Job ID: 11034849
Position Title: Collections Curator
Company Name: The Blessed John Paul II Shrine
Job Function: Curator
Entry Level: No
Location(s): Washington, Dist. Columbia, United States
Posted: September 26, 2012
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Duration: Indefinite
Min Education: Master’s Degree
Min Experience: 2-3 Years
Required Travel: 0-10%

 

                              COLLECTIONS CURATOR

The Blessed John Paul II Shrine seeks a Collections Curator to help lead its planned exhibit and museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Blessed John Paul II and a museum dedicated to the 500 years of Catholic heritage in North America.

The Blessed John Paul II Shrine, a division of the Family Life Bureau, Inc. of the Knights of Columbus is a place of pilgrimage and the veneration of Blessed John Paul II, and above all, the worship of God.  The Shrine and its programs respond to Blessed John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization by communicating the inherent relationship of religion and culture to all interested parties through its liturgy and prayer, education and Christian formation, exhibits and conferences.

Located in northeast Washington, DC, the Blessed John Paul II Shrine is adjacent to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Catholic University of America and is designated as an archdiocesan shrine.  Further information about the Blessed John Paul II Shrine and its programs can be found at http://www.jp2shrine.org.

The Collections Curator reports to the VP of Museums. This individual will work closely with the Director for Education and Programs, Communications and Outreach Manager, Building Operations Manager, Chaplain and the Curator of the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, CT.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

  • Responsible for cataloging, management and care of an expanding and diverse collection of unique and religiously related print and non-print items and for their security, preservation, documentation and interpretation of all collections.
  • Makes recommendations for new acquisitions for the Shrine Collections, oversees exhibitions from the collection within the permanent collection galleries and suggests subjects for new exhibitions.
  • Collaborates with exhibition design teams in the design and maintenance of displays and with the education, programs, communications, and outreach staff to develop programs for all audiences related to the collections, activities and programs of the Shrine.
  • Provides access to the collections by responding to requests from the public, staff, other museums and institutions for information and selects, prepares and processes artifacts for loan.
  • Helps to maintain research library.
  • Utilizes volunteers by preparing instructions, assembling needed materials, and training volunteers in needed tasks.
  • Maintains professional and technical knowledge through educational workshops and membership in professional associations.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

  • Minimum of a Master’s degree in museum studies, theology, or related field  required
  • Three years of museum or related experience, with one year in a curator or registrar position
  • Knowledge of the Catholic faith
  • Knowledge of museum collection software, especially PastPerfect and personal productivity software such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • Knowledge of the techniques of selection, evaluation, preservation, restoration, exhibition of objects, collecting ethics, and current customs regulations
  • Strong written and verbal communications skills
  • Able to manage projects and to plan and work strategically and creatively

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest lay Catholic fraternal organization, with more than 1.8 million members worldwide; the majority of whom reside in North America.  Last year the Knights donated more than $158 million and more than 70 million hours to charitable causes.

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and contact information for three references to:

Mary Massa, Director, Human Resources

Knights of Columbus

1 Columbus Plaza

New Haven, CT  06510

humanresources@kofc.org

The Knights of Columbus is an equal opportunity employer.