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4420 Warwick Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64111

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Kemper Museum is a free art museum in Kansas City, Missouri that presents global contemporary art.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

Kemper Museum acknowledges and respects the diversity of Native people connected to this land today. Many recognize the land and all beings who live within it as relatives. We acknowledge the earth we inhabit, the waters of the Blue River, the Kansas River, the Missouri River, and the plants, animals, and people supported by them. 

We acknowledge our responsibility to be good caretakers of the land we occupy. 

Click here to learn more about our land acknowledgment process.

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Open jobs at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri

Kemper Museum Careers

It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status, and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local laws. We prohibit any such discrimination or harassment.

Kemper Museum Chief Development Officer Position Announcement Final.pdf

The Kemper Museum seeks an ambitious and innovative Chief Development Officer (CDO) to join its leadership team during an exciting period of opportunity and transformation. The Kemper’s next fundraising leader will create and implement a comprehensive multi-year fundraising program that will significantly increase revenue, grow and deepen the Museum’s donor base, coordinate high-end stewardship while cultivating new revenue markets, motivate the efforts of the Development team, and inspire a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization and among its stakeholders. The CDO will be an energetic, experienced, and enterprising leader who is deeply passionate about the vision and mission of the Midwest’s premier contemporary art museum and an advocate for the communities it serves. 

Reporting to Executive Director, Jessica May, the CDO will join a vibrant institution with aspirations to expand its offerings, enlarge its audience, and grow strategically to ensure it remains relevant to and reflective of a flourishing, ever-changing, and diverse community. A key member of the Kemper’s leadership team, the CDO will come to the organization at a transformative moment as it sets out to create and launch a new strategic plan. The CDO will therefore be a creative advocate, persuasively communicating fundraising’s role in organizational growth and community-building. An expert in development best practices and a thought leader in the rapidly changing fundraising field, the CDO will understand how to communicate the social impact of the Museum and its program with potential donors and stakeholders. 

The CDO will be a skilled fundraiser who can coordinate membership, annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, endowment growth, gift processing, data management, and special events. Energized by community engagement, the CDO will partner with the Executive Director to serve as a passionate, visible, and informed advocate for the Kemper, creating meaningful connections with donors and members, inspiring deepening levels of commitment, and inclusively engaging potential supporters. An influencer, convener, and consensus builder, the CDO will possess the cultural competence to build authentic relationships with diverse community members, helping existing and potential donors understand how their support increases access to art while achieving cross-cultural engagement among community members. 

The CDO will be an effective manager and have a sophisticated sense of how to build and structure a high-functioning Advancement team. A proven strategist, the CDO will be capable of producing a successful advancement operation by setting goals for this team, coordinating their efforts, improving their processes, and defining priorities thereby maximizing capacity, encouraging ambition, and significantly increasing support year-over-year.

2025.4.3 Executive Assistant Job Description.pdf

Department: Administration
Classification: Non-exempt, full time
Reports to: Executive Director
Date: 2025

The Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative support to the Executive Director including preparation of presentation materials (including Board presentation materials) and other documents such as: correspondence, reports, and minutes. Provides calendar, office, and project support as determined appropriate.

Prepare for all meetings in advance by ensuring that agendas, files, supporting materials and action items are prepared and distributed to all attendees.  Send out meeting reminders as needed

Act as record keeper for Museum with Board and Committee meetings, facilitate minutes of meetings in accordance with the Board Secretary, and provide transcriptions as necessary

Management of the Executive Director’s calendar, including scheduling of internal and external meetings and appointments, and travel

Answer, screen, and prioritize incoming telephone queries

Handle all aspects of travel arrangements, including the development of detailed itineraries for Museum sponsored travel to upper level donors

Assist in correspondence (written and verbal) to a variety of the Museum’s audiences, including Board members, donors, and staff

Assist in the organization and maintenance of the Executive Director’s documents and filing system

Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively, listens, and responds well to questions, participates in meetings. Writes clearly and informatively, edits work for spelling and grammar, varies writing style to meet needs, presents numerical data effectively, able to read and interpret written information.

Team Work: Balances team and individual responsibilities, contributes to building a positive team spirit, puts success of team above own interests, supports efforts to succeed. Willingness to be flexible.

Professionalism: Approaches others in a tactful manner, reacts well under pressure, treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position, accepts responsibility for own actions, follows through on commitments.

Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction, takes responsibility for own actions, keeps commitments, commits to additional hours of work when necessary to reach goals, completes tasks on time.

Quality: Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness, looks for ways to improve and promote quality, applies feedback to improve performance, monitors own work to ensure quality.

Organizational Support: Follows policies and procedures, completes administrative tasks correctly and on time, supports organization's goals and values.

Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity, meets challenges with resourcefulness, generates suggestions for improving work, develops innovative approaches and ideas effectively.  

A minimum of 3-4 years of progressive, related experience as an administrative assistant or program coordinator, or other relevant experience.

Exercise discretion and judgement in handling all levels of internal and external communications

Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment

Ability to take initiative and anticipate the Executive Director’s needs, prioritize and multitask, be organized, and have the ability to work independently

Must have the ability to shift priorities based on departmental needs

Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe, and Outlook)

Work experience in a museum or non-profit setting preferred

This position is fully in-person, although remote work may be available on an irregular basis.

Development Coordinator Job Description.pdf

Department: Development
Classification: Full-time Non-Exempt
Reports to: Chief Development Officer
Supervises: Development Volunteers
Date: 2025

The primary responsibilities of the Development Coordinator are: digital and technical donor stewardship; and supporting the Chief Development Officer with all fundraising initiatives.


Serve as primary point of contact for members; provide a positive membership experience

Coordinate membership renewal list and upgrade mailings upon request

Manage the timely and accurate processing of donations as required

Process and record gift acknowledgement correspondence

Coordinate monthly and quarterly revenue reconciliation with Finance Department

Continually update and correct database records

Update queries for gift acknowledgments, daily finance reports and membership acknowledgments

Database administration, including manage system upgrades, maintenance of data policies and procedures

Assist in the efficient operations of the advancement department

Execute sponsorship correspondence, reports, guest lists, registration, and other duties as assigned for fundraising events and activities

Recruit and supervise volunteers for development activities

Quality: Provide accuracy and thoroughness in all aspects of the position. Look for ways to improve and promote quality, and apply feedback to improve performance. Must monitor own work and ensure quality. 

Planning/Organizing: Prioritize and plan work time efficiently; develop realistic action plans.

Communication: Speak and write clearly and informatively; edit work for spelling and grammar, varying writing style to meet needs; present numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.

Adaptability: Adapt to change in the work environment, manage competing demands.

Dependability: Follow instructions, respond to management direction, keep commitments, commit to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals.

Team Work: Balance team and individual responsibilities, exhibit objectivity and openness to others' views, give and welcome feedback, contribute to building a positive team spirit, put success of team above own interest, able to build morale and group commitment to goals and objectives, support everyone's efforts to succeed, recognize accomplishments of other team members.

Proficiency in database administration with a minimum of 2 years experience

3 years experience in a not-for-profit development office preferred

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Mac environment

Experience in graphic design and Adobe Creative Suite preferred

Must successfully complete a criminal background check

Hear: The ability to perceive the nature of sounds by ear.

Vision: The ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less. The ability to identify and distinguish colors. The ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus. This is required when doing close work at varying distances from the eye.

Finger Dexterity: The ability to type, pick, pinch, or otherwise work primarily with fingers, rather than with the whole hand or arm.

Talk: The ability to express or exchange ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly by means of the spoken word, imparting information or detailed instructions to clients, to the public, or to other workers.

Resumes can be emailed to employment@kemperart.org or you may mail hard copies to:

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Diane Lambert
Human Resources Manager
4420 Warwick Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111

Department: Exhibitions
Classification: Non-Exempt, Full Time
Reports to: Exhibitions Manager
Supervises: Temporary Prep Staff
Date: 2024

The Preparator undertakes the responsibility of art handling and exhibition installation, which includes designing and creating  gallery furniture and special buildouts, the scheduling, relocation, presentation, and installation of artwork both in the museum’s permanent collection as well as traveling exhibitions, long, and short-term loans.

Work in concert with the exhibitions manager and curatorial department to implement exhibition designs.

Create appropriate lighting design, and help to control visitor experience of the museum through didactic material and determine strategies for a wide range of media.

Install and de-install exhibition objects.

Ensure temporary prep staff use art handling best practices.

Measure, cut, install, and maintain all exhibition signage/graphics.

Recommend installation materials, equipment and mounting/framing supplies.

Perform routine exhibition maintenance including conducting daily gallery checks, and maintain exhibition lighting. Clean cases, platforms, and frames as needed.

Work collaboratively with outside vendors and contractors.

Fabricate and install exhibition components, including pedestals, platforms, supportive mounts, cradles, brackets, platforms, bases, vitrines, crates, etc. made of wood, wood composites, metals, Plexiglas and other materials according to proper museum standards for 2-D and 3-D objects.

Perform carpentry for exhibitions and exhibition areas including demolition, wall repair, painting, and fabric wrapping. 

Recommend, assemble, install, and modify shop machinery, hand tools, shop and museum carts, materials handling vehicles, as necessary and within budget parameters.

Maintain an organized working area within galleries and in Prep office to ensure objects being prepared for exhibition are safe and secure.

Assists Exhibition Manager with the maintenance of Permanent Collection, which includes regular inspection of objects and light cleaning if necessary.

Prepares objects for loans and exhibitions in coordination with the Exhibitions Manager and Senior Registrar.

Assists the Senior Registrar and Exhibitions Manager in annual inventory.

Helps maintain outdoor Permanent Collection sculpture.

Consults on the safe transport of objects: including packing and unpacking; scheduling appropriate transportation; and monitoring objects.

Assist with assembling, managing, and delegating to skilled part-time preparatory laborers.

Ability to perform as department head in the absence of the Exhibitions Manager.      

Ensure an organized and orderly work space.

Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, plans for additional resources, sets goals and objectives, organizes or schedules other people and their tasks, develops realistic action plans

Team Work: Balances team and individual responsibilities, exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views, gives and welcomes feedback, contributes to building a positive team spirit, puts success of team above own interests, able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives, supports everyone's efforts to succeed, recognizes accomplishments of other team members.

Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction, takes responsibility for own actions, keeps commitments, commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals, completes tasks on time. 

Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, listens and gets clarification, responds well to questions, demonstrates group presentation skills, participates in meetings.

Problem Solving: Gathers and analyzes information skillfully, develops alternative solutions, works well in group problem solving situations, uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity, meets challenges with resourcefulness, generates suggestions for improving work, develops innovative approaches and ideas, presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.

Judgment: Displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound and accurate judgment, supports and explains reasoning for decisions, includes appropriate people in decision-making process, makes timely decisions

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism, English, marketing communications, or related

Bachelor's degree in an art related field and relevant experience in museum or gallery work or the equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Experience with artifact handling, exhibition construction/installation techniques, and structural fabrication, including but not limited to framing artwork, stretching canvases, and maintaining interior and surface integrity of large and small-scale works of art in a wide range of media.

Demonstrated knowledge of basic carpentry tools, machinery, and safety practices.

Demonstrates knowledge of Adobe creative suite, Sketch Up.

Ability to drive box truck, scissor lift, and operate other material lifts. 

Handle: The ability to seize, hold, grasp, turn, or otherwise work with hand or hands. (Fingers are involved only to the extent that they are an extension of the hand.)

Reach with hands and arms: The ability to extend the hands and arms in any direction.

Climb: The ability to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, ropes, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands or arms.

Kneel: The ability to bend legs at the knees to come to rest on knee or knees.

Crouch: The ability to bend the body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.

Lift Weight and Exert Force: Lifts weight or exerts force by lifting, lowering, pulling, carrying, pushing, slapping, striking, kicking, pulling, or jerking. Must be able to lift 50 lbs comfortably.

Vision: The ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less and at 20 feet or more. The ability to identify and distinguish colors. Three-dimensional vision, the ability to judge distances and spatial relationships to see objects where and as they actually are. The ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.

Department: Museum Protection
Classification: Hourly, Non-Exempt
Reports to: Museum Protection and Operations Manager
Date: 2024

A Level I Museum Protection Officer is responsible for providing physical security of Kemper Museum and its remote satellite locations in order to safeguard its works of art, both interior and exterior, its buildings, grounds, and parking areas to assure the safety and well-being of staff, visitors, and persons in and around the museum and its remote facilities. This individual will possess strong customer service skills to assist in creating a quality visitor experience. Ability to work with moderate to close supervision and to carry out assigned duties and responsibilities in an effective manner.

Protection of Artwork, Facilities, and Public

Comprehend, adhere to, and enforce all museum security policies and procedures.

Working knowledge of all museum emergency plans and procedures, including medical emergencies.

Provide security checks of museum buildings, grounds, parking areas, and remote satellite locations (even in adverse weather conditions).

Working knowledge of plan and procedure when artwork, buildings, or grounds are damaged or compromised.

Main lower parking lot security booth including the monitoring of vehicle and museum patron safety. Issue warnings to non-museum visitors parking in designated museum parking spaces. 

Be alert for and report all safety hazards immediately to the on-duty Floor Supervisor.

Open and close museum according to published public hours.

Report to on-duty Floor Supervisor any unusual or suspicious activity.

Professional standards of attitude, demeanor, and presence as related to safety and security are required at all times.

Report to on-duty Floor Supervisor any safety or health incidents or accidents involving staff or public.

Create written Incident Reports as necessary.

Relate museum security policies and procedures to visitors and staff in a non-confrontational, professional attitude and demeanor.

Interact with and assist visitors by answering routine questions regarding museum facilities, galleries, restrooms, parking areas, Café and directions to other local destinations.

Direct visitors to additional resources when appropriate.

Ability to remain open-minded and outwardly un-opinionated as related to art on exhibition.

As a facility frequented by the public for personal enjoyment, maintain a warm, friendly, welcoming, service-oriented attitude and manner at all times while on duty.

Maintain a clean, crisp, and professional appearance, adhering to security dress code while on duty.

Ability to resolve conflicts in a positive, constructive manner.

Perform Any and All Other Duties Assigned by on-duty Floor Supervisor

Job Knowledge/ Professionalism: Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to perform effectively; understands the expectations of the job; keeps professional knowledge up to date. Maintaining integrity of Museum standards in ones presentation of self to the public.

Dependability: Maintains an acceptable attendance record, works as scheduled, gives appropriate notice of absence.

Trustworthiness: Ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality as it pertains to the Museum’s policy and procedures, personnel and other privileged information.

Interpersonal Skills: Maintains harmonious working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, and the public.

Judgment/Alertness: Ability to make sound judgments pertaining to safety of art and public. Ability to maintain constant awareness of people and surroundings.

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Physical Requirements 
- Stand/Walk: The ability to remain on one's feet in an upright position at a work station without moving about. The ability to move about on foot. 
- Talk: The ability to express or exchange ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly by means of the spoken word, imparting information or detailed instructions to clients, to the public, or to other workers. 
- Handle/Feel: The ability to seize, hold, grasp, turn, or otherwise work with hand or hands. The ability to perceive attributes of objects and materials such as size, shape, temperature, or texture, by touching with skin, particularly fingertips. 
- Stoop: The ability to bend the body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist; requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles. 
- Reach with hands and arms: The ability to extend the hands and arms in any direction. 
- Lifts Weight and Exerts Force: Lifts weight up to 40 lbs or exerts force by lifting, lowering, pulling, carrying, pushing, slapping, striking, kicking, pulling, or jerking. 
- Vision: The ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less and 20 feet or more. The ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes remain fixed on a given point. Three-dimensional vision, the ability to judge distances and spatial relationships to see objects where and as they actually are. The ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus. This is required when doing close work at varying distances from the eye.

Department: Museum Shop
Classification: Part-time, Hourly Non-Exempt
Reports to: Retail Operations Manager
Date: 2024


Working closely with the Retail Operations Manager, the Museum Shop Sales Associate’s role is to provide assistance and excellent customer service to the visitors of Kemper Museum’s retail shop, online shop, and other retail initiatives. This individual will display confidence in generating sales, merchandising, and safeguarding the shop’s assets.

Greet and assist customers with purchases, handling sales transactions, general museum questions.

Establish and maintain relationships with customers and Museum Shop artists thru follow up, etc.

Use observation, insight and creativity to enhance the customer shopping experience.

Attend curator led new exhibition walk-through.

In tandem with Retail Operations Manager, assist in the research and ordering process of product.

Participate in marketing/design projects for the Museum Shop.

Maintenance of inventory data thru quarterly inventory counts, etc.

Maintaining the shop appearance by restocking, dusting, tidying, and organizing.

Receive/process, and display new inventory.

Visual merchandising/display of existing inventory.

Manage opening/closing procedures including submitting Shop Daily Sales. Report and cash/check deposits.

Meet email and membership sign-up quotas.

Assist in maintenance of electronic and paper files.

Customer Service: Manages difficult or emotional customer situations, responds promptly to customer needs, solicits customer feedback to improve service, responds to requests for service and assistance, meets commitments