Assistant Curator

The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum: https://archaeologicalmuseum.jhu.edu/ seeks an Assistant Curator for Exhibitions and Teaching to oversee the daily work of the exhibition and cataloging of the museum collection, guest lecturing for classes, and the development of public events in the museum. This staff position reports directly to the Museum’s Director and works closely with the Associate Director for Collections and the Museum’s Collections Manager.

Founded in 1882, the Museum is one of the most unique and well-utilized resources at Johns Hopkins University. The museum currently houses and cares for over 13,000 ancient items and serves over 1200 undergraduate and graduate students a year. Our mission is as follows: The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum (JHAM) is a teaching collection for the Johns Hopkins University community dedicated to the interactive and interdisciplinary study, research, preservation, and interpretation of archaeological and historical objects. By facilitating hands-on, original investigation of its collections, the museum advances the mission of Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, which is to support discovery that creates new knowledge. The museum is committed to sharing these discoveries with the Johns Hopkins University community, members of the general public, and academic researchers through exhibitions, publications, and online resources. This position is mostly on-site because this individual will be working directly with classes, though some telework can be discussed. Occasional evening or weekend work might be necessary if or when we have evening or weekend events.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Exhibition & Cataloguing Responsibilities

• Contributes to and oversees the ongoing reinstallation of the museum’s exhibition spaces, in collaboration with the Director, staff, and faculty curators.
• Produces and edits museum labels, exhibition texts, pamphlets, and website content in collaboration with faculty-curators and museum staff.
• Coordinates logistics of exhibition installation including hiring and liaising with contractors including exhibition designers, mount-makers, conservators, art handlers, and website designers, as required.
• Participates in planning and installation of museum exhibition drawers in consultation with faculty-curators and collections manager.
• Works closely with contract designers to update website content related to museum exhibitions and ongoing research.
• Catalogues the museum collection in their area of expertise.
• Oversees the completion of the cataloging and documentation of over 2000 ancient Egyptian items on loan from Eton College, from Windsor, UK before their return in 2030.
• Works closely with the Associate Director to ensure proper object provenance and legal title documentation for objects in the museum’s collection.

Teaching Responsibilities

• Provides guest lectures on a range of topics to classes interested in learning about the museum collection; on average, this is at least 10-20 courses per semester.
• Develops systems to track and evaluate delivered guest lectures and educational programs and provides this information to the Director for reporting purposes.
• Consult with faculty to develop a plan for the use of the collection in their classes.
• Manages requests from faculty and instructors regarding the use of the collection for teaching and research.
• Responds to internal and external research queries seeking information about the museum collection.
• Oversees access to collections for class projects or collections-based research.

Public Event Responsibilities

• Develop ideas for, organize, and implement public events related to the museum collection in consultation with the Director and Associate Director.
• Share information about public events through the JHU communication channels (JHU announcements, digital boards, etc.), the museum’s social media, and email lists.
• Develops systems to track and evaluate audience participation and experience and provides this information to the Director for reporting purposes.

General responsibilities

• Meets regularly with the Director to discuss museum priorities and develop short and long-range projects.
• Work closely with the Director and Associate Director to respond to facilities or security emergencies.

Special Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of archival museum practices.
• Demonstrated experience working with the public in museums or cultural heritage fields.
• Extremely detail-oriented and highly organized.
• Excellent team player who takes the initiative in work.
• Excellent communicator and problem-solver.
• Demonstrates the professional flexibility and nimbleness required for working in the fast-paced environment of a small museum.
• Willingness to learn about the cultures represented in the collection.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum of two years’ work experience in an academic environment or other related experience required. (Related experience may include experience in university, museum, or cultural center environments).
• Additional education (advanced degree) may substitute for required experience, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula. 

Preferred Qualifications

• A master’s Degree in museum studies or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Ph.D. in ancient art or archaeology in subject areas that reflect museum collections, particularly Egyptology, preferred.

Classified Title: Assistant Curator
Role/Level/Range: ATP/03/PB
Starting Salary Range: Min $23.43 - Mid $32.23 - Max $41.02 HRLY (Commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 5 pm, Occasional weekends may be required
Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: ​​​​​​​Near Eastern Studies
Personnel area: School of Arts & Sciences 

Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines:
JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.

**Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate’s conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion .

Johns Hopkins has mandated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as applicable. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/ .

The following additional provisions may apply, depending on campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

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