Curator, Post-war Immigration

Full-time, Ongoing, APS Level 6 position

Attractive employee benefits including 15.4% superannuation

Australia’s leading museum located waterside in beautiful Darling Harbour

The Australian National Maritime Museum is seeking an experienced and well organised Curator, Post-War Immigration to join our Knowledge team, which encompasses the Museum’s curators, library and publications, in this full-time ongoing position.

As one of Sydney’s most visited museums, the Australian National Maritime Museum shares our national maritime story across Australia and the world, online, onsite and through research, presentations and travelling exhibitions, and provides must-visit museum experiences that delight and inspire.

We connect our visitors with the oceans and waterways that are the heartbeat of who we are. From deep time to modern Australian and beyond, we explore our past, our present and future as an island nation shaped by sea, offering a sustainable and cohesive vision for the future.

The Museum welcomes over 2.5 million local, interstate, and international visitors annually, and is supported by a thriving and passionate staff, membership, volunteer and education base. Find out more at sea.museum

Reporting to the Head of Knowledge, this position focuses on individuals and communities who have immigrated to Australia from 1945 to the present. With a strategic focus encompassing both in maintaining our existing relationships and building new connections with immigrant communities, this role entails research into historical and emerging narratives, to inform the Museums exhibitions, publications and digital media experiences.

The Curator, Post-war Immigration requires a high degree of ethical, political and cultural competency, particularly during the process of undertaking oral/video histories and acquiring collection items. This is a unique role, offering the curator the opportunity to contribute to shaping the Museums relevance to all Australians, both today and into the future.

**High level overview of accountabilities**:
Maintain and enrich the Museums existing cultural connections with post-1945 immigrant communities, including participation in discussions, events and acquisitions, under limited direction.

Prepare proposals and advise on submissions for immigration-related accessions into the National Maritime Collection, including both physical and digital materials, in line with the Museums Collection Development Policy, priority collection focus areas, and Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan (PCOL) protocols.

Undertake ethically and culturally aware negotiations and oral/video histories, to broaden the National Maritime Collection and enhance the Museum's ability to share immigrant stories, often requiring encouragement or sensitivity.

**Research activities include**:
Research and curate content for in-house and travelling exhibitions, to broaden representation and foster outreach for post-war immigrant communities in the Museums programming

Research, develop and deliver approved projects in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner

Research, write, and present scholarly and public-facing outputs, including articles, live presentations, and digital and social media content.

Consult and advise both internal and external stakeholders on matters relating to Post-War Immigration.

Work under limited supervision to progress the Museums priorities, including representing the Museum in public forums, media opportunities, conferences and cultural institutions networks.

**Selection Criteria**:
Essential

At minimum, an undergraduate degree in a relevant field including history, languages or sociology.

Demonstrated expertise in immigration, including historical and cultural aspects of immigrant, refugee and asylum-seeker experiences up to the present day.

Experience in working with diverse cultural communities, including first
- and subsequent-generation immigrants, preferably including both urban and regional experiences.

Curatorial experience in museums or the cultural sector.

Proven skills in conducting oral/video interviews with culturally diverse informants, including best-practice technical, cultural and ethical standards.

A track record of storytelling and directing the curation of unique and engaging digital experiences, both online and in-museum.

Public engagement skills and experience in media, conferences, presentations and digital outreach.

Proven experience in meeting project deadlines, operating within budget constraints and working across multiple diverse projects simultaneously.

Demonstrated ability in using collection database systems.

Desirable

Postgraduate qualifications in languages, sociology, history, museum and heritage studies, or other disciplines relevant to the processes, experiences and legacies of immigration to Australia.

A publications record encompassing academic, public, and community-targeted content.

Previous experience working in the Austr