The Exhibition Designer role at the State Library of New South Wales turns collection stories and curatorial ideas into temporary, permanent and touring exhibitions. The designer develops concepts, technical drawings and specifications, then works with collection specialists and contractors through installation and delivery.
This guide explains how to apply for Exhibition Designer through an up-to-date CV and two shortlisting-question responses of up to 300 words each. The answers can be attached separately or included in a cover letter, and they need to show both design quality and practical delivery under real constraints.
View the official job ad before preparing the files. This role suits a designer who can move confidently between audience experience, technical documentation, collection safety and hands-on installation work.
Your application checklist
- Exhibition Designer Role Snapshot
- Application requirements for Exhibition Designer
- Evidence to include in your Exhibition Designer application
- How to structure the shortlisting-question responses
- Help with your Exhibition Designer application
Exhibition Designer Role Snapshot
| Role title | Exhibition Designer |
|---|---|
| Organisation | State Library of New South Wales |
| Location | Sydney |
| Job reference | req655 |
| Work type | Temporary full-time for 12 months, with possible conversion to ongoing |
| Salary | $102,936 to $113,579; package up to $128,742 |
| Closing date | 7 September 2026 at 10:00am |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
Application requirements for Exhibition Designer
The shortlisting responses carry most of the written evidence. Use one recent exhibition to demonstrate audience-centred design and stakeholder work, then choose a different example for the setback question so the panel can see how you respond during delivery.
- Up-to-date CV
- Responses to 2 shortlisting questions, maximum 300 words per response
The responses can be attached separately or included in a cover letter. Eligibility requires appropriate Australian work rights, and appointment is subject to pre-employment checks. You also need a relevant design qualification or an equivalent combination of qualifications and professional experience.
Evidence to include in your Exhibition Designer application
The panel will assess whether your design work can survive the practical demands of a public exhibition. Your examples should cover the design idea, the audience, the technical decisions and the way you worked with curators, specialists and contractors to deliver it.
| What the role needs | How to show it |
|---|---|
| Exhibition or related design experience | Choose work where you translated a brief into a finished visitor environment. |
| Production, construction and audience experience knowledge | Explain how materials, interpretation and display decisions served the audience and protected collection material. |
| Concept and detailed design documentation | Show the progression from concept through technical drawings, specifications and installation. |
| Advanced Vectorworks and Adobe Creative Suite | Name the drawings, models, renders or visual presentations you produced with each system. |
| Standards, safety and building requirements | Describe how you applied relevant Australian Standards, WHS requirements or the Building Code. |
| Project management | Use an example with fixed deadlines, limited resources and competing priorities. |
| Stakeholder collaboration | Explain how you worked with curators, collection specialists, project teams and external contractors. |
| Hands-on installation work | Show your practical contribution to installation, maintenance or dismantling. |
How to structure the shortlisting-question responses
The application requires a CV and two shortlisting responses. Each response can be a maximum of 300 words. The table below shows how to build each answer around one exhibition or delivery problem.
| Question | What a good example will look like |
|---|---|
| Provide an example of a recent exhibition design. Explain your understanding of audience needs, methodology and stakeholder engagement. How did the exhibition achieve its stated goals and objectives. | Name the exhibition and audience, explain your design method and stakeholder work, then give evidence that the finished experience met its goals. |
| Describe a situation where a problem occurred that was not anticipated during the exhibition design process. How did you manage the setback/s, ensuring all design deliverables were met? | Describe the unexpected issue, its effect on time or design, the decision you made and how delivery stayed on track. |
What strong exhibition-design evidence looks like
- A design decision grounded in audience needs
- Technical documentation that supports delivery
- Safe treatment of original collection material
- Constructive work with specialists and contractors
- A practical response to an installation or design setback
Help with your Exhibition Designer application
Use the 300 words to explain decisions and outcomes, since your CV can carry the broader project list. Read the official job ad once more before attaching the responses and CV.
Team 3Thirty can help you turn complex project experience into concise selection evidence through its professional application writing support.