At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

We are deeply committed to creating an actively anti-racist organization, leveraging our global reach to combat systemic racism and inequity wherever it exists.Read our full statement on anti-racism and equity here.

Purpose of the Role

The Curatorial Assistant is a key member of the Obama Presidential Center Museum’s Curatorial Team. Reporting to the Curatorial Senior Associate, you will support research and administrative needs for the Curatorial Team, focused primarily on the Museum’s core exhibits, special exhibits, activations, and related projects.

You will perform historical, artifact, and image research to support high-priority curatorial activities, ensuring that the Curatorial Team is provided with substantive and reliable information to meet project deadlines and to inform interpretive activities and products. You will be responsible for providing exceptional support to curatorial projects and collaborations with other teams, ensuring members have access to complete, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their work and meet project objectives, and you will serve as the initial point of contact for the Curatorial Team.

This role is hybrid, located at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago. The Curatorial Assistant is expected to be on-site at the Museum a minimum of 3 days a week.

Core Job Responsibilities

Curatorial Research and Production

• Conduct research related to potential artifact donations, acquisitions, and archival materials, ensuring the Curatorial Team has the information needed to make key decisions within specified timeframes.

• Assist in the development, copyediting, design, and production of exhibition didactic materials, such as wall text, labels, and other exhibition content as needed.

• Support the Curatorial Team’s review and oversight of object installation.

• Assist with the preparation and coordination of acquisitions proposals, presentation materials, and catalog records.

Database Maintenance

• Research and edit artifact records in the Museum’s database.

• Work with other Curatorial Team members to maintain accurate exhibition object lists.

• Assist in the categorization, routing, and tracking of donation offers, purchases, and loans to ensure all are placed in the assessment queue for consideration.

Administration and Project Coordination

• Manage administrative and project coordination needs for the Curatorial Team, including scheduling meetings, taking meeting notes, tracking team tasks, preparing reports and presentation materials, managing and organizing files in Google Drive, and supporting other logistical needs.

• Serve as the initial point of contact for the Curatorial Team, managing contacts and handling inquiries (mail, telephone, email) about the collection, exhibitions, and donating objects to the Museum.

• Coordinate and assist in facilitating object donor visits at the Museum.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Research assignments are prioritized and completed in a timely manner to ensure the Curatorial Team has access to accurate and well-organized information to facilitate their work on exhibitions development, collections development, publications, programs, outreach initiatives, and other priority activities.

• All presentations and other materials are designed and edited to Obama Foundation standards, have been reviewed and approved by the necessary parties, and are produced and delivered within specified timeframes and with a high attention to detail.

• Artifact and image databases are maintained with reliable, consistent, and up-to-date information conforming to established data entry protocols; data is shared and transferred according to established workflows.

• All assigned projects and tasks are completed on time and with high attention to detail.

• Ability to juggle thinking broadly and innovatively about the Obama Foundation’s mission, while also independently managing a wide range of administrative responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies or a related field

• Minimum 2 years of demonstrated experience working in a museum or cultural organization.

• Experience conducting historical research, knowledge of sourcing standards, and strong critical thinking skills.

• Scrupulous attention to detail.

• High quality oral, and written communication and interpersonal skills; comfort interfacing with a public audience.

• Highly organized, with a demonstrated ability to self-direct and efficiently multitask.

• Experience with scheduling and project management; Google Suite and Microsoft Suite experience required; experience with Adobe Suite, Salesforce, and Asana or other project management tools helpful but not required.

The salary range for this role is between $51,965 and $64,980.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.