Curator Of History

The City of Riverside is accepting applications for the position of Curator of History to fill one (1) vacancy in the Museum Department. The eligibility list established may be used to fill the current and/or upcoming vacancies within this classification for up to six (6) months.

The Curator of History is responsible for curating exhibitions, developing and presenting programs, and building the local history collections for the Museum of Riverside.
Curatorial responsibilities include caring for the Museum’s Victorian‑era Heritage House (the only property currently open to the public and the location of the Curator of History’s office) and National Historic Landmark Harada House, ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local historic preservation standards. The successful candidate will be an experienced curatorial professional with a distinguished curatorial record, creative storytelling skills, exceptional interpretive writing abilities, a commitment to scholarly integrity, and an engaging manner with the public.

The Curator of History must be able to handle a demanding workload, managing multiple projects simultaneously within a work environment that will be in flux for several years until the new downtown site reopens.

• Work effectively on teams to implement the Museum of Riverside’s mission.
• Locate, acquire, and house appropriate artifacts or specimens in accordance with the Museum’s Collections Development Plan.
• Conduct detailed analysis and research to identify and catalog items.
• Prepare and maintain proper collection records.
• Oversee necessary maintenance, preservation, and conservation of collected materials.
• Select artifacts and continuously plan exhibitions within assigned field of responsibility.
• Develop content to promote and market programs to encourage public participation and engagement.
• Provide content for labels to emphasize exhibition features.
• Participate in museum and/or community-sponsored programs and events.
• Present lectures or other programs to community groups, Museum audiences, and professional organizations. Include the development of digital programs and videos.
• Contribute articles to the Museum newsletters and scholarly publications.
• Research and prepare content for grant applications.
• Advise the public regarding the care of historic objects in their ownership (not to include authentication or appraisal).
• Cooperate with other resource and Museum personnel regarding materials sources, object data, exhibition details, publications, and programs.
• When assigned to History or Anthropology, manage the documentation, care, and interpretation of artifacts that include, but are not limited to, historic and contemporary artifacts and documents in a range of media, relating to the Riverside and surrounding area.
• When assigned to Historic Structures, manage the general upkeep of the Museum’s historic structures (including, but not limited to, the Heritage House, Harada House, and Robinson House); maintain maintenance and capital improvements schedules.
• Instruct interns and volunteers.
• Perform related work as required.

• Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major work in museology, history, anthropology, archaeology, geology, natural science, zoology, or a closely related field. Three years of experience in the field and the interest to pursue graduate studies may substitute for the partial fulfillment of the Master’s Degree requirement.
• Three years of experience in the collection, preservation, interpretation, presentation of materials for Museum exhibitions and the presentation of public programs.

• Ability to work irregular schedules, including evenings and weekends.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid Class “C” California Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.

• Experience in the interpretive and management concerns that are particular to historic sites.
• Experience in the collection, interpretation, and presentation of materials for museum exhibitions and public programs.
• Knowledge of American material culture history (southern California…