, dividing project workloads in accordance to strengths. $22-55 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- CAD
- Design Concepts
- Concept Development
- Design Development
- Trade Shows
- Sketch
- Prototyping
- Technical Drawings
- Shop Drawings
- Museum Exhibits
- Vectorworks
- Signage
- Design Process
- Interactive Exhibits
Responsibilities:- Modify SRV-1 source code using JavaScript software to attain tracking at any instantaneous time.
- Prepare files for CNC fabrication.
- Assist in the prototyping stage of various exhibits, while improving their design for better testing.
- Programme CNC mill for plywood and acrylic boxes to be set up and disassemble at multiple venues.
- Provide fully detail Solidworks control and installation drawings.
- Develop customized user interaction models using object-orient prototyping.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your exhibition designer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An exhibition designer salary can vary based on several factors:- Location. For example, exhibition designers' average salary in florida is 45% less than in new york.
- Seniority. Entry-level exhibition designers earn 61% less than senior-level exhibition designers.
- Certifications. An exhibition designer 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 an exhibition designer's salary.
Average exhibition designer salary
$62,371yearly
$29.99 hourly rateEntry-level exhibition designer salary$39,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 17, 2025Average exhibition designer salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 California $83,245 $40 2 New York $78,344 $38 3 District of Columbia $71,225 $34 4 Maryland $69,046 $33 5 Illinois $68,982 $33 6 Texas $66,855 $32 7 Nevada $57,312 $28 8 Massachusetts $54,139 $26 9 Arizona $52,474 $25 10 North Carolina $47,364 $23 11 Florida $44,425 $21 Average exhibition designer salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 The Metropolitan Museum of Art $87,328 $41.98 2 Midas $83,503 $40.15 3 Edison International $74,449 $35.79 2 4 MechoSystems $68,743 $33.05 5 Sparks Marketing Group $67,029 $32.23 6 Czarnowski $66,456 $31.95 7 David's Inc $64,678 $31.10 8 Ralph Appelbaum Associates $64,273 $30.90 9 Scoular $62,147 $29.88 10 Blackdot $61,593 $29.61 11 Gallagher & Associates LLC $61,364 $29.50 12 Hunsaker & Associates Irvine Inc $61,313 $29.48 13 *n/a* $61,292 $29.47 14 Group Delphi $60,692 $29.18 15 MUSEUM.COM $59,742 $28.72 1 16 Cinnabar California $59,112 $28.42 17 Catalyst Exhibits $57,365 $27.58 18 Obama Foundation $55,580 $26.72 19 Guggenheim Museum $51,237 $24.63 20 NC.gov $48,669 $23.40 3 Writing an exhibition designer job description
An exhibition designer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an exhibition designer job description:
Exhibition designer job description example
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right exhibition designer for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your exhibition designer job on Zippia to find and attract quality exhibition designer candidates.
- Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Recruiting exhibition designers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new exhibition designer
Once you've found the exhibition designer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
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 exhibition designer. 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.
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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How much does it cost to hire an exhibition designer?
Before you start to hire exhibition designers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire exhibition designers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
You can expect to pay around $62,371 per year for an exhibition designer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for exhibition designers in the US typically range between $18 and $47 an hour.
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Updated December 17, 2025