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Posted: October 9, 2019

Open until filled

Missouri Historical Society

Full-time

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Experience Required: 5 Years

Master's Degree preferred

Position Summary:

The incoming Senior Curator will play a key role in implementing the Missouri Historical Society's 2020s Vision, a decade-long initiative designed to transform the Missouri Historical Society and connect the institution more closely with the community it serves by bringing St. Louis history to life.  The Vision includes plans for renovations of three core galleries as well as temporary exhibitions of varying scales, ongoing collecting initiatives including those relating to  African American history, LGBTQIA+ history, and Immigration in St. Louis as well as a significant effort around expanded access to collections including an ambitious digitization initiative. 

The Senior Curator and Curatorial team will be responsible for the acquisition, research, and interpretation of artifacts. They will cultivate donor relations, work with lenders, respond to research inquiries, sit on committees that create and maintain policies and procedures, create or contribute work to a rotating schedule of exhibitions, and conduct research on the collection which results in enhanced catalog records and collections access, publications (printed and online magazine, catalogues, blog posts, etc.), and engaging talks for the public. The Senior Curator will make recommendations for artifact acquisitions, conservation, and deaccessions.

The Senior Curator will also have responsibilities for shaping and stewarding a specific aspect of the artifact collections.  Candidates with expertise in clothing and textiles or Native American and ethnographic material culture are preferred, but expertise in other areas will also be considered. 

Essential Functions:

• Work closely with the Managing Director of Museum Services to provide leadership to the team of curators including exhibition development, collections accessibility and stewardship, and development and implementation collecting initiatives including collecting around current community events and activities 
• Supervise the work of the curatorial team in the form of tracking progress of institutional initiatives, communicating with the Managing Director on all aspects of curatorial work, and coordinating curatorial projects in accordance with the institution's long-range goals  
• Work with the Leadership team, Director of Exhibitions, and Curatorial team on shaping the overall exhibition schedule including curating exhibitions as appropriate and providing leadership and support to the curatorial team and other exhibition content leads on exhibition script-writing 
• Act as a liaison and ambassador for the curators and as a representative for the Missouri Historical Society as requested in the community and in the media as appropriate 
• Participate in policy development and implementation relating to all aspects of collections 

Qualifications:

• Master's Degree preferred in History, Museum Studies, American Culture Studies, Public History, or relevant field 
• Minimum of 5 years in a curatorial role required with preference for candidates with leadership and supervisory experience 

Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of museum and collection standards and best practices
• Familiarity and understanding of proper artifact handling
• Team player able to work collaboratively with other divisions throughout the museum
• Excellent organizational skills, follow through, and attention to detail
• Excellent research, writing, and editing skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects to successful completion on time
• Experience with museum collection databases, MIMSY experience a plus
• Experience with exhibit development from concept to production with an emphasis on content development 
• Flexibility, professionalism, creativity, an ability to motivate others, and a passion for sharing local history with our visitors are all required

Deadline to Apply: Position open until filled.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Application:

Please submit your resume and cover letter here.