Careers
Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA)
The Contemporary Austin values a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and we seek to model these values in our hiring and engagement practices for all our artistic and educational programs. We welcome applications by BIPOC candidates as well as individuals who bring new perspectives in a host of ways. It is the policy of The Contemporary Austin not to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status and to take action to ensure that those seeking to do business with the Contemporary are treated fairly. The Contemporary Austin aims to create a safe, welcoming working environment and doesn’t tolerate discrimination of any kind. The organization is currently pursuing a multi-year DEIA effort and seeks individuals who share our commitment to this work.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Opportunities:
Director of Advancement
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The Director of Advancement (DoA) oversees The Contemporary Austin’s fundraising and advancement efforts across all functional areas, including individual and institutional giving; Annual, endowment and special campaign initiatives; fundraising events, corporate partnership opportunities and other more entrepreneurial activities.
Supervising a growing team of 7-10 staff members, the DoA is responsible for the organization’s fundraising goals and works closely with Trustees, committee members, event committees, and the executive director and leadership team to ensure that a strong and compelling fundraising strategy is in place, that income goals are met, and that the advancement needs and priorities of the organization are legible, compellingly presented and well stewarded. In addition to setting goals, strategy, annual workplans, and overseeing all fundraising benchmarking and reporting, the DoA maintains their own donor portfolio of approximately 50-75 donors and institutional funders.
The DoA sits on the organization’s leadership team and plays a key role in setting the tone and culture for the institution. They are well-positioned to make a significant impact within the organization and within Austin’s evolving arts and cultural ecosystem.
The DoA:
Department: Development
Reports to: Executive Director
Pay Range: $130,000 - $150,000
Status: Exempt, Full-time
Key Data Points:
About The Contemporary Austin
As Austin’s only museum focused on contemporary artists and their work, The Contemporary Austin offers exhibitions, educational opportunities, and events that start conversations and fuel the city’s creative spirit. Known for artist-centric projects and collaborations, The Contemporary invites exploration at both its urban and natural settings—downtown at the Jones Center on Congress Avenue, lakeside at the Laguna Gloria campus (including the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, the Art School, and the historic Driscoll Villa), and around Austin through the Museum Without Walls program.
The Opportunity
Austin is at a unique moment. With significant growth and expansion afoot, there is a tremendous opportunity to grow a philanthropic contemporary arts community. What has historically been a government and university town has grown not only in size but in the city’s readiness to build out its cultural institutions and make them relevant for a rapidly changing arts ecosystem, and the current and future residents and visitors to Texas’s capital. The right individual will work closely across departments (curatorial, programs & engagement, communications/marketing, operations/facilities, finance, HR/people) to shape the future of The Contemporary Austin and to ensure its important work has the impact it sets out to have. With a new strategic plan in place and significant momentum in recent years, the time is right to bring on a dynamic, seasoned and creative leader for the development team.
The team
The Development department currently comprises 7 team members, including key roles managing Grants, Events, Membership, Individual Giving, and Stewardship and Operations.
Duties/Responsibilities:
Required Skills/Abilities:
Education and Experience:
Physical Requirements:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
How to Apply:
Submit Application HERE.
Thank you for your interest in The Contemporary Austin and please keep an eye on our careers page for current opportunities.
Development Coordinator
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The Development Coordinator is the central hub of the department, ensuring that the team is well synchronized, that meetings are scheduled, agendas are set, data is entered, letters are sent, donors are heard, members are engaged and that other departments know what key priorities are.
Department: Development
Reports to: Manager, Dev Ops & Stewardship
Pay Range: $21.63 - $25.00 Hourly
Status: Non-Exempt
Department Level Administrative Duties/Responsibilities:
o Performing data entry, donor briefs, pledge tracking, file management, invoicing, gift acknowledgements, tax receipts, and thank you letters
o Processing purchase orders and generating reports including list pulls
o Assisting with note taking, filing, and scheduling
Department Level Project Management Responsibilities:
Development Events Coordination and Support:
Grants and Institutional Giving Support:
o Tracking and updating grants in Salesforce
o Notifying finance of grants awarded
o Updating records when funds are received
Required Skills/Abilities:
Education and Experience:
Physical Requirements:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Our development team follows a hybrid schedule working in-office two days a week (or more if needed) and remotely for the rest. Our in-office time is used primarily for team meetings and formal and informal collaboration. This position may require you to work some evenings and weekends as needed for events.
How to Apply:
Submit resume and cover letter HERE.
Thank you for your interest in The Contemporary Austin and please keep an eye on our careers page for current opportunities.
Membership Coordinator
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The Membership Coordinator plays a key supporting role in the success of the Museum’s membership program. Reporting to the Membership Manager, this position ensures the smooth day-to-day operations of membership processing, communication, and engagement. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is organized, people-oriented, and passionate about the museum’s mission to grow their career in nonprofit membership and development work.
Department: Development
Reports to: Membership Manager
Pay Range: $21.63 - $25.00 Hourly
Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt (Hourly)
Responsibilities:
o Enter and maintain accurate membership records and contact information in the database.
o Process new memberships, renewals, and upgrades in a timely manner.
o Process comped memberships and assist with benefit fulfillment
o Coordinate with finance on reconciling membership revenue and resolving discrepancies.
o Pull and manage targeted membership and donor lists as needed
o Support Membership Manager in routine member correspondence.
o Assist Membership Manager in preparing and proof-reading membership email newsletters, appeals, and direct mail pieces.
o Respond promptly and courteously to member inquiries by phone, email, and in person.
o Support stewardship efforts for upper-level members
o Assist in executing member-focused events and engagement opportunities.
o Support onsite member events through setup, registration, and hospitality.
o Track attendance and collect feedback to inform future programming.
o Represent the Museum at events through member check-in and tabling, enhancing the on-site member experience
o Assist with annual fundraising campaigns such as Giving Tuesday, Amplify Austin, and year-end giving
o Coordinate with Visitor Services to ensure members receive proper admission benefits and assistance.
o Partner with Programs and Communications teams to promote member events and benefits.
o Support fulfillment of member benefits including special mailings and gift distribution.
o Generate regular reports on membership performance including retention, upgrades, and revenue.
o Assist with analyzing member feedback and participation to improve the member experience.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
Physical Requirements:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Our development team follows a hybrid schedule working in-office two days a week (or more if needed) and remotely for the rest. Our in-office time is used primarily for team meetings and formal and informal collaboration. This position may require you to work some evenings and weekends as needed for events.
How to Apply:
Submit resume and cover letter HERE.
Thank you for your interest in The Contemporary Austin and please keep an eye on our careers page for current opportunities.
Facilities Attendant
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The Facilities Attendant provides support to both TCA locations, the Jones Center downtown and Laguna Gloria in west Austin. This person will help oversee daily operations of buildings and grounds.
Department: Operations
Reports to: Facilities Manager
Pay Range: $15.00 - $20.00/hour
Status: Part-time, non-exempt
Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
How to Apply:
Submit resume and cover letter HERE.
Thank you for your interest in The Contemporary Austin and please keep an eye on our careers page for current opportunities.
Manager, Site Rentals
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The Manager of Site Rentals will lead and grow the museum’s facility rental program; transforming it from a passive revenue stream into a dynamic, brand-aligned platform for events, partnerships, and cultural engagement.
This role is responsible for all aspects of venue rental operations and client relationship management while laying the groundwork for a department reorganization into a full-scale Production Event Planning (PEP) function.
Department: Site Rentals
Reports to: Director of Finance
Pay Range: $53,000 - $65,000
Status: Exempt
Responsibilities:
Required Skills/Abilities:
Education and Experience:
Physical Requirements:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
How to Apply:
Submit Application HERE.
Thank you for your interest in The Contemporary Austin and please keep an eye on our careers page for current opportunities.
Additional opportunities to get involved:
INTERNSHIPS
VOLUNTEERING
Our Mission
We invite you to discover contemporary art in settings that provoke thought and joy. Our programs join art with place in a pursuit of a deeper experience, a bigger conversation, and a closer community.
Our Vision
We believe in the capacity of art to transform lives. We dream of a future where more eyes, ears, hearts and minds are opened by contemporary art in all of its forms.
Our Values
Extending the Welcome – We want every person to feel like they belong here. Our invitation is completely open and inclusive.
Always Caring - We know that details matter. We care deeply about the quality of our work and about the experiences of our guests, the artists we collaborate with, our staff, and all those we have yet to meet.
Socially Mindful - We believe that contemporary art is a way for people to connect their personal experiences with the broader social and cultural dialogues of our place and time.
Staying Curious - We observe closely, listen intently, and inquire sincerely because we have a boundless fascination with people, art and ideas.
Making Progress - We always want to be better—to inspire more deeply, to engage more openly, and to serve more joyfully. We are mindful of feedback and committed to ongoing reflection and iteration.
Being Here - A place can transform your experience of art, and art can transform your experience of a place. We activate our downtown exhibition space and our lakeside sculpture park in imaginative ways to serve Austin.
Trying New Things - We believe in the importance of experimentation, play, and the surprise that often results from trying something new. We know that progress comes through both bravery and vulnerability.
About The Contemporary Austin
As Austin’s only museum focused on contemporary artists and their work, The Contemporary Austin offers exhibitions, educational opportunities, and events that start conversations and fuel the city’s creative spirit. Known for artist-centric projects and collaborations, The Contemporary invites exploration at both its urban and natural settings—downtown at the Jones Center on Congress Avenue, lakeside at the Laguna Gloria campus (including the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, the Art School, and the historic Driscoll Villa), and around Austin through the Museum Without Walls program.