Curatorial Assistant

City of Richmond; British Columbia; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Richmond seeks a curatorial assistant for its heritage sites. The role involves supporting exhibits and preserving collections, with responsibilities including administrative tasks and mentoring. Ideal candidates will have a related bachelor's degree and experience in museums or heritage sites.

Qualifications

• Experience with museum collections required.
• Knowledge of Canadian history considered an asset.
• Ability to pass a Police Information Check.

Responsibilities

• Assist with operational tasks related to heritage buildings.
• Provide administrative curatorial support for exhibitions.
• Generate content for social media and website updates.

Skills

Curatorial knowledge

Preventative conservation

Interpretive writing

Relationship management

Graphic design software proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in related discipline

Tools

Digital collections management system

Argus database

Job description

Overview

Based at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site and reporting to the Exhibit and Program Coordinator, this position provides curatorial assistance for exhibits and heritage buildings across four heritage sites in Steveston operated by the City of Richmond. These sites include Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, London Farm, Steveston Tram and Steveston Museum and Post office.

Examples of key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with overseeing operational, maintenance or modifications to heritage buildings to ensure that heritage and cultural resources are not damaged on site.
• Provide administrative curatorial support for heritage buildings and exhibitions, including liaising with stakeholders, conducting condition reports, purchasing materials, and receiving and shipping artifacts and props.
• Mitigate threats to the collection by practicing preventative conservation and preservation treatments, including maintaining interpretive exhibits and signage, and ensuring artifacts are cleaned, stored and displayed properly.
• Provide curatorial support for exhibitions including research and writing exhibition content and identifying, procuring and installing artifacts and display props, and supporting exhibition design and fabrication contractors.
• Mentor and train staff, volunteers and public in collections care and preservation.
• Generate social media content and support in updating website information.
• Perform other duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of the Curatorial profession, institutions and sites including industry methods, principles and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
• Knowledge of collections policy standards, preventative conservation procedures.
• Knowledge and skill in the care, handling, housing and preventative conservation of collections to ensure safety of artifacts.
• Knowledge of Canadian, British Columbia and/or Richmond history is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated skill in interpretive writing and content development.
• Ability to effectively use graphic design software to create artifact labels and simple interpretive panels.
• Ability to make decisions regarding work plans, create timelines for projects, and prioritize work.
• Skill and ability to use a digital collections management system, experience with Argus database an asset.
• Ability to work both independently and interdependently while exercising sound judgement and initiative.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with both internal staff and external stakeholders and contractors.
• Ability to courteously and effectively deal with the public in providing information and assistance regarding exhibitions and collections.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, work well under pressure and deal with stressful situations with professionalism.
• Ability to follow direction and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to successfully pass a Police Information Check.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A Bachelor's degree in a related discipline including or supplemented by courses in museum studies, cultural resource management, artifact collections management, and/or preventative conservation.
• A minimum of 1-year hands-on experience working with museum collections, including researching and developing content for museum displays at a museum or heritage site.

Working Conditions:

Work is performed in an environment with regular exposure to minor to moderate, and occasional exposure to major disagreeable conditions or hazards. Exposure to dust and possible contaminants such as mould and fungus. Routine light lifting and occasional heavy lifting is required.