The Museum is seeking a senior curatorial leader to drive innovative, audience-focused projects that shape how Australians understand and engage with history, culture and our place in the world. As a Senior Curator, you will provide intellectual and strategic leadership in the development of exhibitions, collections, digital experiences, and programs.
This is a high-impact role for an experienced professional with a deep understanding of Australian history, material culture, and community engagement. A key aspect of this position is the opportunity to work closely with the Museum’s large and diverse collection of objects relating to the histories and cultures of First Nations peoples. You will lead and support projects that connect these objects with their communities and bring their stories to broader audiences through respectful, collaborative, and culturally safe practice.
This position is ideal for someone who brings creativity, curatorial rigour, and strong leadership to deliver bold, meaningful outcomes in a national cultural institution.
The key duties of the position include:
- Provide strategic leadership and curatorial direction across major projects and initiatives aligned with the Museum’s vision and priorities.
- Lead the development and delivery of exhibitions, programs, publications, and collection strategies with a strong emphasis on audience engagement and inclusion.
- Work directly with the Museum’s collection of First Nations material culture, ensuring culturally safe and community-led approaches to interpretation, research, and access.
- Initiate and sustain collaborative relationships with First Nations communities, organisations, and cultural practitioners.
- Supervise, mentor, and support curatorial staff to build capability and foster a high-performing, culturally safe team environment.
- Represent the Museum in senior-level forums, partnerships, and media, building national and international networks of influence.
- Lead the development of new collection areas, research themes, and interpretive frameworks that reflect current scholarship and community knowledge.
- Contribute to strategic planning and organisational initiatives, including policy development and cross-unit collaboration.
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to Work Health and Safety (WH&S) by actively supporting a positive safety culture, following the Museum’s WHS policies and procedures, and complying with reasonable instructions to ensure alignment with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this vacancy, applicants must:
- be an Australian citizen
- undergo pre-employment checks, including a police record check
- hold or be eligible to hold a security clearance at the level specified in the position description.
To apply
Applicants must include a 2-page pitch addressing their suitability for the role against the essential and desirable Skills, experience and qualifications. Applicants must also provide a resume and contact details for 2 referees.
Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process. If you require, or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments, please contact the Contact Officer for this position.