Executive Director

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 275,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington seeks an Executive Director with a distinguished record in leading educational, scientific, or cultural institutions. This pivotal role will shape the museum's strategic direction, research agenda, and community engagement.

The successful candidate will advance research, public programming, fundraising, and inclusive engagement with Indigenous communities, while stewarding a $15 million annual budget and fostering

Qualifications

• Five+ years of senior leadership in educational, scientific, or cultural institutions.
• Strong budget management and proven fundraising success.
• Experience across staff development, curatorial, exhibitions design, and collections management.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Burke Museum, guiding research, public programming, and exhibitions.
• Oversee budgeting, fundraising, and donor relations to support the museum's mission.
• Advise on Indigenous community partnerships and cultural equity in operations.

Skills

Senior leadership experience

Budget management

Fundraising

Diversity and inclusion experience

Education

Terminal degree in a field relevant to the Burke collections

Job description

Call for Applicants and Nominations

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture (the Burke) at the University of Washington, Seattle WA is pleased to announce their search for their next Executive Director.

The full position profile is available at: DSG | Koya Burke Museum

The Burke is one of the oldest and most distinguished natural history and cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1885 and located on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, the Burke is a world-class research repository, a public museum, and a living expression of the Pacific Northwest's extraordinary natural and human heritage. Its collections span archeology, biology, paleontology, and the arts and cultures of Indigenous peoples across the Northwest and the Pacific region, North and South America, Central Asia, and Africa.

The Burke Museum is administered by the University of Washington, operating under the governance of the College of Arts and Sciences and operates with an annual budget of approximately $15 million.

The Burke's relationship with Indigenous communities is central to the institution's identity and operations. A Native American Advisory Board provides essential guidance on policy, programming, and advocacy, reflecting the museum's commitment to decolonization and cultural equity. The Burke holds significant collections of Indigenous cultural materials and its approach to stewardship, access, and interpretation of those collections is shaped by ongoing dialogue with the communities from which they originate.

The museum's values are deeply rooted in diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility. The Burke shares the University of Washington's core commitment to building a welcoming environment for staff, researchers, visitors, and community partners alike. The Burke's public programming, exhibition design, and educational engagement all reflect an institution that takes seriously its responsibility to serve all people, not only those with prior access to natural history and cultural institutions.

Learn more about the Burke Museum at https://www.burkemuseum.org/

Learn more about the University of Washington at https://www.washington.edu/.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $275,000 to $325,000.

The University of Washington offers a highly competitive salary and a wide range of benefits as part of a total compensation package. For more information, explore the UW Benefits website. Relocation will be provided for the successful candidate.

Contact

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [e-mail]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Burke Museum is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. |

Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.

Candidates will bring at least five years of senior leadership experience in educational, scientific, or cultural institutions, including a strong record in budget management and demonstrated success with fundraising. In addition, they will have experience in many of the following areas of museum operations: staff development, curatorial, exhibitions design, collections management, facilities oversight, teaching, academic research and publication, and demonstrated cultural competence in working with Indigenous communities and communities of color.

A terminal degree in a field relevant to the Burke collections is strongly preferred, as is a strong scholarly track record of research, publication, and/or production. Having these qualifications entitles the Executive Director to qualify for a faculty appointment at the University of Washington. Exceptional candidates with a professional track record of 9 or more years of senior leadership in renowned cultural institutions and a bachelor’s or master’s degree may be considered without faculty appointment.