Archivist

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX is seeking an experienced Archivist to preserve, organize and provide access to its enduring collections and institutional records. The role emphasizes standards-based processing, discovery, and public access in support of scholarship and public programs.

Reporting to the Head of Collections & Registration, you will lead archival processing, establish retention schedules, collaborate with curatorial, education and exhibitions teams, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in library science, archival studies, museum studies or related field.
• Three or more years of professional archival or records management experience.
• Knowledge of archival theory, storage and description standards, and preservation best practices.
• Experience processing archival collections and creating finding aids.
• Experience working with collection management systems.
• Strong organizational, analytical and research skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while working collaboratively across departments.

Responsibilities

• Process, house and maintain archival collections according to professional standards and best practices.
• Lead the development and stewardship of the Museum’s institutional archives, ensuring the long-term preservation of records that document the organization’s history, governance and operations.
• Establish and maintain archival policies, records management procedures and retention schedules in accordance with professional standards and best practices.
• Collaborate across departments to identify, evaluate and preserve records of enduring institutional value.
• Monitor archival storage conditions and make recommend preservation strategies for collections.
• Create and maintain finding aids, meta data and archival documentation to improve discovery and access for staff, researchers and the public.
• Facilitate researcher access to archival collections while ensuring their long-term preservation.
• Support Curatorial, Education and Exhibitions through archival research and content expertise.
• Collaborate with departments across the Museum to expand access to collections

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Research skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in library science, archival studies, museum studies or related field

Tools

Collection management systems

Job description

Who We Are

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is one of the nation’s leading history museums and the most visited historic site in North Texas. Located within the historic Texas School Book Depository, the Museum preserves and shared the story of President John F. Kennedy, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the enduring legacy of the 1960s through exhibitions, educational programming, collection and public engagement.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Sixth Floor Museum stewards an expanding collection of archival materials, photographs, oral histories, audiovisual media, publications and institutional records that document one of the most significant events in American history. As the Museum continues to invest in preservation, digitization and collections access, the Archivist will play a vital role in ensuring these resources remain available for generations to come.

The Opportunity

The Sixth Floor Museum seeks an experienced and collaborative Archivist to preserve, organize and provide access to the Museum’s collections and institutional records.

Reporting to the Head of Collections & Registration, the Archivist will lead efforts to process and house archival collections, implement professional records management practices and expand access through research services, digitization initiatives and exhibitions. This position works closely with the Collections team, Curatorial, Exhibitions, and Education to support scholarship, public programs and the long-term preservation of the institution’s documentary heritage.

The ideal candidate is equally enthusiastic about preservation, discovery and making history accessible through thoughtful archival practice.

Key Responsibilities

Archival Collections

• Process, house and maintain archival collections according to professional standards and best practices.
• Lead the development and stewardship of the Museum’s institutional archives, ensuring the long-term preservation of records that document the organization’s history, governance and operations.
• Establish and maintain archival policies, records management procedures and retention schedules in accordance with professional standards and best practices.
• Collaborate across departments to identify, evaluate and preserve records of enduring institutional value.
• Monitor archival storage conditions and make recommend preservation strategies for collections.

Access & Research

• Create and maintain finding aids, meta data and archival documentation to improve discovery and access for staff, researchers and the public.
• Facilitate researcher access to archival collections while ensuring their long-term preservation.
• Support Curatorial, Education and Exhibitions through archival research and content expertise.
• Collaborate with departments across the Museum to expand access to collections

Records Management & Preservation

• Develop and implement records management policies, workflows and retention schedules.
• Partner with departments across the Museum to identify, evaluate and transfer records of enduring historical value to the institutional archives.
• Collaborate with the Registrar to ensure archival collections are accurately documented and aligned with Museum’s Collection Management Policy.
• Collaborate with the Digital Preservation Archivist to support the digitization and long-term preservation of archival materials while ensuring appropriate descriptive metadata and intellectual control.
• Monitor evolving archival standards and records management practices, recommending improvements that strengthen the Museum’s institutional archives program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in library science, archival studies, museum studies or related field.
• Three or more years of professional archival or records management experience.
• Knowledge of archival theory, storage and description standards, and preservation best practices.
• Experience processing archival collections and creating finding aids.
• Experience working with collection management systems.
• Strong organizational, analytical and research skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while working collaboratively across departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified archivist credentials.
• Experience working with history collections.
• Familiarity with records management.