Description

Museum of the Rockies (MOR) seeks a creative and experienced curatorial professional to be its next Curator of Cultural History. This position will work closely with the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Exhibits, and colleagues across the institution to oversee the interpretation, care, and strategic development of the cultural collection at MOR. This is an exceptional opportunity to shape the interpretation, exhibitions, and acquisitions strategy of a remarkable collection that documents over 12,000 years of human history in the Northern Rockies. Both strategic and hands-on, the position requires a blend of scholarly excellence, collaborative leadership, strong communication, and a deep passion for making history accessible and meaningful to broad audiences.

In the next few years, MOR anticipates having a new building to feature its history exhibits. The next Curator will play a pivotal role in shaping the content and how history is shared by the museum.

The starting salary is $84,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. A robust benefits package is included. 

For the full job posting and application process, please visit https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/48242.

Requirements

Duties and Responsibilities include:

Exhibitions and Research

• Be accountable for the timely execution of exhibitions, with clear deliverables and milestones.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Senior Director of Exhibits, and other staff in developing a vision and schedule for Cultural History long-term, changing, and traveling exhibits.
• Lead the coordination of accurate and dynamic research and script writing for exhibits; ensuring that the department meets deadlines and provides the necessary content (labels, images, artifacts, multi-media assets, etc.) for other departments, and outside collaborators/vendors.
• Partner with the Exhibits Department, providing clear communication and establishing timelines and deliverables.
• Perform, publish, and support scholarly research on the collection and its topic areas, promoting the Cultural History Department’s reputation.

Programs and Interpretation

• Inspire the public, students, and scholars with history through teaching, programs, and publishing.
• Lead the department’s virtual and in person programs, ensuring that they are of high quality and measurably meet the museum’s priorities.
• Collaborate with the museum’s Education, Development, and other departments as needed to ensure that Cultural History is presented in a creative, thoughtful, and engaging way for the museum’s various audiences.
• Conduct tours of MOR’s history collection, lectures, gallery talks, and presentations for broad audiences, including scholars, VIPs, students, and the public.
• Be responsible for developing and effectively implementing MOR’s history lecture series and other history-based, curatorial led programs.
• Collaborate with tribes to develop Indigenous exhibits and programs to share their narratives and histories.

Leadership and Management

• Serve as a collegial and participatory member of the organization’s executive team; engaging in strategic decision-making and implementation.
• In collaboration with departmental staff, set annual priorities and strategies with definable outcomes.
• Foster an environment of cohesiveness and collaboration with colleagues across all museum departments.
• Appropriately develop, track, and manage the department and special project budgets; providing accurate and timely reports as needed.
• Adeptly supervise and mentor curatorial staff, students, interns, and volunteers; establish and manage workflows and delegate projects and tasks.
• Ensure that the curatorial team meets project goals and timelines through regular communication and performance tracking.
• Oversee tribal relations for the department, working cooperatively with curatorial staff.

Collections

• Oversee the museum’s cultural history collection in accordance with generally accepted museum standards and best practices.
• Encourage and promote research on the collection.
• Collaborate with registration and collections management staff to ensure that accurate information is maintained on the collection, including cataloging and documentation.
• Work with key staff and the Collections Committee to establish areas of collections focus and growth. Identify and propose acquisitions that align with the museum’s collecting goals, focusing on bringing to light and preserving the cultural history of the Northern Rocky Mountain region.
• Develop departmental guidance and policies in collaboration with departmental staff.
• Act as a resource for other organizations and individuals, balancing MOR’s priorities with being a public resource.

Other Duties

• Coordinate with Education, Exhibits, Marketing, and Development to align content and deliverables with museum-wide goals and timelines.
• Assist in grant writing and fundraising initiatives to secure resources for exhibitions, acquisitions, and research projects.
• Respond to public inquiries concerning the collections, disseminate accurate information, and establish positive rapport and respect with donors.
• Stay current with developments in the field and participate in professional organizations and meetings to understand and, as appropriate, incorporate trends and new approaches to history and curation.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• MA in American History, Native American Studies, Museum Studies, or equivalent.
• Five years of leadership experience as a curator in a history museum or comparable setting.
• Experience developing and successfully implementing dynamic and innovative history/cultural-based exhibits that engage a broad range of audiences.
• Experience managing museum collections (registration, databases, IPM, etc.), aligning with best practices as set by the American Alliance of Museums, and working with NAGPRA.
• Proven record of successfully guiding a professional team (work with volunteers and students a plus).

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• PhD in American History, Native American Studies, Museum Studies, or equivalent.
• A background and deep understanding in Western US History.
• Proven record of working with collections, donors, research, publications, and exhibition development.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive storytelling.
• Experience working in an AAM-accredited institution.

Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled