The Watson-Brown Foundation seeks a professional to manage its historic house collections and non-lending library at the T.R.R. Cobb House Museum in Athens, Georgia. The Collections Manager reports directly to the Curator of the T.R.R. Cobb House, and is responsible for the documentation, expansion, care, and preservation of the collections in the Museum’s permanent collection and its use in exhibitions, programs, publications, and other formats. 

Job Responsibilities

•Oversee the care, preservation, and documentation of the collection and implement accepted museum professional standards and practices.

•Ensure the overall safety, preservation, maintenance, and documentation for objects on view, in storage, and on loan.

•Maintain and update our non-lending research library database.

•Assist with collection-driven social media content and programs.

•Assist the Curator in the development, planning, and installation of temporary exhibitions and rotations within the permanent collections.

•Perform independent research to prepare historically accurate programs, such as outreach.

•Assist the Curator with special programs including teacher workshops, group tours, field trips, and others.

•Possess a strong working knowledge of the site’s interpretive subject matter and themes.

•Participate in the recruitment, selection, and training of interns.

•Assist with coordinating the activities of the Junior Board program, the youth philanthropy program of the Foundation.

•Possesses the ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and in critical situations as required.

•Maintains cordial, cooperative, and professional work relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and the public.

•Maintains a professional appearance consistent with Foundation standards.

•Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The preferred candidate will:

•Be a U.S. Citizen or must be legally authorized to work in the United States and be presently residing in the United States.

•Possess a Master’s degree in history, public history, museum studies, anthropology, or other related field, or equivalent.

•Have two years experience working in collections management, interpretation, or historian in a museum, historic site, or school.  

•Have excellent communication and organizational skills and be detail-oriented

•Understand how to work with collections management software

•Possess strong oral and written communication skills as demonstrated in a professional setting.

•Be able to pass a background check and drug test.

•Be able to lift up to thirty pounds without assistance.

About the Organization

Located in Athens, Georgia, the T.R.R. Cobb House interprets the life and career of T.R.R. Cobb and the lives of his extended family and their enslaved people. The site is owned and operated by the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc. The Watson-Brown Foundation is a Foundation dedicated to improving education in the American South by funding its schools and students, preserving its history, encouraging responsible scholarship, and promoting the memory and values of its spiritual founders. The Foundation owns and operates three historic house museums. For more information about the T.R.R. Cobb House, please visit www.trrcobbhouse.org. For more information about the Watson-Brown Foundation, please visit www.watson-brown.org.

Salary & Work Schedule

$44,500 (Negotiable -Depending on Experience) plus Health & Disability insurance is 100% employer paid and SIMPLE IRA offered with company match.

Full time, 40 hours per week, occasional weekends and evenings as required.

Application Process

Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter.

Resumes and cover letters may be emailed to the T.R.R. Cobb House Museum’s Curator, Ashleigh Oatts, at aoatts@trrcobbhouse.org. 

The deadline to apply is November 2, 2026

A select number of applicants will be asked to complete a phone interview with Ms. Oatts. After phone interviews, a select number of applicants may be asked to interview in person at the T.R.R. Cobb House with Ms. Oatts and the Foundation President in Athens, Georgia. Applicants who are not hired will be sent notification letters to that effect after the hiring process is complete.