Interim Director and Chief Curator

Position Summary:       

Reporting to the Office of Academic Affairs and working closely with the Yeshiva University Museum's Board of Overseers, the Interim Director and Chief Curator will provide overall leadership and management for the Museum. The Interim Director and Chief Curator will be responsible for supporting the educational enterprise of the University by envisioning and overseeing a broad range of mission-driven and operational areas at the Museum, including curatorial affairs, programming, outreach, and active engagement of diverse public audiences, students, faculty members, and partners of the Center for Jewish History. The Interim Director and Chief Curator will provide collaborative leadership, clearly articulated vision, and effective management practice. This is an interim appointment for a one-year term.

Position Responsibilities:

• Plan, curate, and oversee installation of a calendar of exhibitions of Jewish art and material culture that engage students, faculty, and a diverse public
• Identify, engage, and collaborate with guest curators and scholars to develop exhibitions
• Champion and ensure a clear understanding of the Museum’s mission, its strategic objectives, and its function as a core learning resource
• Work reciprocally with the Museum's Board of Overseers to provide an innovative vision for exhibitions, programs, and services to fulfill the educational role of the Museum for students, faculty, researchers, and other communities
• Develop and implement fundraising strategies to build a base of philanthropic support
• Propose and manage the Museum's operating budget
• Working cooperatively with the offices of Institutional Advancement and Sponsored Programs, develop, compose, and submit grant proposals for government, foundation, and individual support of exhibitions
• Launch digital projects to extend the impact of the collection and of exhibitions and to broaden the Museum's audience
• Create multi-faceted outreach plans for exhibitions that identify and develop audiences
• Manage publications that support scholarship, document exhibitions, and highlight collections
• Oversee education programs that extend teaching and learning beyond the classroom
• Oversee the curation and management of the permanent collection in accordance with Museum policy
• In cooperation with the Board of Overseers and in accordance with the mission of the Museum, manage acquisitions, borrowing and lending of works, conservation and maintenance, and de-accessioning
• Participate collaboratively with the Center for Jewish History's partners
• Seek new partnerships and positive collaborations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Assume primary responsibility for daily operations and personnel management
• Participate in professional activities by means of publications, presentations at meetings and conferences, and service in professional organizations

Experience & Educational Background:

• Master’s or doctoral degree in a relevant discipline
• Four to five years of managerial experience in an academic art museum, as well as a command of museum standards (AAM and AAMG)
• Academic study of Judaica

Skills & Competencies:

• Forward-thinking and visitor-centered orientation
• Inclination toward innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to museum services
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and duties simultaneously, while meeting deadlines
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills for high-level contact with university trustees, donors, and faculty members
• Fluency in Hebrew.  Reading knowledge of Yiddish and one other European language is desirable

Application Instructions:

Please submit a letter of interest and résumé.

About Us:        

The mission of Yeshiva University Museum (YUM) is to inspire learning and discovery by bringing to life the beauty, creativity, and vibrancy of Jewish ideas and traditions across history. Through artistic and material culture and a dedication to ideals of rigorous scholarship and respect for tradition, YUM helps people of all backgrounds draw insight and inspiration from the vital achievements and abiding values at the core of the Jewish experience and their relationship to world religions and cultures. YUM is based at the Center for Jewish History, one of the foremost Jewish research and cultural institutions in the world, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as home to five partner organizations. As a university museum, education is at the heart of everything we do: interdisciplinary exhibitions, educational initiatives and public programs – all conceived for people of diverse ages, backgrounds and cultural perspectives.

Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University (YU) has a strong tradition of combining Jewish scholarship with academic excellence and achievement in the liberal arts, sciences, medicine, law, business, social work, Jewish studies, education, psychology, and more. 

We are a leading global educational institution that employs 2,000 people across our various campus locations -- Wilf Campus, Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, Resnick Campus in the Bronx, the Gruss Institute in Jerusalem, the Boys High School in Manhattan and the Girls High School in Queens. From the distinguished faculty who teach here, to the dedicated staff, we work to fulfill our mission through all that we teach, by all that we do and for all those we serve.  We seek to attract and retain engaged and committed individuals who contribute to an exciting working environment, where there is a sense of community and belonging, balanced with a significant cross section of people from diverse backgrounds working and studying together.

The University offers an excellent compensation package, and a broad range of employee benefit plans, including immediate participation in the University’s retirement plan. Staff members are typically eligible for four weeks paid vacation each year.

Equal Employment Opportunity:           

Yeshiva University is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.