Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, National Museum of African American History and Culture

About the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo – shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution, and in June 2024 welcomed its 11 millionth visitor.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened with 12 permanent exhibitions telling the nation’s story through the African American lens. Since then, it has debuted an additional 17 temporary exhibitions on topics ranging from the Great Migration, African Americans in World War I, and the Civil Rights Movement, to Reconstruction, Afrofuturism, and the powerful Emmett Till Memorial. The Museum has hosted hundreds of public programs and is actively collecting items to document the history of enslavement, art history, and contemporary social justice movements. Social justice is more than a theme or a program at NMAAHC, it is embedded in the Museum’s approach to collections, exhibitions, education, programming, and fundraising.

The Opportunity

The incumbent reports to the Director, Kevin Young, and serves as the Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs (Associate Director) at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) with executive responsibilities for developing, directing, and managing the Museum’s departments of curatorial, research, and scholarship activities. Curatorial Affairs serves as the core of the Museum’s mission and its values. In this regard, the Office develops, preserves, documents, interprets, and makes accessible the rich scholarship and collections of the Museum through exhibitions, symposiums, scholarly publications, digital engagement, the Searchable Museum, and public programs to diverse audiences in the Museum and beyond. The Office of Curatorial Affairs department currently has a budget of $7.9 million which includes salary and benefits for 44 staff. This position represents the Museum on national and international levels and ensures appropriate interaction and collaboration with other Smithsonian Museums and offices.

The Director’s Vision: Living History & A Culture of Possibility 

Under Director Kevin Young’s leadership, the Museum has embraced Living History as a lens for its collective work, organizing approach and strategy bridging past with present. Planted among a constellation of shared values and focus areas – the tenets of Digital Present, Collecting the New & the Now, Social Justice & Sustainability, and Collaboration & Community – Living History encapsulates the Museum’s vision to explore the past, connect it to the present, and work toward a more just and equitable future. From the Museum’s premier digital experience, Searchable Museum, to its engaging exhibitions and audience experiences to its endowment campaign and new acquisitions, each initiative aligns back to this constellation.

As NMAAHC looks toward its tenth anniversary in 2026, which also aligns with nationwide Semiquincentennial/ America 250 celebrations, Living History serves as a guidepost for exhibitions, publications, content development, and other initiatives led by the Office of Curatorial Affairs. Director Young has encouraged leadership across the Museum as well as staff to embrace a culture of possibility, thinking broadly and creatively about what can be accomplished and new, dynamic ways to engage the Museum’s global audience with stories of living history within and beyond the walls of the Museum.

With this upcoming anniversary, the Museum is at a critical inflection and reflection point. The Associate Director has an opportunity to come in and shape, grow, and chart new directions and a vision for the Office of Curatorial Affairs and have an impact on what the Museum looks and feels like heading into the future. This is an opportunity not just to guide what curatorial work looks like at an African-American museum, but to nurture the intellectual life of curatorial affairs leadership on a national level and how we understand and present faithfully accurate depictions of African-American history through a different lens.

Candidate Profile

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal attributes:

• Passion for the Mission:  Fully embracing the mission of NMAAHC, the Director, the relationship with the Washington, DC metro community, and the commitment to its various constituents across the nation and world, the Associate Director must be someone anchored in history who understands how historic stories and collections intersect with our contemporary world. This individual will be passionate about working in partnership with the Director, museum leadership, staff, museum Council, donors, and other partners to advance the mission of the Museum. The ideal candidate will possess and promote a deep appreciation for the collections, buildings, history, research, and scholarship and will demonstrate a commitment to public engagement and the visitor experience. Embracing NMAAHC’s culture while continually innovating alongside the Leadership Team, staff, advisors and volunteers, the Associate Director will help expand the Museum’s brand and reach. The Associate Director will have a strong work ethic, emotional intelligence, a sense of humor, and evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth. Additionally, this leader will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics and values; someone who can be trusted without reservation.
• Strategic Leadership and Management Acumen:  Minimum five to seven years of management experience in an art or history museum, art-related organization, archive/ library, or institution of higher learning. The Associate Director is skilled at building and leading high-performing, diverse teams with the highest degree of professionalism and guiding team members’ growth and development. The Associate Director has the ability to set clear priorities, delegate and guide investment in people and systems. The ideal candidate will provide a productive work environment that matches the skill set and abilities of staff members as well as professional growth opportunities that result in team cohesion and camaraderie. The Associate Director will foster a culture of scholarship, collaboration, mutual respect, and teamwork within the Office of Curatorial Affairs and across other departments. The successful candidate will encourage and celebrate the talents of the team while also holding each accountable to mutually agreed-upon goals. Additionally, the Associate Director will approach the Office of Curatorial Affairs’ operations and finances with focus and balance and will make decisions based on a clear understanding of the strategic objectives of the Museum.
• Research, Scholarship, and Curatorial Affairs Leadership:  The Associate Director will have a sophisticated understanding of and passion for art, history, culture, and the collection and archiving of materials, along with a robust record of exhibitions, digital innovation, and scholarly publications. This individual will bring demonstrated experience with project management related to the display and interpretation of objects in a museum setting. The Associate Director will have demonstrable success conceptualizing, designing, and implementing compelling and visitor-centered curatorial strategies and will be adept at working with the staff to bring them to life; experience with and empathy for the process of curating exhibitions and collaborative projects spanning multiple venues desired. The candidate must be comfortable in the broader arts, history, and cultural community to advance the mission of NMAAHC locally, nationally, and internationally. The Associate Director will have a familiarity or working knowledge of best practices in collections management and a commitment to legal, professional, and ethical considerations about all acquisitions. This leader will possess a high level of cross-cultural competency and embrace the value found in our differences in all forms. The ideal candidate will have excellent presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Building Relationships and Using Influence:  The successful candidate must establish rapport and cultivate relationships across all levels of the Museum. As a leader that exudes presence, the Associate Director must be highly articulate and a strong and proactive communicator at all times. This individual will foster trust and collaboration among team members and will possess the ability to manage through change with flexibility and poise. The Associate Director must be willing to articulate a vision, to communicate, and to collaborate, skilled at effectively listening to and learning from leadership, staff, advisors and volunteers. This leader will embrace the culture of the Museum, while always having an eye on opportunities to foster best-in-class practices in a productive manner with colleagues. The Associate Director will naturally inspire fellow leaders, staff, advisors and volunteers to develop deeper relationships, leading the charge by example.
• Education:  Advanced degree (PhD or EdD preferred) in art history, history, museum administration, or commensurate experience with a cultural organization. Familiarity or working knowledge of museum best practices and depth of expertise in one or more of the areas of division responsibility (Curatorial, Research, and Scholarships) a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $170,000 - $185,000. The Smithsonian Institution provides a generous and comprehensive benefits package. Note: Washington, DC-area residency required. This position is NOT fully remote and consists of a hybrid in-office and remote work schedule.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Stephen Milbauer and Naree W.S. Viner of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials here: https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/21002 or email Stephen directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. 

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

NMAAHC is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.