Collections Steward | Museum Artifacts & Exhibits

Calmuseums; Milpitas (CA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully sponsored medical, dental, and 


Vision benefits

403(b) retirement plan with employer 


Generous PTO

Life and Disability Insurance

Employee discounts in museum store and

Job summary

Computer History Museum seeks a dedicated Collections Manager to safeguard CHM’s 41,000 physical objects, manage storage and exhibit preparation, and support loan processing. The role focuses on documentation, stewardship, access, and expedition logistics from Milpitas and Mountain View facilities.

Responsibilities include cataloging in CMS, coordinating with facilities, moving collections, and ensuring security and safety during handling and transport.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in museum studies with 2+ years progressive hands-on experience working with physical museum objects.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with artifact collections management, record-keeping, artifact storage systems, handling, and packing.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with IPM, security, and mitigating risks to collections in general.
• Highly organized, creative, & curious, with excellent attention to detail & time management skills.
• Photography and photo editing skills.
• Strong interpersonal communications skills, working both independently and collaboratively with a diverse group of people, and possessing a sense of humor.
• Experience working with large artifacts, ability to efficiently and safely use a pallet jack, cataloging, artifact handling, collections moves, and working in storage facilities.
• Experience as a frequent user of a CMS, with a passion for maintaining accurate locations.
• Preferred: strapping large artifacts to pallets; PEM2 dataloggers and eClimate Notebook; familiarity with computer/electronics artifact collections and preservation requirements; mount making; safe operation of scissor lift and tools.

Responsibilities

• Maintain CHM-enhanced Nomenclature hierarchy.
• Coordinate forklift access and storage in the warehouse.
• Operate scissor lift to access objects and replace earthquake straps.
• Manage warehouse portion of annual collections move and update locations.
• Support loan object handling, condition reporting, and transportation.
• Provide access to CHM’s Restoration Team and Special Collections in warehouse.
• Catalog large artifacts and prepare items for transport and exhibit installation/deinstallation.
• Ensure security walkthroughs and pest control records are up to date.
• Travel between CHM locations for object handling and exhibit work.

Skills

Museum operations

Record-keeping

Artifact handling

CMS proficiency

Security awareness

Interpersonal communications

Organizational skills

Education

Master’s degree in museum studies

Tools

Pallet jack

Scissor lift

PEM2 dataloggers

eClimate Notebook

CMS (collections management system)

Job description

Computer History Museum seeks a dedicated Collections Manager to safeguard CHM’s 41,000 physical objects, manage storage and exhibit preparation, and support loan processing. The role focuses on documentation, stewardship, access, and expedition logistics from Milpitas and Mountain View facilities.

Responsibilities include cataloging in CMS, coordinating with facilities, moving collections, and ensuring security and safety during handling and transport.