Director and Curator of Public Engagement and Research: Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia

• Director and Curator of Public Engagement and Research, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities.

With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

About ICA and Penn:
The Institute of Contemporary Art is a non-collecting, research-driven contemporary art museum at the University of Pennsylvania. ICA is dedicated to presenting new work by emerging and established artists and to advancing public engagement as a form of research, experimentation, and civic exchange. As part of Penn, ICA serves students, faculty, and the broader public through exhibitions, programs, and partnerships that connect contemporary art to pressing cultural and social questions.

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania seeks a Director and Curator of Public Engagement and Research to lead the museum’s public-facing, educational, and research-driven work. Reporting to the Daniel Deitrich II, Director and serving as a key member of ICA’s senior leadership team, this role advances ICA’s artist-centered, non-collecting, and research-based mission through innovative public programs, artist-led interdisciplinary inquiries, community and campus partnerships, and pedagogical initiatives.

Grounded in the original meaning of “institute”-thus serving as a home for study and purpose-this position is central to ICA’s identity as a new generation institution: radically welcoming to audiences, recognized as a testing ground by and for artists, and committed to inquiry, dialogue, and civic engagement.

Job Description
Institutional Leadership & Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership for ICA’s public engagement and research initiatives in alignment with the museum’s mission, values, and long-term goals.
• Serve on ICA’s senior leadership team, contributing to institutional planning, sustainability, and organizational culture.
• Embed principles of inclusion, access, and justness across all areas of responsibility.

Public Engagement, Research, and Platforms

• Lead the development of research-informed public programs, artist-led projects, lectures, performances, symposia, and publications to extend, expand, and conceive of ICA’s exhibitions and commissioned projects.
• Advance experimental pedagogical approaches, including co-production and collaborative knowledge-making with artists, scholars, students, and diverse communities.
• Oversee the conceptual development and…