Entry Level Natural History Museum Curator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $65,187.20 - $91,811.20 Annually
Location : Throughout San Bernardino County, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-13292H-01
Department: Museum
Opening Date: 08/22/2026
Closing Date: 9/4/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
The Job
The San Bernardino County Museum is recruiting for a Museum Curator of History to lead the preservation, research, interpretation, and promotion of the County's rich and diverse history. The Curator oversees history collections and exhibitions at two museums and five historic sites throughout the County, ensuring that collections and historic resources are preserved, documented, and interpreted for the public.
Key responsibilities include acquiring, classifying, researching, cataloging, and preserving historical objects and archival materials; developing and overseeing exhibitions; conducting historical research; and supporting the development of engaging educational and public programs. The Curator also trains and provides guidance to volunteers, interns, and seasonal staff and assists with grant proposals and other initiatives that advance the Museum's preservation and interpretation efforts.
This is an exciting time to join the San Bernardino County Museum as the organization prepares for American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation next year while advancing a range of initiatives across its museums and historic sites.
*Official Title: Museum Curator. For more details, refer to the Museum Curator job description.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Redlands, California, the San Bernardino County Museum is a department of San Bernardino County, the largest county by area in the continental United States. The Museum welcomes more than 125,000 visitors annually across its network of American Alliance of Museums-accredited museums and historic sites.
The Museum preserves and interprets extensive and globally significant collections representing the cultural and natural history of San Bernardino County and the broader region. Through exhibitions, research, educational programs, and public engagement, the Museum connects diverse audiences with the stories, people, places, and environments that have shaped the region.
Education is central to the Museum's mission. Each year, the Museum's Education Division serves more than 25,000 students through onsite programs while reaching thousands more through offsite programming and community engagement throughout the County.
The San Bernardino County Museum strives to develop visitors' appreciation of the diverse regional identity to spark curiosity, stimulate inquiry, challenge assumptions, and invite their contributions to the future of San Bernardino County. For more information, visit their website at museum.sbcounty.gov.
EXCELLENT BENEFITS
To review job-specific benefits, refer to: Summary of Benefits and the Memorandum of Understanding: SEIU
The County also offers an alternative Modified Benefits Option (MBO) that provides a wage differential.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Pre-Employment Process: Incumbents must pass a background investigation, which includes fingerprinting, work history verification, as well as a job-related physical exam and drug screening.
Travel: Travel throughout the County is required. At the time of hire, a valid California Class C driver's license and proof of automobile liability insurance must be produced and maintained for the individual providing the transportation.
Work Schedule: Employees are required to work weekends and holidays.
Sponsorship: San Bernardino County is unable to consider to candidates who require Visa Sponsorship at this time or in the future. Candidates must be able to present their legal right to work in the United States at the time of employment.
Minimum Requirements
Candidate must meet the education requirement and one (1) experience option.
EDUCATION:
A completed Master's Degree from an accredited* college or university in History, Historic Preservation, Historic Architecture, Public History, American History or comparable field. (Note: a major in Art History is not considered qualifying).
-AND-
EXPERIENCE OPTION 1:
Two (2) years of full-time equivalent professional experience curating history collections, including historic preservation, collection management, interpretive programming, and supervision of professional, technical, or volunteer staff.
EXPERIENCE OPTION 2:
Two (2) years of full-time equivalent professional experience in the field of history, including work as a researcher, lecturer, or practitioner with responsibility for public engagement.
Note: Qualifying degrees must be completed at a college or university accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education. In addition, degrees completed outside of the U.S. must be accompanied by an evaluation report from a reputable credential evaluation service indicating equivalency to degrees or coursework completed at the college or university accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education.
Desired Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess a Master's Degree in 19th- or 20th-Century American History and five (5) years of professional experience managing historic structures, collections, and archives and developing exhibitions in a museum setting. The successful candidate will bring strong historical research and collections expertise, along with demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, creativity, and a commitment to high professional standards and public service.
Because the Museum operates across multiple museums and historic sites and manages a diverse range of projects and responsibilities, the ideal candidate will be flexible, adaptable, collaborative, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to shift priorities, respond effectively to emerging needs, and successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Selection Process
Application Procedure: To be considered for this excellent opportunity, please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental questionnaire by Friday, September 4, 2026 at 5:00pm.
There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in your Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. Be sure to include in your application and Supplemental Questionnaire any relevant experience and education that demonstrates that you meet the minimum requirements, as it will be used to competitively evaluate your qualifications; resumes will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation process. The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, may be referred for interview.
All communications regarding the remainder of the selection process will be via email. Please be sure the email provided on this application is always current; it is your responsibility to update your personal information. Update your Spam, Junk, Bulk, and Firewall settings as needed to ensure that you receive all information pertaining to this recruitment.
To ensure timely and successful submission of your online application, please allow ample time to complete and submit your application before the posted filing deadline. Applicants will be automatically logged-out if they have not submitted the application and all required materials prior to the posted deadline. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note, if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application we have not received your application.
If you require technical assistance, please review the Government Jobs online application guide, or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by the internet connection, computer or browser used to submit the application.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for allemployees and applicants.
ADA Accommodation:If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form (Download PDF)within one week of the recruitmentfiling deadline.
Veterans' Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouses or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the Veterans' Preference Policy.
For more important details, review the Applicant Information and County Employment Process.
Professional Unit
San Bernardino County offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of other voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.
Please review the appropriate * for more information
Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the for more detailed information.
*Retirement benefits subject to change.
01
PLEASE READ THE BELOW STATEMENT
Instructions: The information provided on your application and in your responses to the following Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for this position, as well as in a competitive evaluation of qualifications. It is in your best interest to be as thorough as possible in your responses. Resumes will NOT be reviewed to determine qualifications. Applicants will not be able to update their application materials or answers to the questionnaire once the application has been submitted. Note: Experience listed on this questionnaire must also be listed and fully detailed in the work experience section of your application.

• I have read and understand the above statement.

02
Availability: This position requires employees to work weekends and holidays. Are you willing and able to work weekends and holidays as required by the position?

• Yes
• No

03
Education: Do you possess a completed Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in History, Historic Preservation, Historic Architecture, Public History, American History, or a comparable field?

• Yes
• No

04
Education: If you possess a qualifying Master's Degree, indicate your degree, major/field of study, college/university, and date of completion. If none, indicate "N/A."
05
Qualifying Experience: Which of the following best describes your professional experience?

• Option 1: I have at least two (2) years of full-time equivalent professional experience curating history collections, including experience in historic preservation, collection management, interpretive programming, and supervision of professional, technical, or volunteer staff.
• Option 2: I have at least two (2) years of full-time equivalent professional experience in the field of history, including work as a researcher, lecturer, or practitioner with responsibility for public engagement.
• I do not possess experience under either of the above options.

06
Collections/Curatorial: Describe your professional experience curating history collections, including responsibilities related to historic preservation, collection management, interpretive programming, and/or supervision of professional, technical, or volunteer staff. For each position you are using to qualify, include the employer/organization, job title, dates of employment, average hours worked per week, and a description of your qualifying duties and responsibilities.If you do not possess this experience, indicate "N/A."
07
Professional History Experience: Describe your professional experience in the field of history, including work as a researcher, lecturer, or practitioner with responsibility for public engagement. For each position you are using to qualify, include the employer/organization, job title, dates of employment, average hours worked per week, and a description of your qualifying duties and responsibilities.If you do not possess this experience, indicate "N/A."
08
Collections, Research, and Preservation: Describe your professional experience researching, cataloging, documenting, preserving, managing, or interpreting historical objects, archival materials, historic structures, sites, or other historic resources. Include the types of collections or resources you worked with and your specific responsibilities.If you do not possess this experience, indicate "N/A."
09
Exhibitions and Public Programs: Describe your professional experience developing or overseeing historical exhibitions, interpretive materials, educational programs, lectures, tours, or other public programs. Include your specific role in researching and developing content and engaging the public.If you do not possess this experience, indicate "N/A."
10
Managing Multiple Priorities: Describe a situation in which you were responsible for managin