Job announcement: Associate Curator of Collections (Southwest Anthropology)/Head of Collections

Associate Curator of Collections (Southwest Anthropology)/Head of Collections University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ

 

Associate Curator of Collections is a continuing-eligible faculty position within the Arizona State Museum (ASM) and the University of Arizona (UA). The incumbent serves as Head of and provides vision and leadership to the Collections Division, the largest division within ASM. The incumbent supervises, in consultation with Collections Division Section Heads and the Preservation Division, ongoing collections acquisitions, documentation, care, access, and use, in accordance with the highest museum standards; engages in research, education, and outreach involving archaeological and/or ethnological collections; serves on ASM's Executive Committee; develops institutional policy; and pursues grants and other forms of external funding for collections acquisition, care, and/or research.

This position is eligible for continuing status within the University of Arizona. Upon successful completion of the continuing status process, the incumbent will be employed under a continuing appointment with the expectation that the University President will renew the appointment for successive appointment periods, except when renewal is precluded by reason of retirement, resignation, release for budgetary reasons or reorganization, or dismissal for just cause. The granting of continuing status requires excellent performance and the promise of continued excellence. Policies on the continuing status process are outlined in the University Handbook for Appointed Personnel section 4.10.

ASM is the oldest, largest anthropology museum in the U.S. Southwest, dedicated to promoting respect and understanding of the peoples and cultures of Arizona and surrounding regions through research, collections stewardship, and public outreach. ASM holds comprehensive collections of Southwest Indian art and artifacts, offers a full program of exhibits and public events and operates the largest most active non-federal archaeological repository in the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

A. Administrative Activities (40%):

• Provides leadership and direction to the Collections Division and coordinates with other Divisions in accomplishing ASM's mission and strategic goals.
• Serves as Chair of ASM's Collections Committee. Develops and implements, with input from Collections Division Section Heads and Preservation Division staff, written policy and procedures for acquisition, registration, cataloging, preservation, storage, retrieval, access, and use of ASM collections.
• Manages Division budget for operations, capital equipment, and travel.
• Supervises the Registrar to ensure that transactions are properly executed and that documents are properly maintained.
• Supervises the staff of the Archaeological Collections, the Archaeological Repository, and the Photographic Collections.
• Collaborates and coordinates with the faculty curators and librarians within the Archaeological Records Office, the Ethnological Collections, and the Library and Archives.
• Develops and updates job descriptions for classified staff in the Division and conducts annual performance appraisals for direct reports among the Division's classified staff.
• Prepares monthly accession reports for ASM's Executive Committee and an annual report for ASM administration detailing Division activities and accomplishments.
• Ensures that ASM complies with state and federal statutes related to collections management, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), as well as pertinent international conventions.

B. Research and Creative Activities (25%):

• Conducts collections-based research.
• Develops and curates exhibits with other ASM faculty and staff, and/or guest curators.
• Facilitates collections access for professional researchers and students and promotes participation in ongoing museum research by the general public.

C. Education (10%):

• Facilitates educational use of ASM's collections.
• Participates in ASM's educational outreach initiatives through formal and informal involvement in UA educational programs, including guest lectures in courses at UA and other institutions of higher learning, community presentations, tours, and workshops designed for a variety of learners.
• May teach courses in a UA department or interdisciplinary program and supervise student internships and independent study.

D. Service and Outreach (25%):

• Represents the Collections Division on the ASM Executive Committee and serves on other ASM and UA committees as required.
• Performs service and outreach tasks as recommended for academic professionals in administrative positions, including participation in academic and professional organizations.

Arizona Board of Regents Minimum Qualifications

Not applicable for this position.

Additional Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in anthropology, ethnohistory, material culture studies, museum studies, or a closely related field;
• Record of scholarship in the candidate's discipline, and the ability to recruit and facilitate the work of campus scholars, visiting researchers, and students whose research requires use of ASM collections;
• Experience in collections management and familiarity with curatorial standards, codes of ethics, and best practices;
• Familiarity with state and federal statutes pertaining to museum collections, particularly the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA);
• Knowledge of Southwestern archaeological, ethnological, and/or archival collections;
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and grant writing;
• Experience with educational and public outreach initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in personnel management;
• Demonstrated experience in capital projects associated with building expansion, renovation, and new construction;
• Demonstrated proficiency with computer applications used in collections management;
• Knowledge of museum roles as centers for community engagement and academic pursuits;
• Demonstrated experience working for and/or in collaboration with indigenous peoples of the U.S. Southwest and/or northwest Mexico;
• Knowledge of Spanish and/or Southwestern American Indian language(s).

Pre-employment Screening Requirements

The University of Arizona conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of academic credentials, licenses, certifications, and work history. In addition, a check of names and identification documents is conducted on all new employees to ensure they are legally authorized to work in the United States.

What kind of criminal background check is required for this position?

This position is security sensitive based on the job duties and requires a finger-print criminal background check