The University of Missouri (Mizzou), College of Arts and Science welcomes applications and nominations for a Senior Director to lead the planned integration of the Museums of Art, Archaeology, and Anthropology. This vital role centers on preserving and celebrating the arts, archaeology, and anthropology while advancing the museums' vision and mission. Reporting to the Senior Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science, the Senior Director will spearhead the museums' transformation with a strong emphasis on strategic planning that supports Mizzou’s research, teaching, engagement, and land grant mission.
The Senior Director will be instrumental in guiding the museums into a new era, overseeing the merger of the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology, both located in Ellis Library at the heart of Mizzou’s residential campus. The Senior Director will build upon their robust foundation of unique and nationally significant collections, strong community connections, and a passionate and skilled staff. Applicants for the Senior Director position should be prepared to take on a challenging yet rewarding opportunity, unifying the museums to enable stronger coordination of exhibitions, educational programming, interdisciplinary research engagement, and public outreach, while also promoting operational efficiency and strategic resource use.
This role requires a visionary leader capable of inspiring audiences of all ages and advancing artistic excellence and cultural preservation by creating and executing a forward-looking strategic vision that aligns with Mizzou’s mission of research, teaching, and service as a comprehensive R1, AAU university.
The ideal candidate will bring extensive museum leadership experience in a complex environment, a proven track record in strategic planning, and a deep appreciation for a wide variety of stories and viewpoints in arts and culture. Candidates should possess a strong educational background, preferably at the graduate level, and experience in related fields such as art, archaeology, anthropology, history, or education. The Senior Director will manage a professional team collaboratively and foster internal and external partnerships to enhance the institution’s impact.
The Senior Director will serve as the primary contact for stakeholders on broad issues related to the museums and collaborate closely with museum advisory and support groups that include Museum Associates, Faculty Advisory Committees, and the Museum Advisory Council of Students.
On the Museum of Art & Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology
The award-winning Museum of Art & Archaeology (MAA), fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, showcases an impressive collection of artworks and artifacts representing more than 6,000 years of human history across six continents. The permanent collection consists of more than 16,000 objects, including extensive materials from the ancient Mediterranean and Byzantine periods, European and American art spanning from the 13th century to the present, and a Samuel H. Kress Study Collection of Old Master European paintings. Additionally, the MAA holds objects from Asian, African, Oceanic, and ancient American cultures, along with objects excavated during archaeological fieldwork, led by the museum itself.
The MAA is an integral part of the University of Missouri College of Arts and Science, serving the entire MU campus community. Its mission revolves around collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting works of art that help illuminate historical contexts, engage with contemporary issues, and envision future possibilities. Through object-based learning and interdisciplinary engagement, the museum fosters respect for a variety of backgrounds and encourages exploration of different perspectives.
The museum is small enough to maintain flexibility and responsiveness, yet large enough to foster a dynamic and broad learning experience. The museum facilitates meaningful connections between scholars, professionals, and students from fields such as art, architecture, business, classics, education, engineering, journalism, music, law, medicine, and theater. By doing so, the MAA challenges traditional boundaries and continually redefines the role of art and material culture in everyday life.
The MAA, in close partnership with the Missouri Arts Council and additional support from the National Endowment of Arts also houses the Missouri Folk Arts Program (MFAP). MFAP manages the Missouri Arts Council’s folk arts grants, as well as projects designed to build cross-cultural understanding by documenting, sustaining, promoting, and presenting Missouri’s living folk arts and folklife in collaboration with Missouri’s citizens.
Honoring the MU Extension mission, MAA takes the lead on various community arts programs that reach the broader Missouri community and public schools specifically through programs like Art on the Move, Art in Storefronts, Passport to Art, SHOW ME Neighborhood Art Month, and popular events like Art in Bloom.
The MAA is proud to be supported by Museum Associates, Inc., a non-profit corporation that serves as a friends group supporting the museum's exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming. Museum Associates also help manage the Museum Store.
The MAA’s portfolio is rounded out by publishing ‘MUSE’ since 1967.
The Museum of Anthropology (MoA) integrates research, teaching, public engagement, and long-term collections stewardship. It supports academic instruction and faculty research while also mounting exhibitions and offering educational programs for public audiences. In addition, the MoA serves a core compliance role as an archaeological curation facility for the state of Missouri.
The museum’s collections developed early in the university’s history, beginning in 1885 with the acquisition of ethnographic materials and formally organized as the Museum of Ethnology in 1902. The institution was renamed the Museum of Anthropology in 1939, reflecting its expanded disciplinary scope. Today, the MoA is the only anthropology museum in Missouri and one of a limited number in the Midwest. Its collections span deep human history, with archaeological materials dating from approximately 2.6 million years ago to the present. The ethnographic and material culture collections encompass approximately 36,000 objects from cultures worldwide, with strengths in North America, Africa, Asia, and South America. The American Archaeology Division (AAD) is a defining component of the museum, comprising roughly two million artifacts, primarily from Missouri, and representing the largest repository of Missouri’s archaeological heritage. AAD's curation office is located at the Museum Support Center close to campus.
Additionally, MoA oversees Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) compliance and works closely with Tribal Nations, resulting in improved interpretive practices and the repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural items.
Beyond its core anthropology collections, the museum holds several internationally significant specialized collections, including the Grayson Archery Collection, one of the most comprehensive assemblages of archery equipment and related materials globally, and the Sutton Collection of African weaponry. These are supported by a substantial archival collection that facilitates object-based research across the museum’s holdings.
The mission of the Museum of Anthropology is to broaden the understanding of human behavior, both past and present, through the research and preservation of ethnographic and archaeological materials. This mission is supported by various endowment funds.
Key Responsibilities:
Merger Leadership & Institutional Strategy
The leadership of the Museum of Art & Archaeology and Museum of Anthropology merger will require comprehensive planning and execution to ensure a successful integration. The focus of the new Senior Director will be on developing a shared vision, aligning the new organization’s structure, systems, and communication strategies to support MU’s R1 land grant mission and their co-location within Ellis Library, by developing, vetting, and implementing a multi-year strategic plan. Key priorities of the strategic plan will include the development of an effective organizational structure that brings together the strengths of both museums, a unified approach across core areas such as collections, exhibitions, education, access and outreach, as well as a comprehensive communication plan to foster a culture of adaptability, ensuring transparency, and building trust.
People Leadership & Culture
The Senior Director will shape and lead a consolidated team of more than a dozen dedicated professionals, including all personnel and administrative responsibilities. Further, the Senior Director is expected to cultivate an environment characterized by cooperation, mutual respect, and ongoing professional growth. The Senior Director will help build a supportive and collaborative climate throughout the museums by encouraging teamwork and open communication.
Accreditation & Compliance & Facilities
The Senior Director will build on the museum's recent reaccreditation and further strengthen governance, ethics, and policy practices to maintain accreditation standards and public trust. To ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including NAGPRA, the Senior Director will collaborate closely and proactively with all internal and external partners and adhere to the highest ethical standards regarding sensitive collections and relationships. Further, the Senior Director will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the Ellis Library-based galleries and working with College leadership on managing off-campus storage areas, including management of security operations in collaboration with Ellis Library. The Senior Director will actively address concerns about aging infrastructure and appropriate environmental controls, while advocating for facility modernization, space optimization, and capacity augmentation.
Collections, Exhibitions, and Research Integration
The Senior Director will spearhead the development of a shared collections management policy, provide executive oversight of collections stewardship across art, archaeology and anthropology and help define standards for a shared collection identity, potential deaccessioning, and challenges around native and indigenous cultural material. In addition, the Senior Director will manage the planning and scheduling of exhibitions, including the development of a comprehensive exhibition calendar, and fostering the development of interpretive and educational programming that enhance visitor understanding and engagement. The Director will also play a pivotal role in integrating museum resources with a wide variety of faculty research, undergraduate and graduate student learning, internships, and community engagement by utilizing the museums’ collections and programming to support scholarly activity and educational initiatives within an R1 research university context, resulting in meaningful connections between the museums and its broader academic and local communities.
Advancing Relationships
The Senior Director is expected to represent the museums at local, regional, national, and international events with the goal of elevating visibility, institutional partnerships, loan networks, and resource development. The Senior Director will partner closely with college advancement and museum associates on donor strategy, site visits, and stewardship to enrich the museums’ programming and community engagement. Further, the Senior Director will be responsible for advancing and pursuing grant funding opportunities on local, state, and national scales, supported by the College of Arts and Science Office of Research and Creative Activities.
Fiscal Leadership & Budgeting
The Senior Director will be responsible for balancing the consolidated operating budget for the merged museums, including monthly budget updates and variance analysis with a focus on prioritizing financial efficiency. The Senior Director will approve purchases for marketing, education, exhibitions, and service contracts and lead resource optimization, budget planning, and multi-year forecasting efforts.
This position requires the ability to work a flexible schedule including extended hours, weekends, and holidays; as well as the ability and willingness to travel internationally/nationally as needed.
