Curator of Costume at Rijksmuseum
Institution: Rijksmuseum
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Salary: €4,532–€6,268 per month (Scale 12, based on a 36-hour week)
Contract: Full-time (36 hours/week), fixed-term (1 year) with the intention to extend
Application deadline: 23 August 2026
About the Role
The Rijksmuseum connects people, art and history. Across 80 galleries, the institution tells the story of the Netherlands in a global context, drawing on a collection of more than one million objects. As Curator of Costume, you will be responsible for the museum’s costume and accessories collection.
The collection is particularly strong in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century objects. The holdings relating to the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are in development.
As Curator, you will have a clear vision of the significance and future of the costume collection, both within the context of the Rijksmuseum and in a broader national and international museum perspective. You will help shape its identity and profile.
You will play a key role in conducting research into the collection, proposing acquisitions, and contributing to exhibitions and collection displays.
Key Responsibilities
As Curator of Costume, you will:
- Serve as the ambassador for the costume collection, both within the Rijksmuseum and beyond.
- Accurately situate objects within their specific art-historical context and share your knowledge enthusiastically with specialist colleagues and general audiences alike.
- Steward the costume and accessories collection, overseeing its registration, documentation, access and preservation, in close collaboration with the Object Conservation team and the storage team at the Collection Centre Netherlands (CC NL).
- Develop research projects in close collaboration with the Object Conservation team and researchers within the Conservation & Science department, contributing to the development of a sustainable conservation strategy.
- Undertake scholarly research into the collection and disseminate your findings through publications, lectures and presentations, contributing to the educational, art-historical and societal significance of the costume collection.
- Initiate and prepare rotating displays of the collection in close collaboration with the textile conservators and the Curators of Textiles and Jewelry.
- Contribute to and represent the Department of Decorative Arts in museum-wide initiatives, including the reinterpretation of the permanent collection display, the Women of the Rijksmuseum working group, and collaborate with departments such as Public & Education, Development, and Communications & Marketing.
- Maintain an international network across museum and academic communities, cultivate relationships with collectors, and stay informed about developments in the art market to propose acquisitions for the collection.
Working for the Rijksmuseum
You will be part of a team of eight Curators of Decorative Arts and work closely with curators from the departments of Fine Arts, History and the Print Room. Drawing on your expertise, you will contribute to the museum’s broader display and collecting strategies.
You will also work closely with the three textile conservators within the Object Conservation team on collection management, object treatment and the preparation of rotating displays.
Candidate Profile
As Curator of Costume, you are an experienced professional with a wide network, which you actively draw on to advance research into and presentation of the collection. You are an object-focused researcher as well as a versatile museum professional who enjoys contributing to department-wide themes and initiatives.
You will have:
- Recognition as an expert in the field, with a proven ability to communicate that knowledge to various audiences.
- An academic degree in art history (minimum M.A. level).
- Substantial experience as an Assistant Curator or Curator in the field of costume.
- Experience in developing displays and exhibitions, as well as publishing catalogues, books and articles in leading scholarly journals.
- An excellent command of Dutch (or willingness to learn) and English.
Benefits
The Rijksmuseum offers the opportunity to work in—and behind the scenes of—a leading, internationally oriented museum alongside dedicated specialists. Benefits include:
- Gross monthly salary of €4,532–€6,268 (Scale 12 of the collective agreement for museums), based on a 36-hour working week.
- 8% holiday bonus and 3.4% year-end bonus.
- One-year fixed-term contract (36 hours/week) with the intention to extend.
- Full public transport allowance (up to €367.50) for commutes over 5 km. Secure bicycle parking at stations is fully reimbursed. Employees commuting entirely by bicycle or on foot receive €0.21 per kilometre, with secure bicycle parking also reimbursed.
- After the probation period, a Netherlands Museum Pass with unlimited access to more than 450 museums in the Netherlands, plus free admission for one guest to the Rijksmuseum during opening hours.
- Participation in staff events and sports activities, including the Rijksrun and summer and winter parties.
