Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture

LocationWashington, DCLocation TypeWork at location### Description**Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture****ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE**The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo – shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution, and in June 2024 welcomed its 11 millionth visitor.The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened with 12 permanent exhibitions telling the nation’s story through the African American lens. Since then, it has debuted additional

temporary exhibitions on topics ranging from the Great Migration, African Americans in World War I, and the Civil Rights Movement, to Reconstruction, Afrofuturism, and the powerful Emmett Till Memorial. The Museum has hosted hundreds of public programs and is actively collecting items to document the history of enslavement, art history, and contemporary social justice movements. Social justice is more than a theme or a program at NMAAHC, it is embedded in the Museum’s approach to collections, exhibitions, education, programming, and fundraising.NMAAHC is a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it helped to shape this nation. The primary purpose of NMAAHC is to acquire, maintain, and preserve objects which document social, cultural, political, military, technological, and scientific developments in the United States related to the African American experience; to conduct scholarly research designed to make significant contributions to the body of knowledge in the field of African American history; to publish findings for both scholarly and general audiences; and to interpret historical developments through public exhibits and programs as well as digital content. Within the Museum, a range of exhibitions leverage powerful first-person accounts alongside poignant artifacts to foster a deeper understanding of historical content and draw meaningful connections across the lines of history through to present day.The Museum’s digital strategy provides global access to the Museum’s collections, resources, and bold storytelling. NMAAHC remains at the forefront of cultural responsiveness and brings engaging and educational offerings to the public both online and in person, with over 20,000 or nearly half of its holdings digitized and searchable. The Searchable Museum is the Museum’s signature digital initiative that offers online exhibitions, virtual symposia, and digital programs. It launched on NMAAHC’s fifth anniversary (2021), allowing the museum to go beyond its walls and engage a global audience, with the ultimate goal of bringing all of its permanent exhibitions online. The first digital exhibition to be shared on the Searchable Museum site was Slavery and Freedom, creating a compelling online experience from the existing physical exhibition in the Museum’s history galleries. Utilizing constellations to encourage curiosity and exploration, it has transformed the narrative structure and tone of the Museum’s gallery experience while offering virtual visitors the ability to hold history in their hands. The Searchable Museum’s offerings have now expanded to seven online exhibitions, from Reconstruction to Afrofuturism, with more underway.From its inception, NMAAHC has elevated the curation, study, and presentation of African American history. Besides welcoming more than 12 million visitors in person, the Museum has hosted 21 million virtual visitors on its website, world-class online programming, Searchable Museum, and virtual access to its collections. To date, the Museum has collected more than 40,000 artifacts. This is in addition to the recent acquisition of the 4.5 million items in the Johnson Publishing Company Archive.The Museum maintains a highly visible presence on the national stage, garnering notable levels of public engagement and media coverage. It remains one of the hottest tickets in town, regularly running out of free timed passes over a month in advance. NMAAHC also boasts the highest “dwell time” at the Smithsonian and among museums across the world, with many visitors spending 4+ hours exploring the museum’s exhibitions and offerings. More than 250,000 individuals have become members of the Museum since its inception.NMAAHC is a public institution open to all, where anyone is welcome to participate, collaborate, and learn more about African American history and culture. In the words of Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of the Museum, “there are few things as powerful and as important as a people, as a nation that is steeped in its history.”For more information on the Museum, please visit https://nmaahc.si.edu/.**THE OPPORTUNITY**The next Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will have the extraordinary opportunity to lead one of the most dynamic and influential cultural institutions in the world. Since its historic opening in 2016, the Museum has become a global platform for exploring, preserving, and celebrating the richness and complexity of African American history, culture, and achievement. The Director will guide the Museum into its second decade—advancing its scholarship, deepening community engagement, and expanding its reach across digital, educational, and international audiences.This role offers a rare chance to shape the future of an institution that stands at the intersection of art, history, identity, and social change. The Director will inspire a world-class team, collaborate across the Smithsonian and beyond, and steward a powerful mission that resonates deeply with millions each year. As the Museum continues to grow in scope and influence, the Director will have the platform to champion innovation, inclusion, and dialogue—ensuring that the Museum remains a living, evolving force for understanding and transformation in the 21st century.**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**The Museum and its Director are guided by a nineteen-member Advisory Council appointed by the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents. The Advisory Council, as outlined in the enacting legislation, advises the Regents on the Museum’s administration and operation, recommends annual operating budgets, and provides the Regents an annual report on the acquisition, registration, disposition and display of objects attesting to the material culture of African Americans.The position reports to the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture. Within broad policy guidelines and established procedures, the Director develops and directs all aspects of museum programs and activities and exercises a high degree of managerial knowledge and ability as well as leadership and advocacy on behalf of the field of African-American culture. The Director will manage the overall operation of the Museum and create educational and liaison programs which will support the Museum’s goals and fulfill its mission. As the principal architect and facilitator of the Museum’s mission and operations, the Director must have experience in managing the operations and staff #J-18808-Ljbffr