Director, Curation and Special Projects - Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books

Director, Curation and Special Projects - Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books

Job ID: 297165
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

About Us

Are you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower over 50,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Come Take Flight at KSU!

Location

(Primary Location for Job Responsibilities) Our Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.

Job Summary

Provide curatorial leadership for the Department of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books and University Libraries (MARBL), overseeing curatorial and support staff and directing the planning and implementation of exhibitions and related interpretive initiatives. Lead the research, planning, management, and execution of exhibitions and interpretive projects for KSU and external stakeholders, in collaboration with campus units and community partners. Contribute expertise in public history, museum studies, and curatorial practice, with a strong commitment to engaging and educating diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides strategic leadership in assembling and directing cross-functional teams to research, curate, design, and deliver exhibitions and other interpretive initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional vision and goals.
2. Coordinates exhibition planning and calendar management
3. Manages curatorial staff
4. Manages contracts, copyrights, and related permissions
5. Develops and helps manage exhibition budgets
6. Assists in building collections across the unit
7. Assists in securing exhibition-related grants and funding
8. Teaches KSU education programs related to exhibitions, curation, and public history
9. Produce scholarships and creative works that support the unit's interpretive program
10. Develop content for marketing and public relations initiatives
11. Participate in unit-wide strategic planning
12. Serve on the unit's leadership team

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements
Bachelor's degree in history, museum studies, or related field

Other Required Qualifications
Current, valid, and unrestricted driver's license

Required Experience
Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience with curation, project management, and supervision of staff

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Educational Qualifications
An advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a related field

Proposed Salary

The salary range is $92,160 to $94,080. Offers are based on relevant experience. Comprehensive benefits to include Medical, Dental, Vision, 13 paid holidays, vacation, generous retirement plans, tuition waiver, wellness options and much more! Visit hr.kennesaw.edu/benefits.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES
Ability to foster trust and collaboration among team members and manage through change with flexibility and poise.
Ability to lead multiple, high-profile projects forward and effectively leverage available resources and/or creatively identify new resources as necessary to drive results.
Ability to prioritize and adjust heavy workload, manage a variety of tasks, and meet various deadlines with changing priorities, frequent interruptions, and conflicting deadlines.
Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time, meeting assigned deadlines

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge and commitment to the latest developments in curatorial practice and museum standards.

SKILLS
Proactive leadership, diplomatic, entrepreneurial, decision-making, and people-management skills
Strong project-management skills
Excellent interpersonal, initiative, teamwork, problem-solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, project management, and presentation skills
Proficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (i.e., Microsoft Office suite)
Strong attention to detail and follow-up skills
Strong customer service skills and phone and e-mail etiquette