Position title: Curator | Works on paper
Contract type: Permanent position
Full or part time: Full time
Beginning date: Immediate or as negotiated
Museum of Art and History of Geneva (MAH)
The MAH is one of Europe’s foremost encyclopaedic cultural institutions. Its collection encompasses a span of fifteen thousand years and includes over half a million objects in realms ranging from archaeology, painting, sculpture, works on paper, coins, furniture, and articles of daily life, as well as timepieces and jewellery.
Over the last two years, the museum has engaged in a comprehensive program of strategic review and transformation. This project has led to the revitalization of its vision, mission, and values. The MAH’s long-term goal is to become a dynamic beacon of culture for Geneva and its region, as well as an internationally recognized laboratory for envisioning and advancing the role of the museum in the twenty-first century. To achieve this objective, the MAH is exploring how best to realise its full potential to connect people, fostering an array of creative expressions through exhibition spaces and media over time. It continues to actively pursue the expansion and renovation project that is currently underway.
Your mission
Reporting to the Director of the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, you will define the scientific objectives relative to the works on paper collection and oversee all activities pertaining to the patrimonial mission, particularly the study, enhancement, and enrichment of the inventory.
Your primary duties and responsibilities
Working within these guidelines, you will propose research projects with appropriate partners, organise conferences, and develop relationships with other cultural institutions in Switzerland and abroad. You will also promote this cultural heritage through publications, temporary exhibitions, and the provision of attractive, fresh contributions to presentations in the museum’s exhibition halls. You will also enhance the collection’s visibility by proposing structured partnerships with institutions operating in historical and scientific domains on a local, national, and international level. As a senior manager, you will provide optimal leadership and exemplary working conditions for the staff reporting to you.
Your background
Education
Recipient of a university diploma in art history (master’s degree) with a specialization in works on paper (drawings, engravings, and artists’ books), you will demonstrate particular expertise in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Prerequisite – prior experience
Five years prior experience in a comparable position in a cultural institution, demonstrating substantial expertise in project management. Applicant should have an extensive network of peer contacts in relevant circles, including at an international level.
Professional, personal and social skills
- Exceptional expertise in the areas of conservation-restoration, museology, and cultural interpretation
- Mastery of spoken and written French, with a thorough knowledge of English and German
- Ability to integrate and design an innovative dialogue to communicate with a broad audience during a museum visit
- Dynamic and pragmatic leadership, motivating, supervising, and empowering staff members by setting unifying goals and priorities
- Encouragement of teamwork, facilitating exemplary collaboration and interaction with multidisciplinary teams and partners from all backgrounds
- Capacity to handle stressful situations
Conditions relating to the position
- Live within the Canton of Geneva or within the authorized residency zone
- Details pertaining to the job posting are available on the City of Geneva website
