Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts

Job Description

Curator:

The primary responsibility for curators at Hillwood is to oversee our exhibition program, which is a crucial part of the museum’s success. Our exhibitions attract new audiences and encourage Hillwood fanatics to return and learn something new. We are seeking a curator who is ready to jump in, and working collaboratively with other curators, collections staff, and other departments, quickly take ownership of exhibition projects. This role is perfect for curators who have worked on projects that forced them to think outside of the box, and who have experienced those times when they followed a path they never thought they would take and found success.

Day to day responsibilities will vary depending on project deadlines. Projects will include exhibitions, lectures, trainings, tours, conferences, and being a part of the Hillwood community by engaging with staff, volunteers, visitors and new audiences. The curator will attend progress meetings, collaborate on shared projects, and participate in regular team meetings. They will also have quieter times dedicated to research study and writing. This is a hybrid position, being on Hillwood’s campus in NW DC as needed, and working from home 2-3 days a week when the exhibition schedule allows.

We are seeking a curator who has created concepts for several exhibitions and supervised the entire exhibition process in close partnership with a designer, collections staff, and other departments involved in these projects. This includes building the checklist, selecting loans, reaching out to lenders, supervising the design of the exhibition, writing labels and installing objects. The curator will need to be self-motivated and organized to ensure they are meeting project milestones. The curator will use their written and verbal and public speaking skills to provide education to staff, volunteers, visitors and new audiences. Hillwood is looking for a curator at either an Assistant or Associate level with a passion in one or more of the following areas; 18th to early 20th century French, Western European or Russian fine and decorative arts.

About Us:

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is deeply committed to fostering a positive, inclusive and engaging workplace where all voices are heard and where staff and visitors of all backgrounds can be inspired by the life of our founder Marjorie Merriweather Post.

We Offer:

A fabulous work culture that inspires your best work.

Flexibility with a hybrid work environment.

Support for career development with internal and external opportunities to learn and grow.

Medical, dental and vision insurance.

Our most popular medical plan has an upfront deductible of $1,650 per year for a single coverage and $3,300 per year for dependent/family coverage with a Health Savings Account (HSA) tied to the plan.

Hillwood will contribute up to $1650 annually into your HSA if you elect single coverage or up to $3300 annually if you elect dependent/family coverage for the 2025 plan year prorated based on the effective month of your coverage.

Employee contribution rates for medical plans are based on the coverage level selected at the employee’s base annualized salary. Essentially, those with higher salaries pay more for their medical coverage. The maximum employee contribution is $170 per biweekly payroll, most employees pay much less for medical insurance.

Retirement Savings Plan. Hillwood matches up to 5%. The Hillwood contribution is 100% vested upon reaching three years of service.

Life and accidental death and dismemberment, short & long term insurance at no cost to the employee.

Flexible spending account for dependent care.

Metro commuter benefits of up to $100 per month or free on-site parking.

Best in class paid time off – new hires accrue up to 3 weeks of vacation during the calendar year, new hires also accrue up to 80 hours of paid sick leave, and 11 paid holidays per calendar year.

Mental health and wellness support.

Discounts in the shop and Hillwood café.

Free admission to the museum and festival days for employee and their families and friends.

Application Process:

Hillwood is seeking applicants from all backgrounds and educational levels to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with marginalized identities to apply for open positions. We strive to make the hiring process as accessible as possible. Please do not hesitate to share what will make the process best for you. We cannot guarantee all accommodations; our team will make accommodations where possible with sufficient notice. Please let us know of any accommodations you may find helpful while engaging in our process.

This position is compensated at $70,000.00 annually at the Assistant level and $75,000.00 annually at the Associate level. Please visit our website for more information on this and other career opportunities.

Full-time

Hybrid remote