Museum Curator of History*

Job Description

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 Summary of Benefits * for more information

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County’s Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Employee Benefits website for more detailed information.

*Retirement benefits subject to change.

Closing Date/Time: 9/4/2026 5:00 PM Pacific