Job Description

Full position posting, application instructions and/or questions:

Title:  Assistant/Associate Curator 

Reports to:  Senior Curator

The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting, and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. We hold the most comprehensive collection of WWI objects and documents in the world and are the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history, and experiences of the Great War.

The Museum and Memorial is hiring for the position of Associate Curator specializing in the history and material culture of WWI. As part of the Department of Curatorial Affairs, this curator will enhance exhibitions and resources, develop and refine the collection, and strengthen public programming on the experiences of combatants, civilians, communities, and cultures in WWI. The Department of Curatorial Affairs is responsible for the permanent collection, gallery installations, and the generation of original exhibitions, and its members serve on cross-institutional teams, including, but not limited to, curatorial, exhibition-related, outreach, development, and educational museum projects. The Museum and Memorial takes a non- partisan, inclusive interpretive approach.

Position Summary:  The  Assistant/Associate Curator – National WWI Museum and Memorial  is part of a team responsible for the care, growth, and management of historic objects in the National WWI Museum and Memorial’s collection. This includes acquisition, survey, and exhibition, as well as research and interpretation as applicable to exhibition preparation, and disseminating results of that research through publications, exhibits, lectures, or other means. Working closely with other members of the Department of Curatorial Affairs, the  Associate Curator – National WWI Museum and Memorial  is responsible for conceptualizing and developing exhibitions; securing and processing new acquisitions, including their identification and cataloging; and presenting research on myriad topics related to WWI, the collection, and the Museum

and Memorial.

TheincumbentisexpectedtoembracetheNationalWWIMuseumandMemorial’sstatedmissionand corevaluesand demonstrate support for them through professional interactions and performance of job duties.

This is a full-time, exempt position. Work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with infrequent modifications for special Museum events as needed. Salary range $64,000-$72,000.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and refine the Museum and Memorial’s world-class collections related to the experiences of combatants, civilians, communities, and cultures in WWI.
• Foster and develop relationships with local, national, and international donors and lenders.
• Assist and lead various exhibition projects in our rotating galleries, as well as updates to the Main Gallery.
• Conduct and present research on the collection through virtual and in-person presentations at the Museum and
• Memorial, online, and at partner institutions.
• Help coordinate outreach to scholars and conduct tours of the Museum and Memorial and the collection.
• Develop a broad understanding of the Museum and Memorial’s collection, the history and material culture of WWI,
• and the history of the Museum and Memorial.
• Develop familiarity with our collections related to faith, religion, and culture, specifically, and prepare an annual report
• on the development of these collections and their inclusion in exhibitions, presentations, and other content.
• May supervise curatorial interns or volunteers.
• Complete other duties as assigned.
• Job Posting: Assistant/Associate Curator Page 1 Rev December 2025

Job Posting:  Assistant/Associate Curator

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, or working conditions. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education and Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree in history, Museum Studies, or related field. Master’s or PhD is preferred but not required.
• 2+ years of curatorial experience in a museum or archive.
• Broad knowledge of WWI and its contexts.
• Some experience managing large projects with complex timelines.
• Knowledge of professional museum principles, best practices, and procedures.
• Ability to establish priorities, meet deadlines, and manage multiple concurrent assignments.
• Experience working in small and large teams, including cross-departmentally, with excellent relationship management skills.

• Work Environment:  This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, scanners, and filing cabinets.
• Physical Demands:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position can fluctuate between a sedentary role, or a very active one that requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing or balancing many times throughout the day. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, or working conditions.
• The National WWI Museum and Memorial is an equal opportunity employer.
• The National WWI Museum and Memorial is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. The Museum and Memorial strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. All Museum and Memorial employees, other workers, and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment. The Museum and Memorial complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA), and all applicable state and local laws. Consistent with those requirements, the Museum and Memorial will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If you believe you need an accommodation, refer any such request to the Human Resources department. The Museum and Memorial will, where appropriate, also provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs or practices.

Application Instructions and/or Questions:

Please send your resume, three professional references, salary requirements, cover letter and writing sample of no more than five pages (this can be taken from recent exhibition work, an academic paper, or other work intended for a wide audience) to:

Human Resources

National WWI Museum and Memorial

2 Memorial Drive

Kansas City, MO 64108

Email:  human-resources@theworldwar.org

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. By submitting your application, you authorize us to conduct reference checks and a review of available public information.

Full position posting, application instructions and/or questions:

Job Tags

Similar Jobs