Curator of Education and Exhibits, W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, evaluate, and participate in presenting educational programs to children and adults at the W. K. Gordon Center and other locations for the Center.
• Build relationships with local educators through teacher preview opportunities, on-site school meeting visits, and creation of teacher materials sent through mail.
• Develop educational field trips for students that adhere to Texas state educational standards.
• Schedule and lead interactive field trips through the museum for school-aged students.
• Schedule and perform off-site field trip experiences as necessary.
• Develop and implement educational programming for children and adults.
• Seek out and create contacts with Texas industry professionals for Sunday afternoon museum programs.
• Plan, schedule, promote, and supervise set up and tear down of public museum events including Sunday afternoon educational programs, special night events, members only events, children’s educational events, and other museum programming as necessary.
• Evaluate programs based on visitor numbers and feedback.
• Research, develop, and install temporary and permanent exhibitions that interpret the history of Thurber and promote the museum's mission.
• Collaborate with staff to create temporary exhibition schedule at least one year in advance of exhibit opening.
• Develop, research, and interpret museum collection of Thurber artifacts.
• Research content for temporary and permanent exhibitions.
• Collaborate with local community leaders and residents to create joint exhibitions and related public outreach programming.
• Create concepts and interactive elements of temporary and permanent exhibitions.
• Create research-based written content for exhibitions.
• Design and install exhibitions including written, graphic, and interactive content.
• Evaluate impact of exhibitions.
• Prepare objects and images for public display.
• Supervise interns and part-time staff as needed to assist with administrative, research, and exhibition work.
• Oversee coordination of advertising, publicity, and public relations.
• Coordinate with University marketing department to promote museum programs and exhibitions through internal and external advertising.
• Maintain website and University calendar with pertinent museum updates.
• Create content for and maintain museum social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Blogger.
• Collaborate with local communities to promote local events in an effort to create strong ties between the museum, University, and area community members.
• Supervise interns and part-time employees in research, writing, and publishing monthly blog posts on museum blog; write and publish own blog posts to museum blog as necessary; manage backend of blog.
• Serve as Social Media Coordinator.
• Supervise interns, graduate assistants, and part-time employees.
• Greet visitors, accept admission fees, answer for verbal queries.
• Represent Gordon Center in official meetings and trainings as necessary.
• Complete university mandated documents related to finance, travel, employment, statistics, communications, operations, and technology.
• Oversee operations of online museum store; add new merchandise as it becomes available; process and fulfill online orders; ensure proper accounting information processed through Tarleton system.
• Seek out and apply for grants to fund museum educational programming and exhibitions.
• Stay up to date on current museum trends, strategies, and public history philosophies through research, conversations with other professionals, and continuing education opportunities.
• Design and gather membership package printed materials.
• Process membership packages at museum: add to museum database, print membership materials, write thank-you letter to new members, pack and ship new member packages.
• Promote Gordon Society member program through museum communications and social media channels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Collection Management/Conservation or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Four years of related experience in academic and/or professional collection management or conservation.
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Knowledge of conservation and collection management.
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.