Director of Curatorial Affairs
About the role
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (T/m) is a Kansas City treasure and a nationally recognized cultural institution. Home to the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the nation’s largest collections of historically significant antique toys, T/m invites visitors of every age to experience wonder, spark imagination, and connect with history through the art of play. Founded in 1982 on the beautiful campus of the University of Missouri–Kansas City, T/m has grown to more than 33,000 square feet of exhibit space and a collection of over 100,000 objects. Our mission—to educate, inspire, and delight—drives everything we do, from the galleries we design to the team we build. We are a high-performing, collaborative, and joyful place to work, and we are growing.
Responsibilities
Develop and lead the long-range strategy for T/m’s Curatorial Affairs department, aligned with the institution’s strategic plan.
Serve as a senior member of the leadership team; actively participate in institutional planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and shared responsibility for organizational outcomes.
Operationalize strategic priorities at the department level, setting clear goals, timelines, and performance benchmarks.
Advise the Executive Director and Board on collection valuation, insurance, security, acquisitions, deaccessions, and long-range curatorial direction.
Represent T/m externally as a curatorial voice—at conferences, with donors, with peer institutions, and in the broader Kansas City community.
Lead, supervise, and develop a growing team of collections and curatorial staff, including a Registrar, Collections Manager, and Assistant Curators.
Practice intentional developmental delegation—assigning ownership of meaningful work to team members, building their capacity, and coaching them toward increasing responsibility.
Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance check-ins, and annual evaluations; create individualized development plans for each direct report.
Foster a positive, high-performing team culture grounded in accountability, creativity, and mutual respect.
Oversee the overall management of T/m’s collection of 100,000+ objects to AAM standards of accreditation.
Collaborate with the Chair of the Collections Committee; provide oversight of formal acquisition, deaccession, and loan processes.
Maintain the highest ethical standards regarding the care, keeping, documentation, and preservation of the collection.
Create, maintain, and regularly review collections policies and procedures to ensure best practices and institutional consistency.
Ensure all collection management systems are current, accurate, and staff are trained to use them effectively.
Lead the development, planning, and execution of T/m’s exhibition program.
Collaborate with Learning & Engagement, Visitor Services, Marketing & Communications, and external partners to create exhibitions that are engaging, accessible, and mission-aligned.
Bring creative, interpretive thinking to how T/m’s collection tells stories of history, culture, art, and imagination.
Research, write, and speak about the collection for internal audiences, donors, media, and the public.
Identify and pursue new opportunities for exhibitions that expand T/m’s reach and deepen visitor engagement.
Cultivate and steward relationships with collection donors, ensuring they feel connected to the impact of their gifts.
Partner with the development team to support fundraising initiatives connected to collections and exhibitions.
Engage with the broader Kansas City arts and cultural community as a representative of T/m’s curatorial mission.
Partner with working artists, designers, and toy collectors, positioning T/m as the institution with which artists want connection.
Create and manage the Curatorial Affairs department operating budget with fiscal responsibility and strategic intent.
Ensure departmental operations run efficiently, with clear workflows, staff accountability, and on-time delivery of projects.
Manage records, reporting, and documentation consistent with institutional requirements.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.
- A Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Art, Art History, History, or related field is preferred.
- At least 5–10 years of experience in museum collections management, exhibition management, or curatorial work.
- At least 2 years of demonstrated experience supervising and developing staff.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration and work as part of a team.
- Curatorial experience with toys, fine-scale miniatures, decorative arts, art, or material culture is strongly preferred.
- Minimum 4 years of demonstrated experience designing, developing, and installing exhibitions.
- Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects to successful, on-time, on-budget completion.
- Strong business acumen, including experience managing departmental budgets.
Benefits
Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Missouri provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.