Exhibit Engineer/Senior Exhibit Engineer (Part-Time)

EXPLORATORIUM•San Francisco, CA

9d•$43 - $51•Hybrid

About The Position

Exhibit Engineers are the primary staff responsible for exhibit design and production at the Exploratorium. They ensure exhibits are functional, reliable, safe, efficient, and cost-effective, coordinating with project leadership, other staff, and outside entities as needed. The work emphasizes interactive exhibits with complex mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, delivered within project design, budget, and schedule requirements. Exhibit Engineers are expected to stay informed about current technologies and professional standards and contribute to maintaining and improving existing exhibits, design practices, and documentation standards. The Senior Exhibit Engineer role places greater emphasis on self-direction and independently designing and producing high-quality exhibits. The position works on multiple projects, supports production and project teams, and contributes to museum operations, exhibit maintenance, and staff knowledge-sharing. It is based in San Francisco, California, with onsite work required a certain number of days per week according to department requirements. This is a regular, part-time, non-exempt union position working 30 hours per week. The role includes benefits. The starting pay range is $42.65–$45.15 for Exhibit Engineer and $47.74–$50.53 for Senior Exhibit Engineer, representing steps 1–3 on a six-step union pay scale.

Requirements

BA/BS degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, preferably in engineering or design.
Minimum five years of prior exhibit engineering experience.
Basic shop knowledge in wood, metal, and plastic fabrication; exhibit prototyping and fabrication using appropriate production methods; and following safety standards.
Basic Autodesk Inventor experience is essential, with working knowledge of AutoCAD, wiki-based platforms, MS Word, and Excel.
Ability to work on multiple projects and problems simultaneously with minimal supervision.
Ability to collaborate and work effectively with people at all organizational levels.
Ability to adhere to budgets and timelines for individual exhibits and projects and proactively communicate expected variances.
A sense of value and efficiency, demonstrated through effective solutions, use of materials, and personal time management.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds for short distances and to move from place to place, bend, stretch, grasp, reach, kneel, and twist.
Applicants must include a cover letter; applications without one will not be considered.

Nice To Haves

Two years of Exploratorium experience preferred.
Ability to communicate ideas and concepts effectively through hand sketching; basic drawing skills preferred.
Interest in science and teaching.
For the Senior Exhibit Engineer position: advanced shop knowledge in wood, metal, and plastic fabrication; exhibit prototyping and fabrication using appropriate production methods; and upholding safety standards.
For the Senior Exhibit Engineer position: advanced Autodesk Inventor experience is essential, plus working knowledge of AutoCAD, wiki-based platforms, MS Word, and Excel.
For the Senior Exhibit Engineer position: demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects and problems simultaneously with minimal supervision.
For the Senior Exhibit Engineer position: ability to mentor and teach design and engineering techniques to other staff.

Responsibilities

Deliver high-quality exhibit engineering across multiple projects under project leadership; Senior Exhibit Engineers do so with minimum supervision.
Create exhibit designs that meet budgets, schedules, and regular project milestones.
Produce complete design documentation, including part and assembly drawings, bills of materials, electronics and wiring schematics, maintenance manual pages, and assembly instructions.
Support Production Management and project teams with purchasing, including occasional management of subcontractor and vendor relationships.
Design and fabricate basic tooling and fixtures for manufacturing.
Participate in off-site installations, maintenance trips, and de-installations; Senior Exhibit Engineers facilitate their technical aspects.
Support Project Management with off-site logistics and client relations as needed.
Implement practical and innovative engineering strategies and find ways to incorporate appropriate new technologies into existing systems.
Contribute to museum operations, including shop or lab maintenance, exhibit maintenance, material ordering and stocking, and equipment upkeep.
Share design and engineering techniques with Exploratorium staff; Senior Exhibit Engineers teach these techniques.
Provide technical advice to production staff ordering and building exhibits, promoting quality, efficiency, and cost reduction.
Maintain the library of exhibit designs by managing revisions, photographing design details, and organizing design information.
Collaborate with design, engineering, and production staff to find efficient ways to create exhibits.
Adapt to project constraints and work on projects ranging from rough in-house prototypes to highly finished, turn-key client projects.
Make timely engineering decisions and exercise creative judgment in selecting forms, materials, and processes.
Perform other duties as assigned.