Deputy Director and Chief Curator

Association of Academic Museums & Galleries.; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, California, seeks an inaugural deputy director and chief curator to lead both curatorial and education teams and shape the museum's future.

Reporting to the director, this role will provide strategic leadership across collections, exhibitions, scholarship, and public engagement, helping to build a nationally recognized, university-connected cultural institution.

Responsibilities

• Oversee curatorial and education teams.
• Provide strategic leadership across collections, exhibitions, scholarship and public engagement.
• Guide the museum through a period of growth and increased visibility.
• Collaborate closely with the director to shape the museum’s intellectual and programmatic direction.

Job description

Deputy Director and Chief Curator – University of California, Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, Costa Mesa, California

This role has a targeted starting salary range of $185,000 – $208,000 commensurate with experience.

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art seeks an accomplished and visionary museum leader to serve as its inaugural deputy director and chief curator, overseeing both the curatorial and education teams. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a newly unified museum at a defining moment in its evolution. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the deputy director and chief curator will play a central role in advancing the museum’s intellectual, curatorial, and programmatic direction within the context of a world-class R1 research university. Anchored by one of the nation’s leading public universities, the museum brings together multiple artistic legacies to tell an expansive story of California and its global connections.

Reporting to the new director, Kathryn Kanjo , who began in early 2026, the deputy director and chief curator will provide strategic leadership across collections, exhibitions, scholarship, and public engagement, helping to build an institution that is both academically distinguished and broadly accessible. Leveraging the museum’s significant collections, university partnerships, and public platform, this leader will advance new scholarship, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and create dynamic experiences that connect artists, students, scholars, and diverse communities.

The ideal candidate will bring distinguished curatorial expertise, a record of scholarly achievement, and exceptional leadership skills, along with the ability to translate ambitious ideas into impactful programs and initiatives. Working in close partnership with the director, the deputy director and chief curator will help guide the museum through an exciting period of growth while enhancing its visibility and influence across UC Irvine, throughout California, and within the national and international cultural landscape.