Description
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is looking for a creative, versatile and knowledgeable Public Historian for The State Museum of Pennsylvania, the official museum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Over the next ten years, this key position will lead State Museum staff, consultants and stakeholders in reconceptualizing several core galleries focused on Pennsylvania history. If you have a passion for Pennsylvania and public history and a knack for developing engaging and accessible history exhibitions, apply today to become part of The State Museum’s curatorial leadership team.
As a public historian, you will provide administrative leadership and high-level coordination in support of major agency initiatives, especially the planning, design, and installation of new standing galleries reflecting the natural and cultural history of Pennsylvania. As the lead museum professional, you will be responsible for the planning and implementation of projects that require collaboration with internal staff, external consultants, and partner agencies. As a public historian, you will adhere to internal processes, facilitate communication across functional areas, and ensure alignment of project work with organizational goals.
Work Schedule and Additional Information:
Full-time employment
Work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with 60-minute lunch.
Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time, up to one day per week. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Harrisburg. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.
Requirements
Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:
One year as an Administrative Officer 1 (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
Three years of experience in progressively responsible and varied office management or staff work, including experience in personnel management, budgeting, or procurement; and a bachelor's degree; or
Any equivalent combination of experience and training.
Additional Requirements:
You must have at least three years of experience performing the following duties at a regional or state museum or historic site: (Exhibits experience should integrate two or more of the following disciplines: industrial history, political history, fine arts, social history, decorative arts, or popular culture.) Developing temporary and long-term exhibitions incorporating three-dimensional objects, archival documents and photographs, oral history, and other primary source material from conceptualization to implementation
Serving as a project manager for interpretive exhibitions by coordinating large-scale exhibition procurements, budgets, and timelines, working alongside curators, content developers, exhibit designers and fabricators, conservators; museum leadership, and external stakeholders, including visitors, K-12 educators, historians and subject-matter experts.
Developing scholarly grounded exhibition scripts which place regional or state history in a national historical context.
You must have a master's degree in American history, or a related field such as public history or American studies.
You must be able to perform essential job functions.
Preferred Qualification (not required):
PhD in American history
