Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs

Institution: Oakland Museum of California (OMCA)
Location: Oakland, California, USA
Contract: Regular Full-Time
Salary: $225,200
Job ID: 2026-1508

The Oakland Museum of California is seeking a Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs to provide strategic leadership across exhibitions, collections, curatorial affairs, design and production. The role will shape multi-year exhibition and gallery programmes that advance the Museum’s mission, social impact and financial sustainability, while centering equity, community voice and the stories of Oakland and California. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Key Responsibilities

• Provide institutional leadership as a member of the Senior Directors Council and contribute to strategic planning, policy-making and annual priorities.
• Oversee approximately 35 employees across the Collections, Curatorial, Design and Production departments, directly supervising and coaching six positions.
• Translate the Museum’s strategic plan and social impact goals into multi-year exhibition, gallery and collections priorities and budgets.
• Lead annual and multi-year planning of innovative exhibition and gallery programmes.
• Provide strategic leadership for cross-departmental collaboration and visitor-centred content development.
• Oversee collecting and collections strategies, including accessions, deaccessions, care and presentation.
• Oversee planning for the Design and Production teams and ensure projects align with institutional priorities.
• Support donor cultivation and participate in grant and sponsorship development.
• Serve as Acting Director in the absence of the Executive Director, as requested.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in a museum setting, including senior leadership.
• 7+ years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience directing successful exhibition and collection initiatives in museums.
• Knowledge of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields including the arts, history and/or natural sciences.
• Knowledge of current trends and progressive practices in the museum field, collections care and museum conservation.
• Familiarity with the history and current landscape of museum relations with Indigenous communities.
• Experience as an adaptive change agent, collaborator, coach and team builder.
• Superior written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to lead people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and work styles.
• Understanding of fundraising techniques, grant applications and funding sources.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and a history of developing equitable and inclusive programming.

Benefits

• Senior leadership position within a major multidisciplinary museum.
• Opportunity to shape exhibition, collection and curatorial strategy across the institution.
• Leadership responsibility spanning Curatorial, Collections, Design and Production.
• Opportunity to contribute to community engagement, civic development and institutional social impact.
• Competitive annual compensation of $225,200.