Cultural Resources Manager

Washington County Museum

The Cultural Resources Manager ensures that the museum’s cultural resources are well cared for, organized, and accessible for the benefit of the community.

Washington County Museum is an independent non-profit museum located on the Portland Community College - Rock Creek Campus. We support the thriving cultural ecology of the region through exhibits, programs and events, and our archive and library. This position will be the fifth member of a highly collaborative team. Our workplace values staff as whole people and we nurture and respect different backgrounds and perspectives. 

Position in Organization 

Reports to: Co-Directors

Responsible for: Cultural resources interns & volunteers

Location: Primarily at museum with occasional off-site work

Key Duties

• Manage all aspects of cultural resources and care, following and implementing accepted museum professional standards and practices.
• Assist guest curators with exhibits while fostering cross-department collaboration and community engagement. 
• Assist community members and scholars with research requests.
• Ensure accurate numbering, cataloging, photographing, and labeling specimens already in the collection, as well as those added to the collection.
• Recruit, develop, and supervise interns and volunteers; maintain an active student internship program.
• Develop and maintain cultural resources management plans and policies. 
• Assist with raising funds through direct donations, grants, or earned income development to expand collection, update facilities, or support research efforts.
• Propose strategic acquisitions for presentation to Co-Directors and Collections Committee to diversify our current cultural resources. 
• Actively participate in community engagement through committee work, guided tours, and public speaking.
• Steward significant stories within our communities both past and present.

All-Staff Responsibilities

• Advance the museum’s mission, vision, and values in the delivery of your work and interpersonal conduct.
• Support membership and public support through excellent, informed customer service.
• Assist with additional tasks as needed to foster overall health of the organization.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience. Preferred: Master’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience. 
• 3+ years of progressively expanding museum expertise in collections management, exhibit development, and research.
• Experience working with collections management software; Past Perfect preferred.
• Must be resourceful, creative, and have the ability and desire to work collaboratively with museum staff and community members.
• Demonstrated professional communication skills, both written and oral.
• Physical ability to do basic bending, stooping, climbing and lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Experience working in a culturally responsive way with people of diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, and lived experiences.

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with employer-sponsored health benefits and vacation time with a starting annual salary of $42,000 depending on experience.

Position is located at Washington County Museum on the Portland Community College - Rock Creek Campus, 17677 NW Springville Rd, Portland OR 97229, and requires limited travel throughout the region. 

No relocation assistance or visa sponsorship is available at this time.

Hiring process 

Initial application (Phase I):

Applications must include a minimum of (1) a letter of interest tailored to this position along with (2) a resume and/or CV to be considered. Email your application materials and any other supporting documentation showcasing your fit for this position to: info@washingtoncountymuseum.org no later than 5pm on September 16, 2019.

Follow-up (Phase II):

Supplemental questions will be sent to applicants who meet the position requirements on Friday September 27th. Responses will be due back Friday, October 4th at 5pm. 

Note that we will attempt to contact all applicants. In the event that applicant volume is too high, only those applicants being moved on to Phase II will be contacted.

Once all the supplemental question responses and application materials have been carefully reviewed we will determine a few finalists for interviews. All Phase II applicants will be contacted and informed if they were not selected, or to arrange interview times.

Target start date for the position is November 4th.