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Museum and Historic Site Administrator 2, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Drake Well Museum and Park, Titusville

Do you have a passion for industrial history, love working with historic equipment and museum collections, revel in teaching complex topics to a wide range of audiences, and enjoy managing multifaceted museum operations? If so, the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums (BHSM) of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) is looking for a museum director to manage Drake Well Museum & Park, birthplace of modern petroleum industry.

Welcoming thousands annually from across the U.S. and the world, Drake Well Museum & Park, located in Venango County, PA, preserves and shares Pennsylvania's rich petroleum history, connecting past to present and inspiring visitors to strive for a sustainable energy future. As Drake Well's Site Administrator, you will play a crucial role in the preservation and interpretation of this 218-acre historic site, including the National Historic Landmark well, dynamic outdoor exhibits of operating oil field machinery, over 12,000 square feet of interior exhibits, an extensive artifact and archival collection and more.

This position leads the daily operations and long term development of Drake Well Museum & Park by guiding staff, resources, and planning efforts. The role supports preservation, education, community partnerships, and smooth operation of the entire site. As a Museum and Historic Site Administrator 2, you will perform the following duties:

• Site Management: Oversee daily operations, facility upkeep, security, and long term planning for the museum and grounds
• Staff Leadership: Direct personnel activities, training, and scheduling to keep work organized and effective
• Collections Oversight: Guide the care, documentation, and interpretation of artifacts and exhibits
• Community Engagement: Build connections with local groups, partners, and the Friends of Drake Well, Inc (the museum’s official support group) to support site goals
• Financial Coordination: Manage budgeting, fundraising efforts, grants, and financial procedures for site operations
• Volunteer Development: Recruit, train, and support volunteers who assist with education, events, and site activities

This is a professional museum administrator position requiring subject matter expertise related to the historic site, its era of history, and the museum profession in general.

Closing date: 11/24

Salary range: $78,925.00 - $119,844.00 Annually

Please click here to see a full job description and apply.
(Posted 10/27)

Historic Preservation Specialist, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg

The Historic Preservation Specialist with the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Environmental Review Division, is your chance to make a lasting mark on the places that tell our shared story. This role offers the opportunity to support important preservation work that shapes how communities grow. You will help agencies plan projects responsibly, while protecting archaeological resources for future generations. Join us and take pride in advancing meaningful public service.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

This role supports the Environmental Review Division by helping agencies identify, manage, and preserve archaeological resources during project planning. It also advances the improvement of collection management and review processes. As a Historic Preservation Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

• Resource Identification: Assist agencies in recognizing and considering archaeological resources during planning
• Process Streamlining: Support efforts to improve consultation and review procedures with federal, state, and local partners
• Data Management: Develop and maintain digital archaeological collections records to enhance accessibility and integration with PA SHARE
• Digitization Guidance: Implement guidance that improves digitization and availability of archaeological collection records for agencies, applicants, and consultants
• Curation Support: Aid in long term curation, guideline updates, and collaboration with Commonwealth partners on cultural resource management plans
• Training and Outreach: Provide direction to volunteers and interns, and participate in meetings, conferences, and professional development

Closing date: 11/9

Salary range: $60,538.00 - $92,010.00 Annually

Please click here to see a full job description and apply.
(Posted 10/27)

Multiple Roles, U.S. Brig Niagara, Erie Maritime Museum, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Erie

The Pennsylvania Historical Commission is hiring crew members for the U.S. Brig Niagara including a Chief Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Able Bodied Sailors, Steward, and Boatswain. Most of these opportunities have a closing date of 11/24.

Please click here to see each job description and/or apply.
(Posted 1027) 

Visitor Services Coordinator, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh

About the Museum

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh provides innovative and inclusive museum experiences that inspire kindness, joy, creativity and curiosity for all learners. We forge connections with artists, community partners and neighbors to work on behalf of children, youth and families. We have a vision to transform education. We believe people of all ages can benefit from different types of learning experiences.

Benefits:

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees that includes: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Account. Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Holidays, and Floating Holidays). 403(b) Savings Retirement Plan. Life Insurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability. Free Museum membership. Parking at a discounted rate.

Position Summary:

The Visitor Services Coordinator assists in the management of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Membership program, including stewardship of long-term member relationships. Helps to develop strategy and implement plans for membership growth and member retention, understanding the unique needs of member families and how they utilize the Museum. This position is instrumental in the planning of member events and member early opens. The goal of the admissions/visitor component is to ensure outstanding guest services are provided to all members and visitors to ensure a safe, efficient and friendly visit, and to educate the front desk staff on membership programs and benefits.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Admissions staff and other Visitor Services staff as necessary.

Essential Job Functions:

• Assist in the management of the membership program, this includes Cuseum digital membership card platform, and sales.
• E-commerce management - memberships.
• Handle questions from members' in-person, via phone calls and through email.
• Oversees membership customer service processes including processing new and renewing museum memberships and acknowledgment letters.
• Work with Visitor Services management to ensure proper training on memberships program, policies, and procedures and strategies to increase on-site sales.
• Train admission staff in all areas of membership sales and data collection.
• Assists with the creation and execution of member programs, member previews and other member events.
• Partners with the marketing and Communications team to support the implementation, promotion, and communication of robust annual programing, helps to create membership collateral, and supports the museums online social media and website presence
• Communicate with Tessitura technical support as needed, including facilitating upgrades, training issues and resolving open issues as they pertain to admissions and memberships.
• Manage reciprocal and free memberships with the Museum's partners and neighbor organizations.
• Process of monthly membership commission reports, maintains visitor conversion rates accurate database records
• Act as Manager on Duty weekly. Responsible for supervising front desk staff, daily opening and closing of admission desk and retail store, including till accounting, variance documentation and reconciliation.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Daily customer service interaction and management of issues including accident/incident reports.
• Helps to cover the front desk when needed.
• Assists front desk with database and membership questions.
• Work with the Visitor Services Supervisor to create procedure manuals for membership and admissions desk as necessary.
• Ensure admissions desk are prepared for all special events where desk is in use.
• Work with VS management team to ensure overall quality performance and efficiency at the front desk. Includes monitoring supplies, ensuring automated announcements are set properly, communicate any guest issues and report any concerns on staff performance.
• Responsible for all cash and receipts.
• Assist in the parking operations.
• Follow safety protocols to ensure the safety and security of visitors.
• Follow Collective Bargain Agreement and HR Policy Handbook to ensure compliance.
• Communicates to management the need of issuing progressive discipline.
• Responsible for following and implementing Museum policies and procedures.
• Participate in one Museum committee.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time based on business needs and in support of the mission of Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

Job Requirements:

Education: High school diploma or GED required, Bachelor's degree preferred.

Experience:

• At least two years in a customer service or fundraising role required, with additional preference for at least two years' museum experience.
• Experience with MS Office Suite required.
• Experience with Tessitura, or another CRM preferred.
• Cash management experience.

Skills:

• Proficiency in customer service.
• Highly dependable with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong conflict resolution and problem solving skills.
• Proficiency in cross-departmental collaboration.

Physical Requirements, and Equipment Usage:

• No excessive physical effort required, however some lifting of equipment and supplies may be required.
• The person in this position frequently communicates with staff, guests, and partners. Must be able to exchange accurate information.
• Constantly operates a computer, phone, photocopier and other office equipment.
• Move consistently about the Museum and off-site attending to operational needs.

The physical demands and work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary range: $38,400 - $40,000 per year

Work Environment and Hours of Work:

• Duties will be performed in a museum environment, which includes interaction with the public and exposure to children and families.
• Onsite work from Sunday to Thursday. Hours vary based on museum open hours. Occasional early or evening hours required for events.

Clearances:

• FBI fingerprints, PA Child Abuse History Certificate (Act 33) and PA State Criminal Record Check (Act 34) Clearances are required.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete our online application found at:

https://pittsburghkids.org/about/careers-opportunities/careers/

(Posted 10/26)

Curatorial Fellowship, Distillations Magazine, The Science History Institute, Philadelphia

The Science History Institute is pleased to accept applications for its 2027–2029 Curatorial Fellowship.

Distillations Magazine Curatorial Fellow

The Science History Institute seeks a Curatorial Fellow to serve as a member of the Distillations magazine editorial team. Currently a digital product with an annual “Best Of” print edition, the magazine publishes long-form narrative nonfiction that explores the history of the chemical and life sciences. With new content twice monthly, the magazine reaches an annual audience of more than 500,000, and its free content is consistently shared and cited by external sites. The Curatorial Fellow will join a two-person editorial team that commissions and develops articles from staff and freelance writers; manages production timelines and workflows; researches and edits illustrative art for articles; executes story layout and design; and collaborates with the Institute’s communications team on promotion. In addition, during this fellowship the editorial team will plan the magazine’s transition to a quarterly, print-first publication.

Overview

Curatorial fellowships are limited-term positions for those interested in a career in the public history of science. Curatorial fellows are integrated as members of Institute staff and benefit from professional development, portfolio building, networking, and mentorship opportunities. Project outcomes build fellows’ resumes in the museum field while advancing the Institute’s strategic goals.

Curatorial fellowships are intended for individuals with advanced degrees who are interested in a professional trajectory outside academia. Individuals from any relevant field with a demonstrated interest in the history of science, broadly defined, will be considered. As part of their professional development and networking, curatorial fellows participate in relevant seminars at the Institute (approximately 10% of the fellows’ time), including the Beckman Center’s Work-in-Progress Workshops and Fellows’ Talks.

The application deadline for the Curatorial Fellowship is January 15, 2027. Offers will be made in April 2027, with a start date of September 2027. This is a two-year position that will end in August 2029. The annual salary is $55,000. This position is eligible for employee benefits, including medical and dental coverage, paid time off, and 403(b) retirement matching funds. Curatorial fellows who meet the criteria of the Institute’s Relocation Assistance Program additionally receive a $1,500 payment upon moving to the Philadelphia area.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a humanities, social science, communications, or science field and a demonstrated interest in the history of science
• Exceptional writing and editing skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complicated topics to non-specialist and public audiences
• Experience working in deadline-driven environments managing multiple short- and long-term projects
• Detail-oriented with strong project management skills
• Ability to work both collaboratively within a team and independently

To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three published writing samples for a non-specialist audience, and contact information for three professional references to this ADP link.

The Science History Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. The Science History Institute is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applicants from underrepresented groups such as women, racioethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities to apply.
(Posted 10/26)

Internships, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown

The BLBB CHARITABLE Internship program at the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, operated by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS), allows a dynamic group of students with varied interests, strengths, and goals to immerse themselves in an outstanding educational and professional environment.

Interns learn and work directly with museum professionals in a team-based, collaborative environment that offers experiential learning, mentoring benefits, and leadership building skills.

An integral part of the internship is the weekly Enrichment Program, where interns spend time with museum colleagues from across departments as well as community professionals, and learn about museum careers, experiences and responsibilities.

Internship Timeline: The internship takes place from Monday, June 7, 2027 through Friday, August 13, 2027, and is a full-time position at 40 hours per week.

Intern Compensation: $3,000 total, disbursed in three equal installments of $1,000 throughout the summer (June 11, July 9, and August 6, 2027).

Additional Housing Stipend: An additional stipend of $1,000 will be made available to any non-local candidate who will be moving to the area temporarily for this internship. This payment can only be used to subsidize a portion of temporary summer rent for housing in Bucks County, and is intended for accepted candidates who live outside of the region. This one-time stipend would be disbursed on June 11, 2027, and is subject to supporting documentation.

Application Requirements:

In your email and cover letter, please select your internship area of interest and rank your preferred order of concentration areas as 1,2,3 (in order of most preferred to least preferred).

The three available concentration areas are:

• Archives
• Curatorial
• Education & Community Services

All intern application materials should be saved as a single PDF and should include:

• A letter of interest / cover letter
• A résumé
• A list of 2-3 professional references

The single PDF should be sent with the email subject line “2027 Summer Internship + [Insert Your Last Name]” to info@mercermuseum.org.

Deadline: Friday, January 22, 2027 at 5pm (no exceptions)

Applicants should possess the following qualifications (as well as any other qualifications mentioned in the individual intern categories below):

• Graduate studies students preferred
• Upper class undergraduate studies or expected degree in history, material culture, education, humanities, museum studies, museum education, anthropology or related field
• Demonstrated interest/experience in museums, exhibitions, programs, education, and/or history
• Strong writing, research, organizational, interpersonal, communication and computer skills
• Ability to work both independently and in groups
• Genuine interest in working with the public
• Helpful, positive attitude for other duties as assigned
• Sense of humor greatly appreciated!

(Posted 10/26)

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg

Are you a skilled project manager looking for an opportunity to influence organizational direction, lead cross-functional teams, and design programs that support the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's (PHMC) mission?

PHMC is searching for a Director of Strategic Initiatives to play a key leadership role in shaping agency-wide initiatives, guiding complex projects, and driving strategic museum planning and program development. If you are an organized and innovative project manager with a passion for sharing Pennsylvania's History, apply today.

The Director of Strategic Initiatives supports the PHMC's Executive Office in developing complex agency programs and executing long-range strategies related to museum planning, interpretation, programming, facility utilization and collections preservation. As the Director of Strategic initiatives, you will perform the following duties:

• Statewide Representation: Represent PHMC across statewide initiatives, serving as liaison to inter-agency programs and councils, coordinating stakeholder engagements, and directing cross-bureau working groups
• Project Management: Manage large-scale, agency-wide projects by developing project charters, methodologies, schedules, benchmarks, and deliverable reviews while coordinating with department heads and external partners; monitor project budgets and execute special assignments for the Executive Director
• Strategic Leadership: Lead strategic initiatives such as sustainability planning, continuity of operations plans, marketing studies, culture and engagement assessments, and continuing-education seminars
• Industry Research: Research emerging industry trends and prepare recommendations for the Executive Office

Closing date: 11/10/26

Salary range: $69,086.00 - $104,959.00 Annually

To see a full job description and apply, please click here.
(Posted 10/22)

Architectural Consultant, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Ambridge

Do you have the architectural design, review, and technical consulting skills needed to provide long-range planning that will preserve historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)? If so, consider joining this dynamic and diverse team within the Bureau of Management Services, Division of Architecture and Preservation in our responsibility for maintaining over 400 buildings in Pennsylvania. Apply today to put your passion for architecture and history to use, and become an essential member of our team.

Salary range: $78,925.00 - $119,844.00 Annually

Closing date: 10/27

To see a full job description and apply, please click here.
(Posted 10/19)

Stock Clerk 2, Pennsylvania Archives, Harrisburg

The Pennsylvania State Records Center is looking for a hardworking, skilled, and energetic person to perform clerical and manual duties involving the shipment, storage, receipt, and disposition of records maintained by the State Records Center for Commonwealth Agencies. The State Records Center is a safe, secure facility that holds 220,000 boxes of records for commonwealth agencies. We are a small staff that have pride in our work to assist agencies in a timely fashion. This is an entry level position. If you are interested in having a public service career in the most unique bureau the Commonwealth, please apply today.

Salary range: $36,831.00 - $54,162.00 Annually

Deadline to apply: 10/29/26

To see a full job description and apply, please click here.
(Posted 10/19)

Archival Intern, The Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Harrisburg

The House Archives is seeking applicants for its 13-week paid internship, FT or PT. The deadline to apply is November 1.

Spring Semesters Requirements:

Be a second semester junior, a senior, or a graduate student
Attend a College or University in Pennsylvania or be a resident of Pennsylvania
Have at least a 3.0 GPA

Compensation: $12/hr

Please click here for more information.

Must complete an application and submit a resume, official college transcripts, and two letters of recommendation 
(Posted 10/19)

Events Coordinator, Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, Boyertown

Full time, 40 hour week, with possible overtime as needed.  Weekends required and occasional evenings.
Successful hire will be eligible for medical benefits and IRA match.

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles seeks a highly motivated and organized person to plan and implement museum and rental events.

Qualifications
• Associate or Bachelor’s Degree is helpful but not necessary, or 3+ years of experience in a related field.
• Significant knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite and Canva.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent customer service.
• Knowledge of Donor Perfect or similar CRM helpful but not necessary.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively with staff members.
• Sensory Requirements include: Accurate Near Vision, Accurate Far Vision, Color Determination, Minimal Depth Perception, Moderate Hearing
• Must have valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License
• Background Clearances (FBI Criminal Clearance, PA State Police Background Check, and Child Abuse History Clearance)

Responsibilities
Museum Events:
• Coordinate the planning and implementation for museum events, including following and developing budgets, creating timelines, securing suitable insurances and contracts from vendors, purchasing supplies, and coordinating staff and volunteer needs
• Assist with procurement of business sponsors of events, and ensuring sponsor visibility and recognition
• Coordinate day of event details, including setup and breakdown  
Rental Events:
• Answer rental event inquiries and conduct showings of the space
• Ensure renters review and sign rental contracts, and make payments/deposits according to schedule
• Provide staff and volunteers with event setup and breakdown logistics
• Oversee event on day of, or cross train delegated staff person on event-specific logistics
• Provide monthly report to board tracking event rental income and volunteer hours
• Monitor and maintain event supplies
• Attend staff and appropriate committee meetings
Guest Services:
• Open and close Gallery 2 building for daily visitors
• Greet visitors and monitor Gallery 2 displays
• Provide coverage as needed in main museum lobby, including processing admission and gift shop purchases

Benefits
• Salary commensurate with experience
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Employer medical and IRA match
• Vacation and holidays
• Spousal/Dependent Health, Vision, and Dental insurance available

Salary range: $19-24/hr

Direct all resumes to:
Kendra Cook, Executive Director
kendra@boyertownmuseum.org
(Posted 10/19)

Executive Director, Histories Collaborative of Philadelphia, Philadelphia

About HCP and the Opportunity

The Histories Collaborative of Philadelphia (HCP) is an in-formation 501(c)(3) organization that is being established to serve as the unifying voice and coordinating backbone for Philadelphia's numerous history-related organizations, from major legacy institutions to grassroots community archives. HCP is best understood as civic infrastructure for the histories field, closer in spirit to a library system than to any single institution. Its impact will be dependent upon its persuasiveness, not statutory or authorized via other format. It works by convening peers and enabling distributed authorship, not by directing them. HCP is in its launch phase, transitioning from a fiscally sponsored initiative to an independent nonprofit. HCP seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative leader to serve as its inaugural Executive Director/Chief Collaborative Officer (ED/CCO). The ED/CCO will be the organization's first hire and may be its only executive for a meaningful period. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED/CCO will be responsible for every dimension of organizational life: strategy, fundraising, stakeholder relations, communications, convening design, advocacy, technology, and administration. HCP sponsored an in-depth analysis of the city’s histories sector. Lord Cultural Resources was retained to undertake this assessment.

Strategic Context

• The national political environment has placed unprecedented pressure on federally funded cultural institutions including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and PBS, with real and growing threats to Philadelphia's histories sector;
• The 2026 Semiquincentennial and the Philadelphia Cultural Plan create immediate windows for elevating Philadelphia's history within public and philanthropic funding frameworks;
• The sector carries deep resource disparities between well-resourced legacy institutions and under-resourced community-based organizations, alongside genuine gaps in shared technology, digital infrastructure, and AI capacity; and
• HCP's model is deliberately lean, informed by other cultural advocacy organizations that have achievedoutsized impact on budgets under $300,000 and with minimal staff.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Governance, and Startup Execution: Guide HCP through its transition to independent 501(c)(3) status, including operating and financial systems, and governance formalization. Develop and implement HCP's inaugural strategic plan. In partnership with the Board, help recruit new directors when timely and design the working structure that makes Board service consequential. Under HCP's non-giving governance model, directors contribute network access, sectoral expertise, advocacy voice, and philanthropic introductions rather than personal capital, and the ED/CCO is responsible for tying those contributions to specific fundraising, advocacy, and sector-relationship goals.

Fundraising and Financial Sustainability: Design and execute a multi-pronged fundraising strategy focused on foundation grants, individual major donors, and earned revenue. Raise operating and program capital in ways that member organizations experience as additive to the field rather than extractive from it. Managing this perception, and the underlying reality behind it, represents the single sharpest risk to HCP's legitimacy. (A three- year, philanthropically funded campaign will provide a long ramp to sourcing new stable and reliable sources commencing in year four.)

Convening and Sector Engagement: Design and implement a tiered convening program including regular sector-wide gatherings, thematic working groups, neighborhood roundtables, and an annual Histories Summit aligned with Philadelphia Histories Month each April. Ensure convenings are accessible to organizations of all sizes, designing processes that resist capture by the largest organizations while actively cultivating participation from the smallest.

Advocacy and Public Affairs: Steward a shared advocacy agenda for the sector. Serve as its public representative in op-eds, City Council and State Legislative testimony, panels, and press. Actively represent the sector in the implementation of the Philadelphia Cultural Plan process and any follow-up to the 2026 Semiquincentennial. Build productive working relationships with Philadelphia City Council, the Mayor's Office, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and relevant state and federal agencies. Ensure that BIPOC-led organizations, immigrant communities, and neighborhood-based institutions are incorporated in the advocacy agenda.

Communications, Technology, and AI: Develop HCP's public voice with messaging discipline and brand stewardship. Lead HCP's internal technology decisions and help the sector identify and evaluate shared digital infrastructure. Approach artificial intelligence with informed curiosity, helping the sector navigate genuine opportunities (transcription, accessibility, discovery, community-facing interpretation) alongside genuine risks (bias in historical datasets, misattribution, pressure on practitioner labor).

Qualifications

• Demonstrated nonprofit leadership capacity or track record, including managing organizations or projects/programs with significant stakeholder complexity.
• Substantive content credibility within the histories field, whether from a curatorial, academic, archival, preservation, public history, comparable practitioner background or dedicated interest in Philadelphia history, sufficient to establish peer-to-peer credibility with member executive directors, curators, and neighborhood historians.
• Demonstrated capacity to effectively interact with foundations and to create competitive grant proposals, and the judgment to raise money in ways that enlarge rather than divert the sector's shared philanthropic capital.
• Trusted relationships across Philadelphia's civic, philanthropic, and cultural landscape, or clear evidence of the network-building instincts to develop them quickly.
• Experience building and sustaining coalitions across diverse stakeholders, including rooms in which the parties present hold very different levels of power, staff, and resources.
• A convener's temperament that finds genuine satisfaction in enabling other organizations' work rather than accumulating personal or institutional profile.
• Working literacy in current technology and artificial intelligence tools sufficient to lead sound decisions about HCP's own infrastructure and to represent the sector credibly.
• A genuine commitment to equity, grounded in substantive knowledge of the histories, practitioners, and community organizations of Black, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous, immigrant, LGBTQ+, working-class, and Philadelphians with disabilities.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including public speaking, editorial voice, and media engagement.
• Comfort in startup environments, able to set priorities, manage ambiguity, and build systems from scratch as a solo or near-solo professional with Board support.

Also valued: existing relationships within Philadelphia's histories, cultural heritage, arts, or civic sectors; prior experience leading a coalition, association, or sector-wide intermediary organization; experience navigating the intersection of cultural policy, public funding, and municipal or state government.

Leadership Profile

HCP's first ED/CCO will be a builder and a connector, energized by the challenge of creating something newand by the importance of what Philadelphia's histories represent for a city, a nation, and a contested culturalmoment. The ideal candidate brings:

• A convener's disposition: Someone who understands that HCP's authority is persuasive, not statutory, and whose instinct is to enable member organizations rather than to command or compete with them.
• A network mindset: Someone who understands that HCP's power lies in its relationships, and who leads through trust rather than authority.
• Entrepreneurial drive and strategic clarity: The initiative to identify opportunities and move quickly, paired with the discipline to focus a lean organization on the highest-leverage activities and resist doing too much too soon.
• A public advocacy voice: Comfort and skill in representing the sector in press, testimony, editorial boards, funder conversations, and community audiences.
• Cultural humility and Philadelphia pride: A genuine orientation toward listening, learning, and centering underserved voices, grounded in a love of this city, its neighborhoods, and the extraordinary stories it carries.

Education Level: 

Degree in history, public history, nonprofit management, public policy, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

Gross compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience, expected to be in the $85,000-$95,000 range. HCP is committed to building an organization that reflects the geographic, cultural, and demographic diversity of the histories sector it serves. Candidates from communities historically underrepresented in cultural leadership are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume or biography, and two writing or other relevant work samples (at least one demonstrating advocacy, fundraising, or public communications work) to Sam Katz at samkatz60@gmail.com by November 12, 2026.
(Posted 10/19)