Curator (focus on African cultural heritage)

Would you like to work for an authority that has the World as its work area? The National Museums of World Culture consist of the Ethnographic Museum, The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities and the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, as well as the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. With collections spanning several thousand years and every continent on Earth, the Museums of World Culture can provide perspective and an increased understanding of who we are, where we come from and the world we want to create together. With a vision of a larger, more humane and more inclusive world, our mission is more urgent than ever!

Currently about 150 staff work on the basis of the government's objective to showcase and bring to life the world's cultures and provide perspectives on an increasingly globalized world in a historic and contemporary context. Our core business is collected in the three sections of Collection, Content and Learning and Public Meetings. Each department has the public on focus and collaborates closely with the whole authority as a field of work. Our overall goal is being relevant to more people, and we are now looking for a person with the knowledge, curiosity and warmth needed to contribute to moving the organization forward

ARBETSUPPGIFTER
• We are currently looking for a curator for our collections department with a focus on African cultural heritage. Your job as curator will involve documenting and developing new knowledge about the collection managed by the Museums of World Culture. This will be done in close cooperation with other curators at the Authority. In accordance with the scientific knowledge tradition, you will contribute to activating the material based on new issues, research findings and current social issues. You are sensitive to the complex origins of the collection and are eager to dialogue with stakeholders from different parts of the world. You have a thorough understanding of the Authority's public role and the ability to convey knowledge adapted to the needs of different target groups and to different physical and digital platforms. You have a broad international network and wish to contribute to the development of methods and ways of working and to the creation of even more relevance for users and visitors.

The curator position includes the following:

• Using current research findings and dialogue with the outside world to develop our knowledge of the sub-collections for which you are responsible and based on the issues these can generate.
• Initiating and participating in strategic applications for research and digitization projects and other external funding in accordance with the Authoritys stated areas of priority.
• Making knowledge available by posing questions to the collections, through participation in exhibitions and other public projects.
• Continuously and systematically assuring the quality and relevance of the Authority's collection database, using current data and knowledge findings.
• Investigating provenance- and return cases
• Responsibility for visits to the collection and inquiries from the general public, researchers and the press with regards to a number of subject areas.

KVALIFIKATIONER
The position requires:
• A Ph.D. Level degree or equivalent in humanities, social sciences, art sciences or other education that the employer finds relevant.
• Knowledge of and experience of working with materials and intangible culture from Africa and endangered cultural heritage, provenance and/or repatriation.
• A very strong ability to express oneself in written and oral English and a strong ability to assimilate written and oral information in Swedish.

Strong merits for the position:
• Experience of museum collection administration in its broadest sense.
• Experience in collaboration with the research community through interdisciplinary projects and activities.
• The ability to initiate, develop and conduct various types of projects.
• The ability to communicate and convey content for various target groups and on different digital channels.
• Language skills in addition to Swedish and English.
• A wide international network, particularly on the African continent.

Great emphasis is placed on personal qualities such as cooperation skills, initiative, flexibility, responsibility and analytical ability.

As a government employee, you are expected to contribute to the development of a good administrative culture, characterized by democracy, human rights and the rule of law, efficiency and accessibility. The National Museums of World Culture is committed to diversity and gender equality and therefore considers employees with different backgrounds and experiences as very valuable to the organization.

ÖVRIGT
The position is based in Gothenburg or Stockholm; some work should be expected in both locations. Individual setting of wage rates.