Curator of Collections

Pinellas County Government; Florida; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Florida Retirement System (FRS)

Tuition reimbursement

Wellness programs

Deferred compensation

Job summary

Pinellas County Government’s Heritage Village in Largo, FL seeks a Curator of Collections to oversee management, preservation, and access to the museum’s historical collections. The role covers acquisitions, cataloging, and donor documentation, with collaboration across staff and volunteers.

The curator supports exhibitions and public programs, ensuring compliance with professional standards, legal requirements, and institutional policies while advancing research and education.

Qualifications

• Experience with museum ethics, collections policies, and legal requirements.
• Knowledge of collections management databases and preventive conservation.
• Professional experience in museum collections management, documentation, and preservation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee acquisitions, cataloging, inventories, deaccessioning, and collections records.
• Maintain the collections management database, ensuring accurate documentation, object tracking, and accessibility.
• Coordinate loans, donor records, and related documentation and reporting.
• Develop and maintain standardized collections procedures, forms, and workflows.
• Oversee preservation, handling, storage, and security of collections.
• Support digitization, research, and public access to collections.
• Train and supervise volunteers and interns; coordinate cataloging projects.
• Participate in exhibition planning and artifact rotation with staff.

Skills

Organizational skills

Research skills

Communication skills

Collaborative skills

Collections management databases

Preventive conservation

Museum ethics and policies

Education

Museum studies

History

Art history

Public history

Anthropology

Master's degree or higher

Job description

Curator of Collections

Classification Title: Curator of Collections

Location: Heritage Village, 11909 125th Street North, Largo, FL 33774

Re-living the history of Pinellas County at Heritage Village is like a going back in a time-machine through the last century. Currently we are seeking a Curator of Collections to oversee the museum’s collections.

Curator of Collections is responsible for the professional management, documentation, preservation, and stewardship of Heritage Village's historical and archival collections. This position oversees acquisitions, cataloging, inventories, collections care, database administration, loans, and associated legal and institutional documentation.

The curator ensures that collections are managed in accordance with professional museum standards, institutional policies, and applicable legal requirements. The position also coordinates collections volunteers and interns and supports research, education, and public access to the collections.

Exhibition development is a collaborative responsibility shared among Heritage Village staff. The Curator of Collections contributes specialized collections expertise, historical research, artifact selection, and collections care guidance to exhibition projects.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Collections Management and Documentation

• Oversee acquisitions, accessioning, cataloging, inventories, deaccessioning, and collections records.
• Maintain the collections management database, ensuring accurate documentation, object tracking, and accessibility.
• Manage donor records, deeds of gift, temporary custody documentation, and loan agreements.
• Coordinate collections review and prepare recommendations for museum management and the Collections Committee.
• Develop and maintain standardized collections procedures, forms, and workflows.

Collections Preservation and Care

• Oversee the proper handling, storage, preservation, and security of museum collections.
• Conduct condition assessments, monitor environmental conditions, and coordinate integrated pest management.
• Support collections emergency preparedness, disaster response, and recovery.
• Establish appropriate standards for collections storage, movement, and exhibition.

Collections Policy and Compliance

• Maintain and recommend updates to the Collections Management Policy and related procedures.
• Ensure collections activities follow professional standards, ethical practices, and applicable legal requirements.
• Coordinate incoming and outgoing loans, including documentation and condition reporting.
• Prepare collections reports, inventories, and institutional records.

Research and Collections Access

• Conduct historical and object-based research relevant to the museum's mission.
• Facilitate collections access for researchers, educational programs, and approved public inquiries.
• Support digitization, photography, and online accessibility of collections.
• Provide collections-related research and technical assistance to museum staff.

Volunteer and Intern Coordination

• Train, coordinate, and supervise volunteers and interns working with museum collections.
• Assign and oversee cataloging, inventory, photography, digitization, and research projects.
• Ensure adherence to collections handling and documentation standards.

Collaborative Exhibition Development

• Participate in exhibition planning and development as part of the museum's interdisciplinary staff team.
• Provide expertise in artifact selection, historical research, collections documentation, conservation, and appropriate display.
• Assist with interpretive content, exhibition installation, and artifact rotation as assigned.
• Collaborate with staff responsible for education, interpretation, preservation, and visitor engagement.

Institutional and Professional Support

• Maintain relationships with museum professionals, historical organizations, and institutional partners.
• Contribute to special projects, public programs, and institutional planning as assigned.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the position's classification.

WHAT DO Y0U NEED:

Experience: Supervising acquisitions, inventorying collections, researching objects, tracking locations, identifying objects, performing remedial conservation.

Degree: Museum studies and history, art history, public history, anthropology or relevant field.

• 8 years’ experience describe above.
• Associate degree and 6 years’ experience described above.
• Bachelor’s degree and 4 years’ experience describe above.
• Master degree or higher level degree.
• An equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.
• Valid Florida Driver’s License.

Highly Desirable:

• Advanced degree in museum studies, public history, history, or a related field.
• Professional experience in museum collections management, documentation, and preservation.
• Knowledge of museum ethics, collections policies, and legal requirements.
• Experience with collections management databases and preventive conservation.
• Strong organizational, research, communication, and collaborative skills.

Let Us Tell You What Benefits We Offer!!

• Our benefits rank among the top in the area! Check it out!
• Looking for a strong retirement? We have you covered as members of the Florida Retirement System (FRS) with investment and pension options.
• We have tuition reimbursement, wellness, and deferred compensation programs to name a few perks. Check out these and more!

Want to learn more?

Review the full classification description with the Physical/Mental Demands and Working Conditions at the below link.

Curator of Collections