The Curator of Midwest Archaeology (Curator) is a full-time onsite position within the curatorial department. The person in this role will be a dynamic museum professional with experience in archaeological research, collection management, and curating community-centered exhibits. This position reports directly to the Director of Curatorial Affairs and closely collaborates with the Executive Director and the learning and community engagement, external communications, research, and development departments. This position will work closely with faculty and students and must be skilled at establishing sustainable relationships with diverse communities impacted by the complex colonial legacies of academia and museums, and the IU Bloomington community and beyond. The Curator will also support diverse researchers and process requests focused on archaeological findings in the American Midwest, including the Angel Mounds State Historic Site in southwestern Indiana. 

The position is responsible for the intellectual content of the archaeological collections in partnership with collections staff; cultivating opportunities for collections research, engagement, and exhibitions; fostering community partnerships; and working in collaboration with the IU NAGPRA team. The Curator will research, curate, develop, and implement exhibition experiences and research that innovatively engage communities in a thoughtful, creative, and culturally conscious way. 

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Works to ensure collections are interpreted inclusively with multiple voices, focused on community authorship and perspectives, and prioritizing descendant communities/Indigenous knowledge and protocols. 
• Researches, curates, develops, and implements exhibition experiences and research that innovatively engage communities in a thoughtful, creative, and culturally conscious way.
• Works with curatorial and exhibition staff, descendent communities, and other collaborators on the planning and curation of exhibits. 
• Leads archaeological collections cataloging initiatives including the development of artifact description protocols and vocabulary standards in line with contemporary archaeological thought.
• Directs the building and reorganization of reference collections to improve access and use.
• Writes collection summaries and identify collections for priority research and conservation efforts.
• Initiates, develops, and directs original research projects in conjunction with Director of Curatorial Affairs and in partnership with the Associate Director of Research, focused primarily on IUMAA's archaeological collections, to advance understanding of Indiana history and the history of Indigenous cultures, past and present. 
• Supervises graduate fellows and student support staff with research and curation projects, presentations, honors theses, and exhibits.
• Partners with Collection Manager in stewardship of Federal, State, and other reposited collections.
• Evaluates gift considerations and steward ethical acquisitions following IUMAA's Collection Policy.
• Actively participates in grant-writing and other fund-raising to support archaeological research and curation.
• Reviews research requests in collaboration with Associate Director of Research.
• Works in coordination with collections staff and IU NAGPRA team on compliance efforts. 
• Acts as ambassador to academic departments and to the broader IU and Bloomington communities.
• Cultivates support for exhibitions, galleries, programs, symposia, acquisitions, research grants, and fellowships through association with professional organizations, foundations, collectors, and donors.

General Responsibilities

• Preserves and manages museum artifacts, documents, and/or collections, ensuring adherence to relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Coordinates the moving of works to and from buildings. Plans what artifacts will be displayed and works with departments to make selections based on the environment in the area.
• Uses conservation and maintenance techniques to preserve artifacts, documents, and collections.
• Researches and writes labels for all displayed works. Prints and installs labels.
• Researches and prepares courses, tours, and presentations related to the museum.
• Strategizes for continued goal setting and activities to reach goals and assists with the associated budget construction to carry out long-term plans.
• Assists other museum services staff with incoming artifacts and database management.
• Inventories artifacts in museums and maintains condition reports.
• May provide guidance and delegate administrative tasks to other museum services staff.
• May make process recommendations for improved operational efficiency.