Career Opportunities with Field Museum

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Assistant or Associate Curator of Pacific or East Asian Anthropology 

Department: Negaunee Integrative Research Ctr
Location: Chicago, IL

Our Mission: Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, our organization has aimed to connect people to the natural environment and human history.

Join our team and enjoy a benefits package that truly supports your well-being and lifestyle:

  • Comprehensive Health Coverage: Including medical, dental, vision plans, and even pet insurance.
  • Financial Security: Life and disability benefits plus a 403(b) savings plan to help you plan for the future.
  • Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off, paid sick leave, and paid holidays to ensure you have time to recharge and spend with loved ones.
  • Exclusive Perks: Enjoy great employee discounts and complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions.

We're dedicated to enhancing your life both at work and beyond!

Position Overview:

The Assistant or Associate Curator of Pacific or East Asian Anthropology will conduct research in Pacific or East Asian Anthropology and curate the associated Anthropology Collections, including participating in decisions regarding accessions, loans, collections care and use, inquiries, and approval of research and destructive analysis requests. The position has an anticipated start date of January 1, 2025. Applicants should have a record of collections and field-based research programs in the Pacific or East Asia that is implemented in collaboration with descendant communities. They should also display a strong commitment to shared governance and co-curation. In addition, the curator will provide intellectual leadership to a curatorial team that engages the communities of Pacific or East Asian nations abroad and in Chicago through joint stewardship of the Field Museum's collections.

This position will be a joint position with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A Ph.D. in Anthropology or a relevant discipline must be held by the start of employment. Deadline for receipt of completed applications is October 21, 2024.

This position has a probationary period of 3 + 3 years; after successful promotion to the Associate level it is renewable every 7 years, according to the Field Museum’s Policy Statement on the Curatorial Ranks.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an externally-funded field research program; contribute to building, maintaining, and using the Pacific or East Asian collections; and participate in Museum exhibitions, public outreach and education, and other programmatic and public learning initiatives. We seek an individual with strong research and communication skills as well as ties to Indigenous communities. All of these will enable the successful candidate to care for and interpret an ethnographic and archaeological collection of Indigenous cultural material from the Pacific or East Asia, incorporating Indigenous viewpoints through collaborative research, collections care, curation of exhibits, and contributions to programming (e.g., lectures, workshops, conferences). The curator will furthermore help promote access to collections, particularly by Indigenous communities, and develop the current institutional goals of ethical stewardship. This includes building and maintaining relationships, fostering collaborative dialogue, and promoting diverse perspectives within Museum spaces.

Applications must include the following:

  1. A Curriculum Vitae
  2. A statement of research interests and career objectives
  3. A statement about the applicant's commitment and contributions to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion
  4. Copies of up to 4 relevant publications.

Please send queries about this position to anthrosearch@fieldmuseum.org. The curator reports to the Head of Anthropological Research of the Negaunee Integrative Research Center.

Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in Anthropology or a related field
  • Minimum 3 years of field and research experience
  • Thorough understanding of best practices in anthropological research and museum curation
  • Experience and potential to run large research programs with external funding
  • Experience producing scientific publications and potential for research publication
  • Knowledge of care and promotion of anthropological collections
  • Experience in higher and/or public education
  • Ability to lead efforts to engage communities in the stewardship of Museum collections
  • Demonstrated potential for service and administration

Pay Range: $76,000.00- $79,000.00

PLEASE READ: *When you apply for multiple positions, please make sure to delete your previous resume and cover letter and upload the latest version of your resume and cover letter that is relevant to the job you are applying for, every time you apply. This will help our hiring managers access the correct documents. Please note that removing the resume and cover letter will not delete any previously submitted resumes and cover letters.

The Field Museum is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, embracing diversity, and fostering mutual respect. We value the unique perspectives each team member brings, which empowers our ability to innovate and overcome challenges.

At the Field Museum, we are dedicated to making our career website and recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you encounter any difficulty when using or accessing our online application, or if you need a reasonable accommodation for completing your application, participating in interviews, or any other part of the selection process, please reach out to us at recruitment@fieldmuseum.org.

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