MSU Museum Director [Michigan State University]

MSU Museum Director Position

Michigan State University seeks a dynamic leader with significant museum experience to serve as director of its AAM-accredited science and culture museum. Founded in 1857 as part of the university’s land-grant mission, the MSU Museum,museum.msu.edu, serves university and world-wide academic communities, scholars and public audiences through collections, research, exhibitions, public programs and services. MSU itself began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world and the Museum reflects its broad, multi-disciplinary scope and commitment to excellence.

The new director will advance the Museum’s mission of research, scholarship and public engagement, provide sound management and fiscal direction, and balance the unique needs and interests of multiple constituencies. The new director will obtain extramural funding, and strengthen university investment in support of scholarship, technology, education, exhibition and distance learning activities of the Museum. The new director will enhance collaborations among the MSU Museum, other academic units and other organizations where they intersect with teaching, research, exhibits, and public programs.

The MSU Museum has significant science and culture collections that include approximately one million specimens and objects in Anthropology, Natural Science, Folk Arts and History. It is comprised of 30 full and part-time administrative, faculty, curatorial and support staff. The public museum building contains exhibits, natural science collections, and office space. Additional science and culture collections are housed in three other campus buildings. The collections are accessible through multiple national and international electronic databases. The staff members are engaged in exhibition development, including a traveling exhibition service. They are involved locally, nationally and internationally in research, scholarship, the development of collections and electronic access to collections data. Staff members also work with diverse communities in research and programming. The MSU Museum is a CITES-registered scientific institution, and a partner with the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs in select statewide programs.

The MSU Museum is administered by the Office of the Provost; the director reports to the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. MSU Colleges of Arts and Letters, Social Science, Natural Science, Education and Agriculture and Natural Resources/Extension provide funding and staff to the museum. The Museum cultivates and maintains interdisciplinary linkages across campus, particularly in college-based programs in the sciences, arts and humanities, and international studies.

The ideal candidate will have:
• an innovative vision for a multidisciplinary university museum
• extensive executive leadership experience in a museum
• a proven record of sound administrative and fiscal management, and experience with accreditation and/or best practices in professional museum standards
• demonstrated success in extramural grants, fundraising and growing membership base
• evidence of successful collaboration with diverse stake-holders
• a terminal degree in a discipline related and complementary to the work and collections of the Museum
• a significant record of scholarship and research

For inquiries and additional information, contact the chair of the search committee, Professor Margaret Crocco (croccom@msu.edu).

Position is open until filled. Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2015. To apply, please submit a cover letter of interest, a full curriculum vitae, contact information for three references, and three representative scholarly publications through the MSU COMPASS application system https://jobs.msu.edu for job posting #0659.

Michigan State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications from women and members of minorities are strongly encouraged. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

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