Curator

City of Alexandria • Alexandria, VA

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The Historic Resources Specialist II (Curator) is responsible for the professional acquisition, documentation, care and interpretation of museum collections as part of a curatorial team in the Office of Historic Alexandria’s Division of Collections and Exhibitions. This position works collaboratively with other division and department staff on collections and exhibitions projects, but with a focus on managing the collections of Alexandria’s History Museum at The Lyceum, and the Friendship Firehouse Museum. The Curator serves as a content specialist on Alexandria’s broad, diverse history, and must have demonstrated experience in collections management and interpretation, exhibition development, and working with the community that contributes to OHA’s mission of sharing and fostering an appreciation for Alexandria’s rich history. This position reports to the director of the Division of Collections and Exhibitions. A commitment to diversity, accessibility, inclusion, and public service is at the core of this position and the department.

Requirements

• Four-year college degree in History, African American History, Public History, Art History, Museum Studies, Archaeology, Museum Education, American History and/or other closely related field.
• Two (2) years preservation and/or collections management experience; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Nice To Haves

• An M.A. in American History, American Studies, American Decorative Arts, Museum Studies, Public History or related field is preferred.
• At least three (3) years of experience with museum collections management and curation, including processing and cataloguing collections (using PastPerfect or equivalent software program), and assessing and interpreting a broad range of material culture objects.
• Demonstrated experience developing and installing exhibitions as part of a team, including hands-on fabrication skills.

Responsibilities

• Acquire, document and maintain the collections of the Office of Historic Alexandria according to American Alliance of Museums (AAM) professional standards
• Serve on OHA’s Collections Advisory Committee to assess collections acquisitions and manage collections issues
• Digitize collection materials and curate digital data for public access
• Cultivate relationships with residents, donors, lenders, community-based institutions, and organizations to document, collect, research and interpret Alexandria history
• Collaborate on departmental exhibits, to include creating an exhibition schedule, conceptualizing themes, researching and writing content, and installation
• Create, write, and edit content for interpretive projects, communications, publications, social media, and website
• Respond to public inquiries, support other OHA divisions and City initiatives, and supervise interns and volunteers
• Perform related work as required

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level