I.          POSITION IDENTIFICATION

Work Unit:    Yellowstone Gateway Museum

Supervisor:    Museum Executive Director

Current Classification:

Pay Grade:     14        Pay scale $25.00 – $30.84     Title:   Museum Curator

Non-Exempt  Permanent Full Time

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II.         ASSIGNED DUTIES AND TASKS

Position overview:  The Yellowstone Gateway Museum of Park County, Montana has an exciting opportunity for and individual with experience in the museum fields of collections management and public programing. This position is responsible for receiving and processing incoming and existing collections, including accessioning and cataloging museum/archival artifacts using the Past Perfect software program. The position works with volunteers in the cataloging and proper storage of artifacts. This individual is also responsible for development and facilitation of programming to serve Park County residents, visitors and interested audiences from the surrounding region. The employee is responsible for creating a variety of advertising and marketing materials. The employee is responsible for interpretive exhibit curation, including research, writing, graphic design, and fabrication. The employee may assist the Director with docent training, researchers in their requests for information and access to the collection, fundraising, and may perform other seasonal and occasional duties as assigned. 

All duties below are essential functions unless otherwise indicated. Duties of the position are not all inclusive and may be subject to change.

A. Collections Management:

• Responsible for the care, handling, and accountability of historic artifacts, including routine cleaning, pest monitoring, inventory, display, and security.
• Ensure proper environmental monitoring of all buildings housing collections.
• Research artifacts and archives in the collection and maintain reference files to provide easy access to essential information. Oversee proper cataloging and record keeping on permanent collection objects.
• Identify, cultivate, and assist in the solicitation of donors to the collection.
• Review and oversee implementation of policies for collection management and care in accordance with the highest professional standards.

• Review and present recommendations for all potential acquisitions, and in partnership with Executive Director, develop long-range conservation plans for items in the permanent collection.

B. Public Programs:

• Develop and facilitate educational and public programs that serve Park County residents, visitors, and surrounding regional audiences.
• Create and maintain teaching trunks and virtual offerings to enhance the educational outreach of the museum.
• Write grants or seek sponsorships in support of public and educational programs.

C. Compliance and Ethics:

• Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, codes, and statutes; county resolutions; YGM policies; and the Code of Ethics of the American Association of Museums (AAM) and International Council of Museums (ICOM).
• Maintain a working knowledge of relevant laws, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

D. Exhibit Curation:

• Curate interpretive exhibits, including research, writing, graphic design, and fabrication, with an emphasis on public engagement and accessibility.
• Assist the Director with docent training, volunteer supervision, and responding to research requests.

E. Community Engagement:

• Assist the Director with public outreach through educational programs presented at public forums and schools.
• Respond to public inquiries about artifacts and archives within areas of expertise.
• Respond to all requests for information or assistance in a timely and courteous manner.

F. Professional Interaction:

• Interact professionally with colleagues, board members, volunteers, the public, and other county employees.
• Collaborate with board members, museum staff, and volunteers to complete projects efficiently and professionally.

G. Budget Management:

• Develop and manage budgets related to programming expenses and revenue, as well as budgets for collections care.

H. Donor Cultivation:

• Identify, cultivate, and assist in the solicitation of donors to the collection.

I.  OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED:

• Perform other seasonal and occasional duties as assigned by the Museum Executive Director.

III. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Collaboration: Ability to work positively with others, maintaining a professional atmosphere to problem-solve and stay productive amid interruptions.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Attention to Detail: Detail-oriented with an understanding of museum donors and basic office equipment.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with Microsoft Office software.
• Motivation: Willingness to learn about the natural and cultural history of Park County, MT.
• Collections Management: Understanding of archeological terms and cataloging techniques, with experience in museum collections management and Past Perfect software preferred.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Museum Studies, History, Anthropology, or related field; commensurate experience may be considered.
• Background in museum studies, history and/or art & culture.
• Knowledge of current curatorial and exhibition management practices and active participation in professional development communities within area of expertise.
• Strong project management and organization skills.

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IV.      ACCOUNTABILITY

This position reports to the Museum Executive Director, handles various daily activities of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, and serves the public. This position uses standardized recording practices and procedures, guidelines, and methods that are available to ensure compliance with statutes, rules, requirements, and laws. Information on specific laws, regulations, and processes are readily available and must be followed. This position applies these laws, regulations and processes following procedure manuals and policies. Actions and services provided may have a direct impact on Park County as a whole.

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V.        CONFIDENTIALITY

The position requires handling non-public confidential information. The person in the position acknowledges the confidential nature of non-public information regarding county employees and elected officials. Consistent with applicable polices and guidelines, this position will respect and safeguard the privacy of employees, elected officials and Park County and the confidential nature of information in accordance with Montana state law, without limiting the general nature of this commitment. This position will not access or seek to gain access to confidential information regarding any past or present employees, elected officials, and Park County in the course of fulfilling job responsibilities. The person in the position hereby acknowledges that the person understands that in this context, confidential information is considered all non-public information that can be personally associated with an individual. 

If in the course of executing job responsibilities, the person in the position accidentally accesses information that others might consider inappropriate for this position to access, the person in the position will notify their supervisor of the date and time of the access. If a question arises at a later time, it will be understood that the access was accidental. The person in the position will not disseminate any such information.

By signing this Position Description, the undersigned hereby acknowledges reading and understanding this section regarding confidentiality and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions set forth herein. Violation of confidentiality may warrant disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

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VI.       INDEPENDENCE OF ACTION

This position plans and carries out daily duties following procedure and policy manuals. It uses judgment and initiative to solve problems with collections, cataloging, etc. and troubleshooting software and system problems. This position will work to develop and recommend new processing procedures in response to identifying process inefficiencies, frequent errors, etc. Work objectives and priorities are defined by the Museum Executive Director.

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VII.      PERSONAL CONTACTS

VIII.     WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Work is performed in an office setting and in museum galleries and unheated storage spaces which may be cold in winter. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate, with the most frequent “noise” being ongoing conversations of nearby volunteers and patrons.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, reach with hands or arms, climb ladders and stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl, as well as push and pull with some exertion. Daily manual dexterity for keyboarding through an eight-hour workday is essential. The employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle and feel. Employee must be able to communicate clearly and effectively in English, both verbally and in writing, and must be able to understand and respond to verbal communication in English. The employee must occasionally lift, move and carry up and down multiple flights of stairs objects of 30 or more pounds.

The employee must be able to wear personal protective equipment such as respirators and protective gloves, as required by supervisor and/or OSHA regulations when handling certain items.

The position involves tasks that may require the following vision requirements: close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) for detailed inspection of artifacts, distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more) for monitoring exhibit spaces, color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors) for distinguishing and identifying different artifacts, peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point) for spatial awareness in exhibit areas to ensure the safety of artifacts and visitors, depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships) for handling and positioning artifacts and exhibit materials accurately, and the ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus) for viewing objects at varying distances during cataloging, exhibit setup, and public programs. The employee must be able to read and accurately transcribe information without letter or number confusion or transposition.