Museum Collections Manager/Curator - Buffalo Bill Museum

City and County of Denver • Golden, CO

1d • $27 - $40 • Onsite

About The Position

The Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave is seeking a Collections Manager/Curator to oversee caring for, protecting, and curating the artifact and archival collections. This is an exciting opportunity for a teammate who will help as we work toward sharing our collection online and broadening the stories we interpret to be more inclusive of the performers and company employees of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. The museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts and archival materials associated with William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, his Wild West show, and the performers who toured nationally and internationally with the show. We are a small museum with a collection of 9,000 items that is of interest to the public, collectors, and scholars. We attract local, national, and international visitors, and have a high visitation rate in comparison to the size of our staff and building footprint.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate
• Five (5) years of technical or administrative experience performing standard research and evaluation, case management, and/or implementing work processes
• A bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college in history, art history, public history, museum studies, or a related field.
• Four years of collections experience aligned with professional museum best practices.
• Demonstrated knowledge of NAGPRA legal compliance regulations and experience directly facilitating consultations with Tribal representatives and THPOs.
• Proven experience overseeing volunteers, contractors, or museum staff.
• Direct experience writing and implementing collection-related plans, policies, and procedures.
• Mastery of PastPerfect Web Edition (or similar collections software), including accessioning, cataloging, exhibits, contacts, loans, reporting, and publishing online.
• Knowledge of artifact and archival care, handling, environmental controls, and standardized documentation.
• Familiarity with the history of the American West or late 19th- and early 20th-century American history.
• Experience building meaningful, collaborative relationships with coworkers, community members, and Tribal representatives.
• Understanding of the Ten Agents of Deterioration and preventative conservation techniques.
• The ability to work independently, problem-solve, and make sound, collections-based decisions without direct supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Actively champions Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
• Embraces our museum as a dynamic work in progress.
• Solutions-oriented mindset to unique mountain park facility challenges.
• Recognize our core strengths, and be excited to help shape our future.

Responsibilities

• Care for the museum’s collection of objects, photos, and archives, while adhering to established professional standards regarding acquisition, documentation, housing, and exhibition.
• Develop and implement collection-oriented plans and procedures (Collections Management Policy, Housekeeping Plan, Integrated Pest Management Plan, and cataloging procedure guide).
• Protect the collection through proactive emergency management planning, preparedness, and response protocols.
• Evaluate the conditions and historical significance of items in the collections.
• Assist in the development of the museum’s collection through donations and purchases.
• Accession newly acquired collection items and manage incoming and outgoing loans.
• Train and direct volunteers, interns and museum support staff in collections work.
• Carry out or oversee cataloging, scanning, photographing, and storing artifacts and archival items by contractors, support staff, and volunteers according to established professional standards.
• Maintain catalog records in PastPerfect Web Edition and publish records online.
• Serve as the primary lead for Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) compliance.
• Respond to inquiries and photo or information requests from the public, researchers, and other institutions.
• Write or support grant applications.
• Participate in the development and installation of exhibits, including developing themes, writing and editing exhibit text, selecting and properly installing artifacts, and repacking items after exhibits close.
• Assist with educational and outreach programming.
• Serve as the designated Manager on Duty on a rotating schedule, managing front-end responsibilities and resolving operational issues.
• Develop and steward relationships with tribes, community members, organizations, collectors, scholars, and donors.
• Develop collegial relationships with other collection professionals in the area.
• Lift and move collection objects weighing up to 50 pounds, and safely climb stairs and ladders.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

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