"Senior Curator (0421U), Centers and Museums - 81098"

About Berkeley

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Departmental Overview

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life (the Magnes) is a rare jewel. As a museum and research center at UC Berkeley, the Magnes generates new knowledge and understanding of Jewish cultures through its permanent collection-one of the largest and internationally most important collections of Jewish art and artifacts-for its academic and public communities. The Magnes envisions a society that seeks common ground while honoring cultural differences and embraces the diversity of Jewish life around the world. Founded in 1962 by Seymour and Rebecca Camhi Fromer and integrated into UC Berkeley in 2010, the Magnes has continued to expand, receiving two of the four largest gifts of art in UC Berkeley history: the Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection in 2017 and the Roman Vishniac Archive in 2018. The museum's approximately 60,000 holdings include representational and abstract works of art, as well as thousands of objects representing personal and family rituals, synagogue and communal life, and social interactions among Jewish and host communities in the global Jewish Diaspora throughout history. Archival and library collections of manuscripts, books, photographs, papers, and institutional records focus on activities of individuals, families, and organizations in Europe and the United States, including the American West. The Magnes is a hub for research, teaching and learning, creative expression, and personal enjoyment for a vibrant community of scholars, students, and patrons. The museum supports teaching and learning on campus and engages students in its curatorial work and other operations, providing academic and professional training in the study of material culture, Jewish studies, museum studies, and more. It creates dynamic programming in collaboration with other university departments, especially the Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies and Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies, as well as with local and regional community partners. The Magnes is a part of the Division of Arts and Humanities in the College of Letters and Science and is one of four public-serving museums at UC Berkeley.

Position Summary

The Magnes seeks a creative curator to work in partnership with the Executive Director to implement the museum's mission and vision. The position of Senior Curator requires a strong curatorial vision rooted in collaboration and audience engagement, leadership skills, and expertise in Jewish studies, including Jewish material culture, to develop, manage, and interpret the Magnes's collections with and for the museum's public and academic communities.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 09/25/2025.

Responsibilities

Curatorial:

• Lead collections-based activities, including collections development and care, research, access, exhibition program, and strategy and policy development with a people-centered and highly collaborative approach that includes both museum staff and external constituencies.
• Plan and project manage multifaceted exhibitions and installations on topics of relevance and importance to Magnes audiences and based on original research, including writing interpretive materials and catalogs.
• Develop curatorial projects in collaboration with UC Berkeley faculty and students, academic programs, and courses.
• Maintain a leadership role in the field of Jewish studies or other related academic field, staying abreast of current scholarship and new theories.
• Hold expertise in museum/curatorial studies, staying up to date on best practices and emerging trends in collections preservation, presentation, interpretation, and management, as well as audience engagement and experience.
• Participate in regional, national, and international networks, meetings, and conferences.

Leadership and Supervision:

• As part of the senior management team, play key role in short and long-range institutional planning and strategy setting, including programmatic vision and priorities, staffing levels, and policies.
• As curatorial head, partner with Executive Director to lead the museum and represent the Magnes on campus, in the regional public community, and in the national and international museum and academic communities.
• Supervise and coach Collections and Curatorial staff, including professional staff and pre-professional Work-Study employees and Undergraduate Research Apprentices.

Academic Relations:

• Deepen existing and establish new relationships with UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff.
• Work closely with the Learning & Engagement Coordinator to support teaching and learning at UC Berkeley and other regional higher education, secondary, and supplemental schools through collections-based programming.
• Engage UC Berkeley faculty, departments, and centers in collaborative initiatives that strengthen student engagement and/or support faculty research.

Development and External Relations:

• Partner with Executive Director and Arts & Humanities Development Office to cultivate and steward donors, foundations, government, and corporate funders for general and project-specific Collections and Curatorial needs.
• Be a highly visible member of the Magnes staff, serving as an effective spokesperson for the museum as a unique institution and as a collaborator with campus and community partners.
• Staff the museum's advisory boards together with the Executive Director and Marketing & Communications Manager.
• Participate in planning and holding fundraising events.
• Write grants and seek project sponsorships.
• Cultivate and solicit gifts-in-kind to the permanent collection.

Budget and Financial Operations:

• In partnership with the Executive Director and Department Assistant, develop and manage the annual Collections and Curatorial budget, as well as single and multi-year project budgets for exhibitions and other curatorial initiatives.
• Identify opportunities and set goals for ethical collections-based revenue generation.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated deep knowledge of Jewish history, religion, cultures, and material culture with specialization in an area of the museum's collection.
• Demonstrated ability to curate engaging and interactive exhibitions based on original research and on topics of relevance and importance to museum audiences.
• Deep knowledge of standard museum curatorial practices and current trends.
• Deep knowledge of collection development and connoisseurship, ethical and legal standards for acquisition and deaccession, and of the current market.
• Knowledge of the principles of conservation/preservation.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret material culture for diverse audiences, including use of best practices in label writing, audience engagement, and visitor experience.
• Demonstrated ability to research and interpret material culture that ranges widely in medium, geographic origin, and time.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct scholarly research and write scholarly publications.
• Demonstrated excellence in people management and supervision with ability to coach, mentor, and motivate individuals and teams.
• Donor cultivation and relationship building skills.
• Skills in budget and project management, problem solving, and process improvement.
• Ability to take long-range approach to planning, and goal and strategy setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong public speaking skills.
• Ability to be highly collaborative and flexible; ability to serve effectively and simultaneously as a leader and worker.
• Ability and motivation to engage board members, academic and lay advisors, and other members of the museum's campus and public communities in decision making and project development processes.
• Demonstrated ability to teach in a museum setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to and success in proactive collaboration with a variety of constituents in all phases of curatorial projects.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, research, and direct multifaceted and complex curatorial projects.
• Ability and motivation to integrate the curatorial and collections activities of the Magnes with the teaching, research, and public service missions of UC Berkeley.
• Fluency in reading Hebrew (required) and fluency or proficiency in Russian, Polish, Yiddish, Ladino, and/or a Jewish language other than Hebrew
• Advanced degree in related field and/or equivalent experience/training with extensive knowledge in Jewish studies and arts/museum administration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience curating photographic collections and/or knowledge of the history of photography.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $112,400.00 - $214,000.00.

This is an exempt monthly-paid position.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

This is not a visa opportunity. This position is eligible for up to 10% remote work. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.