Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Job Description

OVERVIEW The Director of Curatorial provides leadership and vision for the creative direction of Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the national design museum of the United States. The position leads the museum’s five curatorial departments (Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design; Product Design and Decorative Arts; Textiles; Wallcoverings; and Digital) as well as the conservation team and is also responsible for the stewardship of the permanent collection, comprised of more than 215,000 objects. Together with Cooper Hewitt’s Director, the position dictates the overall curatorial vision and creative direction of content for the institution. The Director of Curatorial is part of the senior management team that develops the overall policy and direction for the museum. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Serves as the Director’s lead and principal partner/advisor on curatorial affairs, content, and creative vision and assists the Director and other senior management staff in developing overall policy and direction for the Museum to fulfill its mission. Oversees the day-to-day management of CHSDM curatorial affairs, collections management, acquisitions policy and planning, research, and conservation. Directly supervises all curatorial department heads, curatorial staff, and the Head of Conservation. Prepares and manages the department’s curatorial budget and works closely with the exhibitions and finance teams on the annual calendar of exhibitions and projects, in accordance to budget processes and approvals. Together with the Director and Deputy Director, plans the overall calendar of exhibitions and projects with a five-year lead time and plans budget approval processes accordingly. Serves as an Ambassador to the museum with the Chief Advancement Officer to make proposals to institutional and individual donors. Stewards and cultivates committee members to feel engaged with the curatorial program. Meets or exceeds yearly established fundraising goals for exhibitions, curatorial projects and collection acquisitions along with the Chief Advancement Officer and other committee members. Coordinates the efforts of the curators and guest curators in collaboration with the Exhibitions Department and other departments in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of CHSDM exhibitions, publications, and related programs. Works with the Exhibition, Learning, and Interpretation teams, translating academic language and concepts into clear and accessible language for public display. Supports the development of interpretive materials for loan and collections exhibitions, including wall texts, labels, and other explanatory materials accompanying displayed collections to identify content providing an educational experience for CHSDM visitors. Works closely with the Director of Learning and Audience Engagement and their team to determine public programs, museum activations, educational events related to collections, exhibitions, and relevant topics of interest to the museum’s mission, broadening audiences and enhancing public participation. Responds to routine inquiries from the public in different areas of curatorial expertise. Disseminates scholarly knowledge on fields of expertise to the public through lectures, public programs, symposia, gallery talks, and interpretive programs. Produces scholarship of the highest order and is considered an authority in their field. Initiates, develops, and coordinates major research projects of considerable scope in collaboration with professionals at CHSDM, other museums, and other scholars. Oversees CHSDM’s acquisitions (including purchases, gifts, and commissions) to expand the scope, improve the collection’s overall quality, and uphold CHSDM’s mission to broaden its holdings. Oversees and directs the development and implementation of the museum’s collection plan, which informs all acquisition and deaccession priorities and establishes long-range planning for expanding, improving, and deploying the museum’s collections. Oversees all acquisition funds, grant proposals, or other outside funding to further the curatorial department’s activities. Manages curatorial and conservation departments to complete tasks and work in an outstanding manner, and on budget, reflecting the goals of the museum’s strategic plan. Provides the Director with presentation-ready materials for Board and other critical meetings and keeps the Director informed of all critical projects, visits, and curatorial presentations. Takes the initiative in developing new strategic directions so CHSDM continues building its reputation as a design museum presenting the latest and most innovative ideas. Encourages staff to share their scholarship, conference presentations, and more with the wider design community. The position is also responsible for finding ways for audiences to connect with the collection beyond the format of an exhibition, staying abreast of Smithsonian priorities, programs and opportunities for collaboration, and encouraging CHSDM curators to contribute to programs at other Smithsonian units and vice versa. Oversees the Head of Conservation, who is responsible for the conservation and preservation of CHSDM’s collection of more than 215,000 objects. The Director of Curatorial ensures that conservation works closely with curatorial, registrar, exhibitions, and other departments in the museum and at the Smithsonian. Works with the Director, staff, consultants, and other appropriate individuals to examine the museum facilities and proposes options for collections storage, offsite programming, and utilizing collections according to Smithsonian Institution Collections Management Policies. Develops performance standards for reporting managers/supervisors and evaluates their performance regularly. Reviews and approves recommendations for personnel actions, including hiring for key positions, and acts on major personnel issues referred to by managers. Develops, implements, and monitors policies and is directly responsible for achieving Smithsonian and CHSDM objectives in critical areas such as staff development and labor relations.