Chief Curator

Museum of Florida History
Museum Program Manager – SES (Working title, Chief Curator)
Position number: 45000492
Salary: $50,000 – $52,000

This is a State of Florida position with an excellent benefits package, including health insurance, paid holidays, annual and sick leave benefits, and retirement plan options.

The Museum of Florida History, Florida’s official state history museum, is seeking an experienced and highly-motivated museum professional to fill the position of Museum Program Manager – SES (Working title, Chief Curator). The Chief Curator occupies an important leadership position that oversees all aspects of the Research and Collections section. The Chief Curator reports to the director of the Museum and supervises three senior curators and one senior registrar. The Chief Curator will have a wonderful and exciting opportunity to shape the Museum of Florida History for future generations. The Chief Curator will be heavily involved in overseeing curatorial work and other planning for an extensive museum renovation that includes new permanent exhibits.

Located in Tallahassee, Florida, the Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret human culture in Florida, and to promote and encourage knowledge and appreciation of Florida’s history throughout the state. The Museum’s permanent collections, numbering more than 47,000 objects, date mainly from the mid-19th century to the present and reflect Florida’s many cultural and ethnic groups, geographical areas, and varied activities and occupations. The Museum of Florida History is in the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State.

To read the full job description and to apply, please go to https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-DOS-MUSEUM-PROGRAM-MANAGER-SES-45000492-FL-32301/1085164600/

Minimum qualifications:

• Five years of full-time experience in a curatorial, collections, or managerial role in a museum
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with curating museum exhibits
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with American Alliance of Museums standards for
collections care and management
• Resume and cover letter detailing your five (5) years minimum experience in museum work, which
includes a description of work performed

Preferences:
• Master’s degree in history, museum studies, public history, anthropology, humanities, or related field
• One year of supervisory experience
• Experience working in a museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
• Strong writing, collaboration, and public speaking and engagement skills.
• Experience with museum master planning and evaluation
• Experience with contracts / procurement of consultants
• Experience working with timelines and budgets
• Experience working in a museum dedicated to United States history or Florida history

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for planning and development of museum collections and research activities to support the Museum’s mission and to reflect Florida’s diverse history and culture. Works with Museum director and other section heads to achieve conceptual planning, development, and evaluation of all Museum activities, exhibitions, publications, and programs and to maintain operations of the state history museum to the highest professional standards established by the American Alliance of Museums.

• Supervises the production of historical information for exhibitions, program, publications, research requests, and collections documentation. Determines standards and monitors quality control of all historical information. Coordinates and administers the review and editing of all written material generated from the Museum, including exhibition and publication text, newsletters, brochures, rack cards, flyers, and other materials distributed to the public.

• Administers historical research activities and policy-making relating to the care, management, and use of the Museum’s collections. Directs the short-term and long-term planning of the museum collections. Oversees the Museum’s Collections Committee.

• Administers the Research and Collections section, including staff supervision, development, and performance evaluation, budget preparation, fiscal and property control, establishing completion deadlines, and ensuring that projects are carried out according to established criteria. Coordinates section activities with other section heads and the museum director.

• Provides advice and consultation to individuals, museums, and historical agencies throughout the state.

• Carries out special projects as assigned by the Museum director and performs other work-related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of American history, obtained through course work or on the job
• Knowledge of museum terminology and programs
• Knowledge of the basic principles of artifact care and conservation
• Knowledge of personal computers and software
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of effective verbal and written communication
• Knowledge of correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar usage
• Ability to collect and maintain artifacts
• Ability to analyze and interpret artifacts
• Ability to photograph objects
• Ability to proofread text for typewritten and grammatical errors and to make corrections
• Ability to use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar usage
• Ability to use a computer for word processing, collections research, digital image and audio data
management, and preparation of exhibit plans, reports, and media presentations
• Ability to organize information in a logical sequence
• Ability to compose correspondence
• Ability to handle telephone calls in a courteous and effective manner
• Ability to work with other people on projects and teams
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to organize and maintain paper and electronic filing systems
• Ability to follow established procedures
• Ability to work in buildings or with artifacts that are dirty or dusty
• Ability to communicate and convey ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, subordinates and
superiors

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:
• Annual and Sick Leave benefits
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental
insurance options
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please
click www.myfrs.com)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition waivers
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, including monthly costs, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.