Curator of Collections

Pinellas County Government•HR-Heritage Village, FL

About The Position

The Curator of Collections is responsible for the professional management, documentation, preservation, and stewardship of Heritage Village’s historical and archival collections. The role oversees acquisitions, cataloging, inventories, collections care, database administration, loans, and related legal and institutional documentation, ensuring collections are managed in accordance with professional museum standards, institutional policies, and applicable legal requirements. The curator coordinates collections volunteers and interns and supports research, education, and public access. Exhibition development is shared collaboratively among Heritage Village staff; the curator contributes specialized collections expertise, historical research, artifact selection, and collections-care guidance to exhibition projects. The position also supports institutional projects, public programs, and planning as assigned.

Requirements

Experience supervising acquisitions, inventorying collections, researching objects, tracking locations, identifying objects, and performing remedial conservation.
A degree in museum studies and history, art history, public history, anthropology, or a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
Eight years of experience in the described areas; alternatively, an associate degree and six years of described experience, or a bachelor’s degree and four years of described experience.
A master’s degree or higher is listed as an education qualification.
Valid Florida Driver’s License.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in museum studies, public history, history, or a related field.
Professional experience in museum collections management, documentation, and preservation.
Knowledge of museum ethics, collections policies, and legal requirements.
Experience with collections management databases and preventive conservation.
Strong organizational, research, communication, and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

Oversee acquisitions, accessioning, cataloging, inventories, deaccessioning, and collections records.
Maintain the collections management database and ensure accurate documentation, object tracking, and accessibility.
Manage donor records, deeds of gift, temporary custody documentation, and loan agreements.
Coordinate collections reviews and prepare recommendations for museum management and the Collections Committee.
Develop and maintain standardized collections procedures, forms, and workflows.
Oversee proper handling, storage, preservation, and security of museum collections.
Conduct condition assessments, monitor environmental conditions, and coordinate integrated pest management.
Support collections emergency preparedness, disaster response, and recovery.
Establish standards for collections storage, movement, and exhibition.
Maintain and recommend updates to the Collections Management Policy and related procedures.
Ensure collections activities follow professional standards, ethical practices, and applicable legal requirements.
Coordinate incoming and outgoing loans, including documentation and condition reporting.
Prepare collections reports, inventories, and institutional records.
Conduct historical and object-based research relevant to the museum’s mission.
Facilitate collections access for researchers, educational programs, and approved public inquiries.
Support digitization, photography, and online accessibility of collections.
Provide collections-related research and technical assistance to museum staff.
Train, coordinate, and supervise volunteers and interns working with museum collections.
Assign and oversee cataloging, inventory, photography, digitization, and research projects.
Ensure volunteers and interns adhere to collections handling and documentation standards.
Participate in exhibition planning and development as part of the museum’s interdisciplinary staff team.
Provide expertise in artifact selection, historical research, collections documentation, conservation, and appropriate display.
Assist with interpretive content, exhibition installation, and artifact rotation as assigned.
Collaborate with staff responsible for education, interpretation, preservation, and visitor engagement.
Maintain relationships with museum professionals, historical organizations, and institutional partners.
Contribute to special projects, public programs, and institutional planning as assigned.
Perform other related duties consistent with the position’s classification.