The City of Lakewood is dedicated to upholding City values to include: Performance Excellence, Leadership, Respect and Collaboration. Best fit candidates will demonstrate innovation, customer service, dedication, passion and engagement. All people, citizens and employees, will be treated with respect, relevance, and importance.
HIRING RANGE: $74,019.18 - $82,243.53/year
The Museum Curator supports the Heritage, Culture and the Arts Division through collections management and exhibit research, planning, implementation and evaluation. This position oversees variable employees and volunteers specific to these functions. The Curator pursues and manages related grants. Work is performed with considerable independence under the guidance of the Heritage Lakewood Administrator. The City of Lakewood’s Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park is a 20th century history park, museum and festival experience that celebrates our community. Located on 15 acres within Belmar Park, Heritage Lakewood includes a Visitor Center, exhibition spaces, festival and event areas and several historic buildings.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Leads temporary exhibit development. Plans, researches, designs, organizes, interprets, presents, and celebrates temporary exhibitions, including installation of gallery areas in historic structures. Changes out exhibits two to three times per year.
- Develops engaging written materials for exhibits and historic presentations. Collaborates with Museum Educator to identify and present exhibit related programming opportunities.
- Researches, preserves, and maintains collections and records including correspondence and purchasing storage materials. Oversees records retention process for HCA division.
- Accessions, deaccessions, authenticates, evaluates, catalogues, indexes, digitizes, and stores artifacts and archival materials
- Advances Heritage Lakewood’s oral history program. Conducts oral history interviews or directs staff and/or volunteers to follow best practices in the process of attaining oral histories.
- Maintains historic structures and other macro artifacts through systematic and regular checks, condition reports, cleaning, preservation, and pest management.
- Recruits, trains, supervises, and evaluates variable collections staff, interns, and volunteers, as appropriate.
- Identifies, pursues, and administers collections related grant opportunities.
- Responds to inquiries from the public and Lakewood employee departments regarding the museum collections, historic programs, exhibits and general Lakewood history. Listens and responds professionally and tactfully to citizen concerns/issues/questions. Provides excellent customer service.
- Recommends, maintains and tracks curatorial budget including monitoring program area budget design and coordination with Heritage Lakewood Administrator for the HCA Division’s budget.
- Supports Heritage Lakewood operations and functions as an integral part of the Heritage Lakewood and HCA team by supporting overall HCA program plan and projects, as requested.
Reporting Relationships
Supervision Received: Receives direct supervision from Heritage Lakewood Administrator (Museum Director)
Supervision Exercised: Oversees variable and volunteers working in collections and historic exhibits.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Clear understanding of best policies, procedures, ethics, and accreditation practices in the museum field that follow the American Alliance of Museums, American Association of State and Local History, and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
- Exhibit design knowledge including familiarity with the tools and materials used for museum exhibits including conservation-wise installation and mount-making.
- Knowledge of local, state and regional 20th Century history.
- Ability to serve as team member for all special projects or events. Ability to work extended hours that may include evenings and weekends for exhibit installations, community events and programs as required.
- Ability to work independently and as a contributing member of the team.
- Ability to be organized, innovative and flexible in long- and short-term planning.
- Ability to demonstrate excellent customer service skills with residents and cultural community.
- Ability to effectively direct the work efforts of volunteers and interns.
- Knowledge and experience in the grant application and administration process.
- Criminal background check and pre-employment physical are required.
Technological Skills
- Collections Management Software (CMS, i.e.PastPerfect)
- Ancestry.com
- Photography and Scanning Equipment
- Use of Photoshop, Adobe, and Workday
Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in history, museum studies or a closely related field is required.
A master’s degree in history, museum studies or public administration is also a preferred qualification.
Five years of relevant museum experience includes experience in collections management, preservation, and/or exhibit planning.
Expertise in CMS and Microsoft Office including Excel and Teams.
Preferred experience
Experience with digitizing collections is preferred.
Expertise in PastPerfect.
Certification/Licenses/Specialized Training
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects
PHYSICAL DEMAND
- Bend or position self to move items from higher place to lower place or vice-versa
- Lift, carry, push, pull, move, or position from all levels up to 50 pounds
- Lift, carry, push, pull, move, or position from all levels over 51 pounds. with assistance
- Sit, stand or be stationary
- Stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, climb, balance, turn or twist all of which may include awkward positions on both even and uneven terrain
- Talk, hear, converse, communicate, or exchange information
- Use of hands and/or fingers in a repetitive motion to handle, pinch, reach, grasp, move, feel, inspect, etc.
- Vision to include distance, depth perception, peripheral and color
- Walk, ascend or descend on both even and uneven terrain
Environmental Conditions may include
- Confined spaces
- Extreme cold or heat
- Frequent vibrations due to equipment use
- Fumes or airborne particles
- Moderate to extremely loud noise environment
- Outdoor weather conditions
- Toxic or caustic chemicals
- Wet or humid conditions
- Work in high, precarious places
The City of Lakewood is a drug-free workplace that provides employment opportunities in compliance with all pertinent federal, state, and local laws. All Lakewood employees are expected to work and complete all tasks in a safe manner consistent with training, standard operating procedures, City or Department policies, and common sense. Working in a safe manner includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and complying with all City and/or Department safety rules. Horseplay on-the-job is strictly forbidden. The failure to work in a safe manner, use PPE, follow standard operating procedure, or comply with a safety rule will result adverse employment consequences ranging from verbal discipline to termination from employment, including any applicable reduction in benefits under the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act. Employees are also expected to encourage safe work practices by all co-employees, and to report any unsafe work practices immediately to a supervisor.
The City of Lakewood celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of our workforce. Accordingly, the city is committed to creating, nurturing and sustaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our community and employees.
$63,295.69-$82,243.53
Background and reference checks will be conducted for all regular and some variable/seasonal positions.
