The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience is hiring a Curator who will be responsible for the care and organization of its growing collection, the development of special exhibitions, and the maintenance of its core exhibitions. As part of a small, but dedicated staff, the person in this position will have the opportunity to help advance the Museum’s mission and make it a vital part of the community and the region.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the Museum’s 4,000-piece permanent collection, including the ongoing cataloguing and organization of the collection and database management.

• Oversee all aspects of the care of the permanent collections, including handling, use and access, security, conservation, and environmental monitoring.

• Identify possible acquisitions for the permanent collection and shepherd the acquisition process, from solicitation to accessioning.

• Work collaboratively with the executive director and staff to support the mission of MSJE and make accessible the permanent collection to the public.

• Develop a two- to three-year curatorial calendar for the Museum and direct the implementation of the calendar, from concept development and community focus groups to installation.

• Work with staff, as well as freelancers and consultants, to direct the design, fabrication, and installation of temporary exhibitions, traveling exhibitions, and digital exhibitions.

• Direct the maintenance and upkeep of the permanent and temporary exhibitions, including coordinating maintenance and repair as needed for both physical and digital exhibitions.

• Assist the Museum Executive Director in the development of fiscal year budgets for curatorial and collection initiatives and needs.

• Participate in conferences and workshops related to humanities and Southern Jewish scholarship.

• Develop relationships with cultural organizations and local community groups to engage diverse communities with the Museum’s resources in collaborative and meaningful ways.

• Contribute to ongoing efforts in Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion throughout MSJE’s collections, exhibitions, and programming.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) in museum studies, history, or related field and at least three years’ experience working in a museum or cultural institution in a curatorial capacity. 

• Strong knowledge of Jewish culture, Southern culture, and the available resources for exploring both.

• Demonstrated experience designing and curating public exhibitions.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including working with a range of backgrounds to develop artifact donor relations and audiences.

• Strong research, writing, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Experience with content management systems (CMS), especially Past Perfect, strongly preferred.

• Must be able to work some evenings and weekends.

• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally in support of the Museum’s collecting efforts.

Compensation: Salary range $50,000-$65,000. This is a full-time position with benefits package.

Application Instructions: Please submit a cover letter and resume as a single PDF to info@msje.org with the subject line Curator Search. The search process will continue until the position is filled