Associate Director for Interpretation, Learning, and Public Programs (IS-1001-14)

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

11d•$143,913 - $158,306•Onsite

About The Position

About the National Museum of Asian Art Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming, and research, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary diversity, we aim to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity, and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, we believe that cross-cultural understanding is crucial to personal and collective well-being. NMAA opened in 1923 as America’s first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. The museum now stewards one of the world’s most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East, and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa). The museum also stewards an important collection of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art. Today, NMAA is emerging as a leading national and global resource for understanding the arts, cultures, and societies of Asia, especially at their intersection with America. Guided by the belief that the future of art museums lies in collaboration, increased access, and transparency, NMAA is fostering new ways to engage with its audiences while maintaining its commitment to excellence. NMAA celebrated its centennial in 2023 and is determined to make the museum’s second century as accomplished as its first. The museum is building on its core strengths—the quality and depth of our collections, scholarship, and conservation—while embracing experimentation and new approaches to its work. The museum is transforming digitally, physically, and programmatically to draw in new audiences to celebrate, learn, and connect with Asian and American art and cultures, past and present. Located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the museum is free and open 364 days a year. The Smithsonian, which is the world’s largest museum complex, welcomes twenty to thirty million visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, please visit asia.si.edu The National Museum of Asian Art has just launched its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan and is adopting a comprehensive interpretation strategy that establishes interpretation not as a supporting feature, but as a central means through which the museum expands impact, deepens engagement, and advances learning. This senior position will serve as both a strategic driver and an operational anchor for interpretive vision. Reporting to the Deputy Director for Operations and External Affairs, the Associate Director for Interpretation, Learning, and Public Programs, will serve as the museum’s senior leader for NMAA’s interpretive vision and learning strategy. In this role, the Associate Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Public Programs and Education Departments and will lead all interpretation efforts including approaches and staff. With clear authority to shape, approve, and integrate interpretive content, the Associate Director will ensure the museum speaks with a consistent voice aligned with mission, learning priorities, and brand identity.

Requirements

To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from an accredited four-year college or university on a related field, and/or 8-10 years of related experience (described below); or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 8 years of experience in museum interpretation, education, or public programming
Demonstrated leadership and project management skills, particularly in leading cross-functional teams
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences
Experience managing budgets and staff, ensuring efficient and effective program delivery
Demonstrated ability to provide management oversight, leadership, and direction with at least five years of supervisory experience, including experience creating and managing a budget
Demonstrated experience, ability, and desire to collaborate with colleagues from multiple departments and disciplines.
Passion for the museum's mission
A data centric mindset as demonstrated by the understanding and use of audience data to inform decision making
Experience managing large scale public engagements
Experience with public speaking

Responsibilities

Drive the museum’s ambitions to foster understanding of the communities, cultures, and societies of Asia. Offer transformational experiences that invite visitors of all ages to broaden their perspective and create connections between the museum’s collection and contemporary issues
Lead the museum-wide strategy for interpretation and learning aligned with NMAA’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, positioning interpretation, education, and public programs as core mechanisms for mission delivery, engagement, and learning
Exercise clear authority to shape, endorse, approve, and integrate interpretive content across exhibitions, permanent installations, public programs, and museum wide initiatives—ensuring alignment with mission, learning priorities, accessibility standards, and brand identity
Define and champion a culture of interpretation and learning that is collaborative, visitor-centered, and inclusive of multiple voices from within and beyond the museum
Embed interpretation and learning early in institutional planning and project development by establishing workflows, standards, and review cycles
Partner with the Visitor Engagement team to define evaluation methods and success measures (qualitative and quantitative), assess content impact and interpretive effectiveness, and use findings to drive continuous improvement
Strengthen the museum’s connection to broad audiences by expanding and deepening the stories told across the institution, ensuring interpretive and learning experiences are welcoming, relevant, and responsive
Integrate audience feedback and community-informed insights into interpretive, education, and program development to improve how the museum communicates, teaches, and connects
Ensure narrative coherence across public-facing experiences—aligning interpretive materials, school and family offerings, adult learning, exhibitions, and public programs into a unified visitor journey
Work with museum staff to develop best in class approaches to community engagement that are project and goal informed. Ensure that the resources to achieve these ambitions are clearly articulated and resourced.
Provide strategic and operational leadership for the museum’s Interpretation, Education and Public Programs team, aligning annual priorities with the Strategic Plan
Make recommendations to Deputy Director for Operations and External Affairs on contractor and staff support required to meet institutional objectives
Lead and develop a high-performing team—setting clear expectations, fostering accountability and professionalism, and supporting staff growth, wellbeing, and performance management
Build strong cross-department partnerships to ensure interpretation and learning are integrated early, resourced appropriately, and delivered with consistency and excellence.