Curatorial Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is a multidisciplinary museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California. OMCA was founded in 1969 through the merger of three previously independent institutions — the Oakland Public Museum, the Oakland Art Gallery, and the Snow Museum of Natural History — with the groundwork for the merger dating back to a 1954 nonprofit association among the three organizations. Voters approved a $6.6 million bond issue in 1961 to fund the museum's campus overlooking Lake Merritt in central Oakland. The museum's founding brought these three historically separate disciplines under one roof, a progressive multidisciplinary model designed to reflect the many facets of California. OMCA now sits on a seven-acre campus with 110,000 square feet of gallery space and terraced gardens, holding a collection of more than two million objects spanning art, history, and natural science. The museum is currently led by Director Lori Fogarty. As described in the posting, OMCA's stated brand identity as a "museum, garden, and gathering place" reflects its mission of building trust, understanding, and connection between people and communities through its exhibitions and collections.

OMCA is seeking a Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs to set the overarching vision and strategy connecting the museum's exhibitions, collection gallery installations, and collection initiatives. The role is central to advancing OMCA's brand and its social impact goals of building trust, understanding, and connection between people and communities.

Working closely with the Director & CEO and other department managers, the Deputy Director leads development of a comprehensive content calendar for temporary exhibitions and collection installations that showcase OMCA's interdisciplinary collections, center equity and community voice, and tell the stories of Oakland and California. The role partners closely with the Senior Director of Learning, Experience and Programming to lead the museum's "Content and Experience" circle — the group of departments that collaborate on exhibitions and programs aligned with the museum's mission and its audience, social impact, and financial sustainability goals. As a member of the Senior Directors Council, the position shares in overall institutional leadership, including strategic planning and policy-making. The role oversees approximately 35 employees across the Collections, Curatorial, Design, and Production departments, with direct supervision of 6 positions.

• Position Type: Regular Full-Time
• Contract Type: Regular Full-Time (permanent)
• Reports To: Director & CEO
• Department / Programme: Senior Directors Council; oversees Collections, Curatorial, Design, and Production departments
• Team Size Overseen: Approximately 35 employees, with 6 direct reports
• Requisition Number: 2026-1508

• Executive Responsibilities
  • Provide leadership to the overall institution as a member of the Senior Directors Council, contributing to policy-making and ensuring the museum's vitality through active communication, problem-solving, and decision-making
  • Provide leadership for institutional planning, annual priorities, and institutional initiatives
  • Contribute to prudent, ongoing monitoring of OMCA's annual budget and financial demands to ensure a sustainable future
  • Demonstrate exceptional leadership skills in motivating staff, delegating tasks, encouraging independent problem-solving, and communicating institutional vision
  • Keep apprised of trends and developments in the museum and non‑profit field, ensuring OMCA maintains leadership as a model 21st‑century museum
  • Work with specific Board committees as staff liaison as assigned
  • Serve as Acting Director in the absence of the Executive Director, as requeste
  • Serve as a spokesperson for the organization in the community, the field, and media; present at professional conferences; attend community and civic gatherings on behalf of the organization
• Leadership and Strategy
  • Oversee the work of the Senior Curator of Art, Senior Curator of History, Curator of Natural Sciences, Design Director, Director of Collections, and Associate Director of Production
  • Translate OMCA's strategic plan, social impact, and business model into multi-year exhibition and core gallery priorities and budgets, monitoring performance and adjusting course to meet targets
  • Lead priority‑setting and budget planning and management for Curatorial, Collections, Design, and Production departments
  • Provide strategic leadership and coaching of key cross‑institutional initiatives and teams
  • Play an active role in donor cultivation and stewardship; attend cultivation and solicitation meetings; participate in developing and soliciting grants and sponsorships supporting collection, exhibition, conservation, and program priorities
  • Partner with the Marketing & Communications department to develop communications related to exhibitions, collections, and other content strategies
  • Collaborate on visitor‑centered content development to support the programmatic schedule of exhibitions and core gallery presentations
  • Build a culture of support through fostering professional development, engaging with key project milestones, and championing the team's work
• Curatorial and Exhibitions Oversight and Execution
  • Define clear strategic direction for OMCA's exhibition and core gallery initiatives based on community listening and analysis of the programmatic landscape and OMCA's distinctive strengths
  • Lead annual and multi‑year planning of exhibition and gallery programs meeting OMCA's mission, business, and social impact goals
  • Support priority‑setting and planning for collections, curatorial, design, and production teams to ensure projects are delivered effectively, on time, and on budget
  • Facilitate cross‑department conversations and problem‑solving for staff capacity, time, and resource management
• Collections Care and Management
  • Oversee OMCA's collecting and collections strategy, including accessions and deaccessions, with curatorial and collections teams
  • Oversee and consult on the care, installation, and presentation of the collections
  • Advocate for internal initiatives that uplift collections stewardship and modernize, streamline, and integrate collection content
  • Support the institutional position on ethical collections and exhibition practice, including NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA compliance, intellectual property and copyright concerns, and integrating community input
• Design and Production
  • Oversee priority‑setting and planning for the design studio to ensure consistent visual expression of OMCA's brand and institutional goals
  • Oversee priority‑setting and planning for the production team to align exhibition, gallery, and department‑specific or institutional projects with strategic planning initiatives

• Museum Leadership
• Curatorial Practice
• Collection Management
• Exhibition Production
• Arts Administration
• Cultural Programming
• Interdisciplinary Arts
• No nationality or country-of-residence restriction stated in the source
• 10+ years of experience with progressive growth toward senior leadership in a museum setting
• 7+ years of supervisory experience
• M.A. in a relevant field required
• Demonstrated experience directing successful exhibition and collection initiatives in museums
• Familiarity with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields including arts, history, and/or natural sciences, with a focus on community engagement and civic and audience development
• Demonstrated knowledge of trends and progressive practices in the museum field
• Demonstrated knowledge of up-to-date principles of collections care and museum conservation
• Familiarity with the history and current landscape of museum relations with Indigenous communities
• Demonstrated achievements as an adaptive change agent, collaborator, coach, and team/coalition-builder
• Superior written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, with capacity for managing and leading people with diverse backgrounds, views, and work styles
• Understanding of fundraising techniques, grant application procedures, and funding sources
• Demonstrated cultural competence and a history of building equitable and inclusive programming
• Ability to work well in a deeply collaborative, highly fluid culture
• Preferred but not mandatory: experience utilizing Google platform tools
• Ability to travel between OMCA locations and as required by position responsibilities
• Reasonable accommodations provided to qualified individuals with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
• All other benefits (health insurance, retirement, PTO, etc.): Not specified in the source
• The museum states this position may serve as Acting Director in the absence of the Executive Director, as requested
• OMCA is an equal opportunity employer; the museum states it does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ability/disability status, protected veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics, and actively encourages applications from its diverse community
• A separate position prospectus with further context and background on OMCA and this role is referenced in the source but not included in the material provided