Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Curator fulfills a pivotal programmatic position of the museum, providing broad vision and supervising the excellence, balance, and budgetary feasibility of the exhibition, education, public, and collection programs.

This position reports to the Executive Director, and in the capacity of a strategic leader, contributes to the establishment of museum policies, developing creative solutions, and formulating a unified voice for the museum in its relation to the public.

As a member of the senior team, the Chief Curator supervises and leads curators and educators as well as other staff involved in the public facing activities of the museum as well as other staff in registration and collection management.

The person must be committed to the museum’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access mission; dedicated to integrating accountability across all efforts to support and sustain an anti-racist, racially equitable organization; demonstrate a passion for advancing organizational DEIA objectives and supporting others to approach all activities with an equity lens.

The Chief Curator is responsible for the following areas of operation:

Administrative Areas of Supervision

The Chief Curator supervises the Education Manager, Experience/Public Programs Manager, Exhibition Manager and Collections Experience Manager, and serves as the staff liaison to the Board of Trustee’s Collection Committee.

The Chief Curator works closely with staff to:

· provide a strong curatorial vision to conceptualize and develop exhibitions, education and public programs that incorporate multi-faceted, interdisciplinary experiences in art, history and science, based on community interest, needs and partnerships

· oversee the design, development and implementation of all public/visitor experiences within the museum and surrounding communities

· bring a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) lens to curatorial projects, collections and community partnerships

· collaborate with the PR/Marketing team to develop announcements related to exhibitions, collections, education and public programs, and be available for interview requests and to respond to questions by the public and media

· conduct scholarly research related to collections and exhibitions and ensure accuracy of collection data in any exhibition labels, didactics or other publications or articles developed by the museum

Planning

· as part of the senior management team, play a key role in working closely with the ED in long-range institutional planning efforts, such as setting programmatic priorities, staffing levels and developing visions for presentation of collections and exhibitions, education, collections access, policy development and annual strategic planning efforts

· working closely with the Collections and Exhibition managers, collaborate in developing exhibition projects and collection development and care

Budget and Finance Operations

· reporting to the ED and working with individual department managers, oversee curatorial, education, program, collection and exhibition budgets

· with the ED, set objectives for income and expenses, analyzing and adjusting forecast on a regular basis. Related to areas of oversight, formulate long range programmatic financial vision, including staffing levels, facilities, equipment and financial support needs

· work with the ED and development staff to strategize fundraising opportunities and collections support, such as grants and proposals, as well as proactively cultivate donors

Qualifications

· hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in either, or a combination of, natural sciences, art history, museum studies or related fields. Advance degree is preferred

· 3-5 years’ leadership or managerial experience with budgetary responsibilities and implementing programs for a public audience

· experience in curation, exhibition design and interpretation

· experience in working in a museum that focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach is a plus; experience within the STEM field preferred

· excellent writing and public speaking skills

· proficient computer skills including the use of contemporary technology in an educational/museum setting. Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suites is a plus

· ability to work efficiently in a team-oriented environment

· broad-based experience working with children and adults in an educational or museum environment

· ability to work a flexible schedule as needed, including weekends, holidays and occasional evenings

· must be able work and/or type at a desk, climb stairs and lift up to 30 lbs.

· the successful candidate will be required to maintain a current driver’s license, personal automobile insurance and a safe driving record. A background check will be required

Compensation

This is a senior management position with a robust health and benefits package. Salary range is $65,000 - $70,000/year.

The Berkshire Museum is committed to cultivating an inclusive, equitable, accessible and welcoming environment for all employees, volunteers and guests. We encourage any individual interested in working with the museum to apply.

About the Berkshire Museum

The Berkshire Museum is a museum of natural science, history, and art. Our mission is to bring people together for experiences that spark creativity and innovative thinking by making inspiring educational connections among the more than 40,000 works in the museum’s collection. The Berkshire Museum welcomes nearly 100,000 visitors each year, offering a vibrant roster of exhibitions, attractions, and activities for all ages. The museum provides more than 29,000 student experiences annually, at the museum and out in the community, and close to 700 public programs of all kinds, from films and talks to performances, camps, hands-on workshops, and demonstrations.

Businessman Zenas Crane founded the Berkshire Museum in 1903 to be a “window on the world” for the people of Western Massachusetts. An encyclopedic collection of more than 40,000 historic objects, natural specimens, art, and antiquities forms the core of its interdisciplinary exhibitions. Now the museum is embarking on plans to repair and re-imagine the museum, respectful of its more than century-old building. The museum is committed to ensuring facilities are updated to contemporary museum standards and to creating a platform for exciting new experiences based on community input, true to the museum’s mission and financially sustainable.

Among the museum’s highlights are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing desk; the polar suit and sled used by Matthew Henson, who is recognized as the first African American Arctic explorer and was a member of Admiral Peary’s North Pole expeditions; and from ancient Egypt, the mummy of Pahat, a priest from the Ptolemic period [332 - 30 B.C.E.], which has fascinated generations of visitors. In the 1930s, the Berkshire Museum was the first to commission two site-specific mobiles from Alexander Calder, which can be seen in the museum’s theater.

The aquarium features more than thirty tanks and terrariums housing both native and exotic fish, reptiles, and amphibians, ranging from frogs and turtle species that inhabit Berkshire ponds to twenty-five species of coral. Notable in the natural science collections are fossils, a 143-pound meteorite, and representations of Berkshire ecosystems including local mammals, birds, and fish. Thousands of shells from around the globe and a fine assortment of rocks and minerals are part of the collection, as are numerous insect and butterfly specimens.

Three areas of the museum are dedicated to interactive engagement. The Feigenbaum Hall of Innovationfeatures artifacts, exhibits, and activity stations that explore the ongoing technological innovations of Berkshire residents’ past and present. Lab 102 is a hands-on space dedicated to creativity and discovery for children, with a variety of building materials from blocks to snap circuits, and special activities designed for early learners. Berkshire Museum has been a vibrant center for culture and learning for more than one hundred years and continues to play a key role for our community in Pittsfield and the Berkshires.

# # #Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Curator fulfills a pivotal programmatic position of the museum, providing broad vision and supervising the excellence, balance, and budgetary feasibility of the exhibition, education, public, and collection programs.

This position reports to the Executive Director, and in the capacity of a strategic leader, contributes to the establishment of museum policies, developing creative solutions, and formulating a unified voice for the museum in its relation to the public.

As a member of the senior team, the Chief Curator supervises and leads curators and educators as well as other staff involved in the public facing activities of the museum as well as other staff in registration and collection management.

The person must be committed to the museum’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access mission; dedicated to integrating accountability across all efforts to support and sustain an anti-racist, racially equitable organization; demonstrate a passion for advancing organizational DEIA objectives and supporting others to approach all activities with an equity lens.

The Chief Curator is responsible for the following areas of operation:

Administrative Areas of Supervision

The Chief Curator supervises the Education Manager, Experience/Public Programs Manager, Exhibition Manager and Collections Experience Manager, and serves as the staff liaison to the Board of Trustee’s Collection Committee.

The Chief Curator works closely with staff to:

· provide a strong curatorial vision to conceptualize and develop exhibitions, education and public programs that incorporate multi-faceted, interdisciplinary experiences in art, history and science, based on community interest, needs and partnerships

· oversee the design, development and implementation of all public/visitor experiences within the museum and surrounding communities

· bring a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) lens to curatorial projects, collections and community partnerships

· collaborate with the PR/Marketing team to develop announcements related to exhibitions, collections, education and public programs, and be available for interview requests and to respond to questions by the public and media

· conduct scholarly research related to collections and exhibitions and ensure accuracy of collection data in any exhibition labels, didactics or other publications or articles developed by the museum

Planning

· as part of the senior management team, play a key role in working closely with the ED in long-range institutional planning efforts, such as setting programmatic priorities, staffing levels and developing visions for presentation of collections and exhibitions, education, collections access, policy development and annual strategic planning efforts

· working closely with the Collections and Exhibition managers, collaborate in developing exhibition projects and collection development and care

Budget and Finance Operations

· reporting to the ED and working with individual department managers, oversee curatorial, education, program, collection and exhibition budgets

· with the ED, set objectives for income and expenses, analyzing and adjusting forecast on a regular basis. Related to areas of oversight, formulate long range programmatic financial vision, including staffing levels, facilities, equipment and financial support needs

· work with the ED and development staff to strategize fundraising opportunities and collections support, such as grants and proposals, as well as proactively cultivate donors

Qualifications

· hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in either, or a combination of, natural sciences, art history, museum studies or related fields. Advance degree is preferred

· 3-5 years’ leadership or managerial experience with budgetary responsibilities and implementing programs for a public audience

· experience in curation, exhibition design and interpretation

· experience in working in a museum that focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach is a plus; experience within the STEM field preferred

· excellent writing and public speaking skills

· proficient computer skills including the use of contemporary technology in an educational/museum setting. Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suites is a plus

· ability to work efficiently in a team-oriented environment

· broad-based experience working with children and adults in an educational or museum environment

· ability to work a flexible schedule as needed, including weekends, holidays and occasional evenings

· must be able work and/or type at a desk, climb stairs and lift up to 30 lbs.

· the successful candidate will be required to maintain a current driver’s license, personal automobile insurance and a safe driving record. A background check will be required

Compensation

This is a senior management position with a robust health and benefits package. Salary range is $65,000 - $70,000/year.

The Berkshire Museum is committed to cultivating an inclusive, equitable, accessible and welcoming environment for all employees, volunteers and guests. We encourage any individual interested in working with the museum to apply.

Applications sent before February, 25 will receive preference.

About the Berkshire Museum

The Berkshire Museum is a museum of natural science, history, and art. Our mission is to bring people together for experiences that spark creativity and innovative thinking by making inspiring educational connections among the more than 40,000 works in the museum’s collection. The Berkshire Museum welcomes nearly 100,000 visitors each year, offering a vibrant roster of exhibitions, attractions, and activities for all ages. The museum provides more than 29,000 student experiences annually, at the museum and out in the community, and close to 700 public programs of all kinds, from films and talks to performances, camps, hands-on workshops, and demonstrations.

Businessman Zenas Crane founded the Berkshire Museum in 1903 to be a “window on the world” for the people of Western Massachusetts. An encyclopedic collection of more than 40,000 historic objects, natural specimens, art, and antiquities forms the core of its interdisciplinary exhibitions. Now the museum is embarking on plans to repair and re-imagine the museum, respectful of its more than century-old building. The museum is committed to ensuring facilities are updated to contemporary museum standards and to creating a platform for exciting new experiences based on community input, true to the museum’s mission and financially sustainable.

Among the museum’s highlights are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing desk; the polar suit and sled used by Matthew Henson, who is recognized as the first African American Arctic explorer and was a member of Admiral Peary’s North Pole expeditions; and from ancient Egypt, the mummy of Pahat, a priest from the Ptolemic period [332 - 30 B.C.E.], which has fascinated generations of visitors. In the 1930s, the Berkshire Museum was the first to commission two site-specific mobiles from Alexander Calder, which can be seen in the museum’s theater.

The aquarium features more than thirty tanks and terrariums housing both native and exotic fish, reptiles, and amphibians, ranging from frogs and turtle species that inhabit Berkshire ponds to twenty-five species of coral. Notable in the natural science collections are fossils, a 143-pound meteorite, and representations of Berkshire ecosystems including local mammals, birds, and fish. Thousands of shells from around the globe and a fine assortment of rocks and minerals are part of the collection, as are numerous insect and butterfly specimens.

Three areas of the museum are dedicated to interactive engagement. The Feigenbaum Hall of Innovationfeatures artifacts, exhibits, and activity stations that explore the ongoing technological innovations of Berkshire residents’ past and present. Lab 102 is a hands-on space dedicated to creativity and discovery for children, with a variety of building materials from blocks to snap circuits, and special activities designed for early learners. Berkshire Museum has been a vibrant center for culture and learning for more than one hundred years and continues to play a key role for our community in Pittsfield and the Berkshires.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $65,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
All employees of Berkshire Museum are required to present a COVID-19 vaccination card upon hiring, and be masked while working.

Work Location: One location

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