Please visit Head of Collections for complete job posting and application instructions.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH), founded in 1920, is located in the heart of University Circle, five miles east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Considered among the top 10 institutions of its kind in North America, the Museum offers an incredible visitor experience, attracting roughly 275,000 visitors a year. There are more than 140 public education programs and over 80,000 students served annually. CMNH employs about 115 people.
Building on its strong foundation of excellence in education and research, the Museum is poised to transform itself. CMNH will invite and engage a broader audience in the exploration of science and the natural world by revolutionizing the way it presents natural history. The Museum has currently launched a capital campaign to support a dramatic renovation and expansion of its facilities and exhibits. This ambitious plan will position the Museum to play a leading role in regional and national efforts to improve science education and increase scientific literacy.
The CMNH is seeking a dynamic, creative and energetic individual who is passionate about the Museum and its mission; exhibits strong project management and organizational skills; is looking for new challenges; and enjoys working in an enthusiastic and fast paced environment.
Job Summary: The Head of Collections will oversee all staff involved in the direct management of the Museum’s permanent collections held within the Division of Research and Collections. These collections include zoology, botany, paleontology, geology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, library, archives, as well as any special collections. The Head of Collections will also oversee the registrar office to ensure procedures are developed and enforced. The Head of Collections will oversee any collection without assigned staff until a staff member can be secured or the collection can be reasonably assigned to another staff member. The Head of Collections will develop short- and long-term strategy to advance the health, preservation, and quality of the collections. The Head of Collections will lead collections management staff and work with the Director of Research and Collections to develop collaborative efforts to secure and advance the institutional collections through methodological development and external funding. The Head of Collections will work with curatorial staff and collections management to advance mutual interests pertaining to the collection and the research requirements for that collection. The Head of Collections will foster a culture of communication and collaboration among the collections management and collections assistant staff through organization of group meetings, collaborative projects that address collections security, digital, development, or enhancement.