Collections Researcher

Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust; New York (NY); On-site; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid time off

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York is seeking a collections specialist to oversee oral history projects, including translation, transcription, digitization, and cataloguing, with collaboration across curatorial and collections teams. This is a grant-funded role from January 2027 through August 2029, onsite.

Responsibilities include producing interview summaries, organizing digital content, coordinating translators and transcribers, and presenting

Qualifications

• BA in European History or related field is required.
• MA in Holocaust History, Digital Humanities, Library Science, Curatorial Studies strongly preferred (3–5 years experience).
• Reading and comprehension of Yiddish and Hebrew required; other languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Watch and listen to witness testimony to produce summaries and catalogue entries for each interview.
• Contribute to framing and interpretation of the testimony collection and digital exhibitions.
• Create keywording and metadata for each interview in TMS.
• Convert and organize digital files; maintain strict organization.
• Upload digital files to TMS and related media.
• Coordinate with translators and transcribers; oversee their work products.
• Propose a sequence for completing the project with project team members.
• Present regular progress updates with metrics to supervisors.
• Assist with other collections-based projects as needed.

Skills

Research skills

Organizational skills

Digital humanities

TMS experience

Yiddish/Hebrew reading

Education

BA in European History

MA in Holocaust History

Tools

TMS

Job description

Oversee the Collections & Exhibitions Department’s oral history collections projects, including translation, transcription, digitization, cataloguing, and creating digital content working closely with the Museum’s curatorial and collections teams. This is a grant-funded position beginning in January 2027 through August 2029.

Responsibilities

• Watch/listen to first-hand witness testimony to produce comprehensive summaries and catalogue entries for each interview
• Contribute to the overall framing and interpretation of the testimony collection and any digital exhibitions to be produced using the material
• Create relevant keywording and implement keywords for each interview in TMS
• Convert and compress digital files, maintaining strict organization
• Upload digital files to TMS platform as well as any related media
• Coordinate with and oversee work products from translators and transcribers
• With project team members, propose a sequence for completing the project
• Present regularly on project progress to supervisors with legible metrics
• Assist with other and ongoing collections-based projects as needed

Requirements

• B.A. in European History or a related field required
• MA in Holocaust History, Digital Humanities, Library Science, Curatorial Studies and/or 3-5 years of relevant experience strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of European and Eastern European Jewish history, Holocaust and World War II history, and historical geography.
• Reading and comprehension of Yiddish and Hebrew required; knowledge of German, Polish, Hungarian, and/or French a plus
• Ability to discern spoken English with heavy accents or degraded audio quality
• Knowledge of cataloguing and description methodology
• Strong historical research skills, including the ability to verify and contextualize people, places, events, and terminology referenced in oral histories
• Ability to synthesize complex research findings into clear catalogue descriptions, keywords, metadata, and public-facing interpretive content.
• Tech-savvy, strong digital media skills
• TMS experience a plus
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently

Position Details

• Position reports jointly to: Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs
• Status: Full-Time, 40 hours a week for the grant term through August 2029
• Location: Onsite
• Salary: $65,000/year plus a comprehensive benefits package including health coverage, paid time off, and retirement benefits

The Museum of Jewish Heritage is an equal‑opportunity employer. As a cultural institution that teaches about the dangers of intolerance, the Museum is dedicated to promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion in its hiring practices. Information about the Museum’s work and values can be found here.