Historic Preservationist 1 - Programmatic Operations & Grants Coordinator

Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Metropolitan Historical Commission seeks a Historic Preservationist 1 to provide broad preservation services in Nashville and Davidson County. The role emphasizes grants management, cemetery survey coordination, and community engagement with diverse stakeholders.

The position reports to the Executive Director and requires solid knowledge of historic preservation, strong communication skills, and the ability to work some evenings or weekends for events and meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation, History or Public History from an accredited college, and two years of preservation experience.
• Master’s degree in Historic Preservation is preferred for advancement.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary grants coordinator for MHC; manage the full grant life cycle from design to reporting and engagement.
• Coordinate the Davidson County Cemetery Survey program; conduct site visits and preservation planning.
• Develop and implement community outreach and engagement activities for the department.
• Provide staff support for Nashville Conference on African American History & Culture and Preservation Awards.
• Assist with events; available for occasional night and weekend meetings.
• Respond to preservation inquiries from the public, officials, and internal contacts.
• Contribute preservation content to MHC’s monthly e-newsletter and social media.
• Represent the department at public meetings; attend Metro trainings and grant-related meetings.
• Attend and report at monthly commission and team meetings; handle special projects and research requests.
• Assist with countywide surveys and NRHP eligibility determinations as needed.

Skills

Grant coordination

Community engagement

Public history knowledge

Communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation, History or Public History

Master’s degree in Historic Preservation (preferred)

Job description

The Historic Preservationist 1 serves on the staff of the Metropolitan Historical Commission. The Metropolitan Historical Commission is a municipal historic preservation agency working to document history, save and reuse buildings, and make the public more aware of the necessity and advantages of preservation in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Created in 1966, the commission consists of fifteen citizens appointed by the mayor. The incumbent will provide a broad range of historic preservation services to the public and other constituencies, with specialized programmatic-level support in cemetery preservation, grant seeking/grant management, and community engagement.

Have you ever wondered about our city's history and how some historic properties are saved? Every day the Metro Historical Commission staff surveys and evaluates historic resources and works with property owners to save and reuse historic structures.

In recent years, the Historic Commission has been successful in saving many historic properties that would have otherwise been destroyed. If saving our history interests you and you meet all other requirements, this could be the job for you.

• Serves as the primary grants coordinator for the Metropolitan Historical Commission (MHC) staff. Responsible for seeking out relevant funding opportunities that align with the mission and needs of the department; develop and submit grant proposals; lead efforts across the full grant life cycle related to project design, contract coordination, project implementation, vendor procurement, programmatic and financial management, grant reporting, and community and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinates the Davidson County Cemetery Survey program, including site visits, surveys, file organization, and preservation planning. Respond to inquiries regarding the county’s historical cemeteries.
• In coordination with other staff, develops and regularly implements community outreach and engagement opportunities on behalf of the department.
• Provides staff support for MHC’s signature events, including the annual Nashville Conference on African American History & Culture and annual Preservation Awards.
• Assists with other events and meetings as needed. Selected candidate must be available for occasional night and weekend meetings and other local events.
• Responds to general preservation-related inquiries from the public, commissioners, elected officials, and other internal contacts.
• Regularly contributes preservation-related content to MHC’s monthly e-newsletter and social media pages.
• Represents the department as needed at public meetings. Attend required Metro employee training sessions and interdepartmental grant-related meetings/workshops.
• Attends and provides reports for monthly commission and team meetings.
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to managing special projects, responding to research requests, and assisting with countywide architectural survey and National Register of Historic Places eligibility determinations.
• This position reports directly to the MHC Executive Director.

Bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation, History or Public History field of study from an accredited college or university and two (2) years experience in historic preservation or related field.

For this specific position, a substitution will not be considered

LICENSES REQUIRED:

Valid Driver License

Candidates with accreditations earned in a foreign institute are encouraged to apply.

Note: Per Metro Ordinance No. SO94-1078. All employees of the Metropolitan Government shall be residents of the State of Tennessee or become residents of the state within six (6) months of employment as a prerequisite to employment with the Metropolitan Government.

• Experience with prior grant projects and/or historical cemetery preservation
• Knowledge of Nashville and Davidson County and/or Tennessee history
• Master’s degree in Historic Preservation, History, or Public History

We are an equal opportunity employer.

All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.

Metro Nashville is committed to selecting the most qualified candidate for each of our roles.

Metro Nashville Government respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on business operations.

Requests for ADA or other protected accommodations for the recruitment process should be directed to Human Resources at 615-862-6640.