City Historian

Job Description:

City Historian

Description

THE POSITION

The City Historian plays a vital leadership role in preserving and promoting Sacramento’s rich cultural heritage. The City Historian oversees a wide range of programs, collections, and historic resources that shape how the community connects with its past. Reporting to the Director of the Convention and Cultural Services Department, this position provides strategic direction, professional expertise, and administrative oversight for The Center for Sacramento History - the City’s History Division.

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

The next Historian for the City of Sacramento will be a visionary leader, skilled collaborator, and trusted steward of the City’s diverse and complex past. This individual will approach the work with humility, integrity, and cultural competence, ensuring that Sacramento’s history is told inclusively, truthfully, and in a way that resonates across communities.

The Ideal Candidate will be a:

• Collaborative & Inclusive Leader
  
• Skilled Manager & Administrator
  
• Professional Expertise & Credibility
  
• Relationship Builder & Strategic Partner
  

Desired Attributes

• Humility, integrity, and cultural competence
• Visionary and strategic thinker
• Inclusive collaborator and community partner
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills
• Creative, politically adept, and trustworthy
• Deep knowledge of Sacramento’s history and cultural context

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Under general direction, the City Historian performs professional administrative functions in the direction and implementation of the Convention and Cultural Services History Division. The City Historian serves as the Director of the Center for Sacramento History; implements and prepares the division budget; ensure the program and maintenance objectives are accomplished; supervises and advises staff on archival and museum professional standards; and, consults with other division regarding preservation and historic interpretation.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
General direction is provided by the Director of the Convention, Culture and Leisure Department. Responsibilities include the direct and indirect supervision of professional, technical, and clerical personnel and non-profit staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional related duties as required.

• Prepare, direct, assign, monitor, and evaluate the division, CIP, and special event budgets; review expenditures and authorize payments; negotiate contracts.
• Make recommendations on long-term policy and operational needs and other changes as necessary.
• Meets with the department director, division managers, and other key department staff to share information and discuss issues regarding projects, policies and programs, and to determine priorities and resource management issues on a regular basis.
• Manage and oversee the Sacramento History Museum and the Center for Sacramento History staff, programming, and all City collections on display.
• Serve as Executive Director of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation and the Director of the Center for Sacramento History and the Sacramento History Museum; serve as the City and County professional historian.
• Establish division goals and objectives; determine priorities and adjust programs to meet department and City and County of Sacramento objectives.
• Oversee and participate in the acquisition, documentation preservation, and care for museum collections held in public trust.
• Provide public access to the public records of the City of Sacramento, County of Sacramento, and special districts; perform academic research and render decisions that are based upon research and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and programs; prepare written reports.
• Advocate for the enhancement of heritage tourism; develop tours, programs, and software applications for City and County collections that enhance heritage tourism for the Old Sacramento Historic District; enhance public knowledge of local history.
• Consult and advise on historic and regulatory services for Old Sacramento and documentary film productions; advise on matters of historic preservation, history, and cultural heritage to promote preservation within the historic district; review and maintain preservation standards for the National Historic District.
• Promote heritage tourism for the City and County of Sacramento; develop and maintain annual advertising plan and operating budget; prepare a marketing plan for the promotion of the museum system; research, design and create brochures, exhibits, guides, advertisements, and publications based on the City of Sacramento collections.
• Draft policies and procedures related to museum and archive operations.
• Research, identify, and write grants for historic programs, collection care, and museum exhibits; source funding for the Center for Sacramento History.
• Research, document, and manage cemetery records and their historic viability; review and make determinations regarding monuments and markers; create displays and advise staff on cemetery preservation standards.
• Liaison with local history groups and state government; public speaking and teaching about local history to local groups and schools.
• Provide exceptional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• California history, museum studies, library and archival practices, historic preservation, and local and regional history.
• Museum collection policies and procedures, exhibition and historic touring practices.
• Management, organization, budgeting, and contracting principles, policies, procedures and techniques.
• Non-profit board management.
• Marketing, advertising, and event planning strategies.
• Principles of organization, administration, supervision, and performance evaluation.

Skill in:

• Academic research.
• Presenting proposals and reports to various audiences in a clear, concise, and effective manner.
• Training and mentoring staff.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Coalition building which includes motivating, negotiating, and persuading stakeholders into a course of action.
• Management and stewardship of historic and recreational sites.
• Facilitation and education as a method of leadership.
• Use of computers and computer applications and software.

Ability to:

• Manage a variety of historic assets including a research and collection center, museums, historic tour programs, a historic cemetery, and national historic districts.
• Prepare, analyze, and administer a division budget.
• Evaluate and make recommendations on proposed projects, with particular attention to cost effectiveness.
• Plan, assign, direct, and evaluate the work of subordinate employees and volunteers.
• Work independently or collaboratively with internal and external staff and customers.
• Track and manage multiple projects, contracts, and budgets.
• Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive reports, and correspondence.
• Present reports in a clear and effective manner at meetings, conferences, and hearings.
• Establish and maintain effective partnerships with local historical agencies, community groups, constituents, and volunteers.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with architects, planners, civil groups, university staff, governmental agencies, and the public.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

Experience:

Four years of progressively responsible supervisory and management experience, with at least three serving in a supervisory capacity in a museum, archival repository or historic district.

-AND-

Education:

Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in history, public history, museum studies, or a closely related field.

Substitution:
Additional qualifying experience in the history profession in a museum, archival repository, or historic district may substitute for education on a year for year basis.

Proof of Education:
Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An application with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:
Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Assessment:
Must successfully pass a criminal background check.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The conditions herein are typically required of an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Physical Requirements:
On an intermittent basis sit at a desk; twist to reach equipment surrounding desk; perform simple and power grasping, finger dexterity, and fine manipulations; write and use a keyboard and frequently lift, carry, push, pull, and reach for items weighing 40 pounds or less; frequently kneel, crouch, stand, walk, and work on ladders or scaffolding; incumbents may travel to different warehouse locations which may involve exposure to traffic and inclement weather conditions. Requires effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading, and writing.

Environmental Conditions:
Occasionally works around machinery with moving parts, stationary equipment, moving objects, or vehicles.

Work Conditions:
Incumbents may be required to work evenings and weekends.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

HOW TO APPLY

The final filing date is March 1, 2026. To be considered for this exciting and rewarding career opportunity, please submit your application at:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cpshrrs/jobs/5217021/city-historian

SAVE THE DATES!
Round one interviews will be virtual and held during the week of March 16. Finalists will be invited to in-person interviews scheduled for the week of March 23. Candidates selected for interview must be available for both the virtual and in-person dates.

QUESTIONS?
For additional information about this position, please contact:
Kristin Morris
Principal Consultant
(916) 471-3405
[email protected]
www.cpshr.us

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 3/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$118,391.00 - $166,588.02 Annually