Museum Curator History 2 (Ephrata Cloister)

Do you have a passion for material culture and archival materials? If you like conducting research, caring for artifacts and archival materials, as well as developing engaging programs and exhibits, then we have the job for you! The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is seeking a skilled, energetic, and experienced Curator to help manage, care for, and interpret the collections and 18th-century Germanic historic structures at Ephrata Cloister, a four-time American Alliance of Museums accredited historic site in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Apply today to continue your career at one of the Commonwealth's premier historic sites!
Ephrata Cloister, the site of Pennsylvania's most prominent 18th-century religious community, is a 28-acre National Historic Landmark featuring a visitor center, two cemeteries, and 11 historically significant buildings dating to the 18th and early 19th-centuries. As the Museum's Curator, you will be responsible for the oversight, documentation, and care of Ephrata Cloister's significant collection, including approximately 4,000 artifacts in the permanent collection (furniture, iron, ceramics, textiles, paper, architectural elements), more than 1,050 reproduction and study items, loan collections, library collections, and landscape features such as cemeteries, gravestones and monuments. Responsibilities include:

• Collection Management: Handle acquisitions, deaccessions, loans, cataloging, and inventorying of artifacts and archival materials
• Artifact Care: Store, clean, and protect items in the collection and give online access to materials
• Historical Research: Research site history, answer public questions, and establish the background of collection pieces
• Public Interpretation: Prepare and share information that helps visitors understand artifacts and the history of Ephrata Cloister
• Tour Support: Assist with planning and leading special tours focused on unique historical topics

If you have knowledge of Pennsylvania German Decorative Art and communal societies, as well has the ability to read German script, we highly encourage you to apply!

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 60-minute lunch. Evening and weekend hours will be required for meetings and special events.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) on an ad-hoc basis only and subject to approval. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Ephrata. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• One year as Museum Curator, History l (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
• One year of curatorial work in any one or more of the fields of History or Decorative Arts, History of Fine Arts, History, or History of Science, Industry, and Technology, and a master's degree in American History, including or supplemented by either a museum studies course at the graduate level recognized by the American Associate of Museums or a museum internship; or
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training which would afford the applicant the required knowledges, skills, and abilities.

Other Requirements:

• This particular position also requires one or more years of full-time professional experience working with Argus, Past Perfect, TMS, Cataloglt or similar collections management software.
• This particular position also requires one or more years of full-time professional experience evaluating, cataloging, and storing historic manuscripts, books and documents, and using these resources for scholarly research.
• This particular position also requires a valid Pennsylvania Class C Driver's License which is not under suspension.
• PA residency requirement is currently waived for this title.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements: 

• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position. 
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS): 

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions. 
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.