Senior Director & Curator

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, HI seeks a Senior Director & Curator to lead the curatorial vision, collections strategy, and interpretive programs for on-site exhibits.

You will supervise curatorial and conservation staff, manage budgets and grants, and collaborate with education, operations, and donors to bring aviation history to life.

This leadership role shapes public-facing storytelling across Hangar 37 and Hangar 79, engaging veterans, scholars, and visitors.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of museum curation and exhibitions.
• Experience with collections management and conservation.
• Strong leadership and staff supervision skills.
• Proven ability to develop engaging interpretive programs.
• Master's degree in Museum Studies, History, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Oversee collections management, conservation priorities, and artifact acquisition.
• Develop exhibition concepts and narratives for galleries.
• Coordinate research to support interpretation of aviation and military history.
• Lead curatorial and collections staff; collaborate with education, operations, and development.
• Represent the Museum at conferences, community events, and stakeholder meetings.

Skills

Museum curation

Collections management

Exhibition development

Leadership

Public speaking

Grant writing

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree in Museum Studies or related field

Job description

Company Description

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is located on historic Ford Island in the middle of Pearl Harbor, a National Historic Landmark that still bears visible reminders of the December 7, 1941 attack. The Museum's mission is to steward America's first aviation battlefield of World War II by preserving artifacts, sharing personal stories, and interpreting the impact and response to the attack and the Pacific battles that followed. Through its exhibits and programs, the Museum honors those who have defended freedom while educating and inspiring future generations. The campus includes two main exhibit spaces: Hangar 37, which focuses on the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, and America's World War II involvement, and Hangar 79, which continues the story through the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Gulf Wars.

Role Description

The Senior Director & Curator is a full-time, on-site role based at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, HI. This position leads the curatorial vision and strategic direction for collections, exhibitions, and interpretive programs, ensuring that the Museum's mission is reflected in all gallery experiences and public-facing content. Day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing collections management, conservation priorities, and artifact acquisition; developing exhibition concepts and narratives; and coordinating research to support accurate and compelling interpretation of aviation and military history. The role supervises curatorial and collections staff, collaborates with education, operations, and development teams, and maintains relationships with donors, lenders, historians, and partner institutions. The Senior Director & Curator also prepares budgets, contributes to grant proposals, establishes policies and procedures for collections care and ethical stewardship, and represents the Museum at professional conferences, community events, and stakeholder meetings.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of museum curation, collections management, and exhibition development, with experience in military, aviation, or related history.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, including staff supervision, mentoring, and cross-department collaboration.
• Strong research, writing, and editorial abilities for exhibition text, interpretive materials, and scholarly or public-facing content.
• Experience with museum best practices, including conservation standards, ethical collections stewardship, and compliance with professional guidelines.
• Proficiency in project planning and budgeting, including managing timelines, resources, and multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Effective communication and public speaking skills for presentations, tours, media interviews, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to cultivate relationships with donors, veterans, historians, community partners, and lending institutions to support exhibitions and collections.
• Master's degree in Museum Studies, History, Art History, Public History, or a closely related field; equivalent combination of education and significant museum leadership experience may be considered.