Assistant Or Associate Curator, History

This position (1) is for an Assistant Curator OR Associate Curator contingent on candidate experience.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County was the first museum in L.A. to open its doors 111 years ago and is poised for an exciting new era as it plans for the future. Having recently completed a new strategic framework, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County—including NHMLA at Exposition Park, La Brea Tar Pits and museum in mid-Wilshire, and the William S. Hart Museum in Newhall—is looking forward to new building projects and campaigns, exhibitions, community outreach, and innovative audience engagement. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County values and endeavors to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and access within its organization and communities. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC), neurodiverse, gender, a person with disability, a veteran, and/or a part of the LGBTQAI+ community are welcome and encouraged to apply. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is seeking an Assistant OR Associate Curator, History  for our Research & Collections department.  The Assistant or Associate Curator, History works closely with the Senior VP of Research & Collections setting the direction, leading, organizing and running one or more specific departments (Collection Center) of the Research & Collections Division. Conducting original research, publishing scholarly papers in peer-review journals, researching, writing research grant proposals, and mentoring higher education students. Caring for collection (including fundraising), curating exhibits, and conducting fieldwork and collection work. Overseeing, managing, and hiring collection support staff. Contributing to education and public outreach programs and collaborating with the Museum's fundraising efforts. It is an exciting time as we embark on new journeys of becoming a museum of, for, and with L.A.

Please find the below responsibilities for either an Assistant Curator OR Associate Curator:

Assistant Curator, History:

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to: 

• Conducts original research, using collections wherever possible. Presents research results at scholarly conferences. Writes manuscripts for publication in scholarly journals.

• Manages the development or expansion of a specific collection. Manages and oversees the acquisition, identification, classification and preparation of specimens and other materials in accordance with approved plans and policies for that collection.  Supervises the development and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures for physical preservation and maintenance and for facilitating the lending of the collection's specimens for use by others for study or exhibit.

• Writes and submits proposals to various funding organizations to receive awards for support of research, collections, field investigations, travel and public programs.

• Provides oversight for Collection Center, and maintains excellence in collection standards. Enhances and promotes the Collection Center. Conducts field investigations to advance research, augment collections, and (as appropriate) purchases specimens, artifacts and/or historical objects.

• Mentors higher education students, acting as either main advisor or member in Master or PhD committees. Actively contributes to the institutional goal to increase participation by underrepresented groups in their specific field of study.     

• Serves as expert consultant in the development of exhibits, promotes a Collection Center in the museum’s exhibitions program. Fosters and advances the Museum’s educational programs (e.g., prepares and delivers lectures, participates as requested in travel programs, teaches and trains, etc.), and develops awareness of and outreach