New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art has made several big announces these past few months: From news of a $500 million wing expansion designed by Frida Escobedo, an upcoming rooftop installation from artist Lauren Halsey, to the museum's Ancient Near East and Cypriot Art gallery renovation led by NADAAA and Moody Nolan, The Met is setting its sights on what 2022 and beyond will bring.

Learning from the pandemic and the socio-economical events of 2020 and 2021, museum and exhibition design continues to evolve and change, hopefully for the better. As cultural institutions across the globe continue to reopen and prepare for another year of exhibitions, many dare to ask what the future of exhibition design will look like. Who are the future exhibition designers? What does it take for motivated individuals to work for one of today's leading museums?

Continuing with Archinect's job highlights series, we showcase employment opportunities for individuals with architecture backgrounds looking to flex their skills outside of traditional architecture firms. For our latest job highlight, we explore the role of an exhibition designer for The Met. While the needs and qualifications for a position like this may differ from museum to museum based on curatorial focus and museum leadership, the largest art museum in the Western hemisphere is currently seeking a designer to join its team.

The museum states that its design department includes "approximately 50+ exhibitions and rotations per year, capital construction and buildings projects, and gallery reinstallation projects. In addition to exhibition materials, the department produces approximately 200+ communication design projects a year, ranging from large-scale events with bespoke graphic identities to wayfinding systems and printed collateral."

For those interested in pursuing a career as an exhibition designer at The Met, this candidate will work under the Design Manager and Exhibition Design team. The ideal applicant for the position will "be a collegial and collaborative problem solver who can exercise a wide range of creative strategies and has a comprehensive understanding of best museum practices," explains the museum.

Having an extensive knowledge of construction techniques, fabrication skills, materials, and project management is needed in addition to knowledge of Vectorworks, Rhino, and/or 3D Max. At least 2–4 years of experience in exhibition design, industrial design, scenic design, or architectural design is required. The museum also shares that a B.A. degree in exhibition design, industrial design, or equivalent field of work is essential. An MFA or M.Arch is preferred.

In addition to familiarity and experience with exhibition design, candidates should have "experience creating design documents, familiarity with construction bid packages, custom detailing, and possess the technical and rendering skills (Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc.) to develop, present, and test design ideas visually."

Beyond the prestige of working for a notable museum or institution, the future of curatorial ethics, narrative, and representation starts with its staff, curators, and designers. In order to achieve better design and curatorial practices, the role of an exhibition designer is a career path that lends itself to multidisciplinary approaches, diverse perspectives, and people. If you're an architect, or a designer with an architectural background, seeking to dive into museum and exhibition design, learn more about The Met's open position here.

If you're interested in reading inspiring stories of architects that have found success in other industries, check out Archinect's Working Out of the Box series.

Stay up to date with our latest coverage of exciting opportunities on the Archinect Job Board following the tag Interesting Jobs.