Description

The Opportunity:

As Vice President, Collections & Interpretation at the Chicago History Museum, you will define what stories the museum tells, what it preserves, and how those stories are experienced by the public. This is a newly created role with a clear mandate to reimagine how a major urban history museum reflects, engages, and serves its city.

You will lead the museum’s collections and interpretation strategy by expanding representation, modernizing how collections are managed and accessed, and advancing the museum’s digital transformation to make content more discoverable and engaging for audiences on-site as well as beyond. You will bring research and historical expertise to life through experiences that are dynamic, inclusive, and relevant to Chicago today.

This role is equal parts cultural leadership and operational transformation. You will build and lead high-performing teams, strengthen community connections, and develop a modern, digitally enabled collections ecosystem that unlocks the full value of the museum’s assets. Your work will ensure Chicago’s stories are not only preserved, but activated, making them more resonant and impactful for a broad and diverse public.

Position Summary: 

Reporting to the Edgar D. and Deborah R. Jannotta President & CEO, the VP, Collections & Interpretation is a member of CHM’s Executive Leadership Team and an influential external ambassador. This role provides strategic oversight and active operational leadership for Collections (including Research & Access), Curation & Exhibitions, and Education. You will align collecting, stewardship, interpretation, and public programming to surface community-informed stories, grow digital and research access, and expand the Museum’s civic and educational impact.

The successful candidate will combine deep knowledge of museum practice and urban history with strong strategic, managerial, fundraising, and people-leadership skills; demonstrate commitment to inclusion and public education; and bring experience working with boards and external stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities:

Institutional Leadership & Strategy

Serve on the Executive Leadership Team; advise the CEO on collections, interpretation, scholarship, and public engagement strategies to guide institutional strategy and deepen the Museum’s positive public impact, making the Museum a central voice in Chicago’s intellectual, cultural, and civic conversations.
Center CHM as the go-to place for all things Chicago—topical, thoughtful, fearless, and deeply engaged; a catalyst and connector that presents dynamic, playful, and probing exhibitions and programs.
Provide mission-aligned leadership for Collections & Research, Curation & Exhibitions, and Education, supporting shared priorities and cross-department collaboration.
Initiate and manage large strategic cross-departmental projects that reflect shared institutional priorities and extend the Museum’s mission.
Represent CHM externally by cultivating relationships with civic, academic, cultural, community-serving, K–12 education, and funding partners.
Collections Stewardship & Research

Establish institutional priorities and guide policies for accessioning/deaccessioning, preservation, conservation, documentation, and collections care.
Modernize collections infrastructure—storage, disaster preparedness, and long-term stewardship—aligned with professional standards and institutional risk management.
Lead transformation of the Abakanowicz Research Center and champion a modern digital collections ecosystem that dramatically improves discoverability and researcher/public access.
Champion the development of a modern digital collections ecosystem that transforms how people discover, access, and engage with the Museum's collections and scholarship online.
Interpretation, Exhibitions & Education

Support the development and delivery of an interpretive and programmatic strategy that aligns exhibitions, education programs, and public programming with the Museum’s aims to tell inclusive Chicago stories, improve visitor experience, and extend reach into Chicago communities.
Ensure interpretation aligns with scholarship, ethical collecting practices, and community engagement goals.
Reinvigorate legacy programs (e.g.,Studs Terkel Oral History Center,Urban History Seminar, Chicago History Magazine) and set strategic direction for major upcoming civic commemorations (e.g., Chicago’s 2033 and 2037 anniversaries).
Work with staff to create a museum-wide evaluative process that reflects institutional priorities, K–12 learning standards, and the mission.
Operations, Finance & Fundraising

Oversee departmental operating budgets to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and demonstrate financial discipline.
Partner with the CEO and CFO on strategies related to long-term financial health, endowment stewardship, institutional priorities, and debt management.
Support fundraising efforts, including grant proposals, sponsorships, membership cultivation, and donor engagement.
People & Culture

Recruit, mentor, and develop leaders and staff across collections, curation, exhibitions, and education.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, collaborative workplace that prioritizes staff well-being, professional growth, and cross-team innovation.
Model transparent communication and empower staff toparticipatein shaping institutional priorities.
Governance & Policy

Liaise with the Board of Trustees and committees as needed on collections policy, deaccessioning, ethical standards, and broader institutional priorities.
Ensure compliance with accreditation standards, legal requirements, and best practices in museum stewardship.

Requirements

The Ideal Candidate Will:

Build teams, systems, and operational infrastructure that sustainably support Collections, Research & Access, Curation & Exhibitions, and Education.
Bring deep expertise in collections stewardship and interpretation, with the ability to set strategy across acquisition, preservation, access, and exhibition.
Lead digital and operational modernization efforts that expand access to collections and enhance how audiences engage with the museum on-site and beyond.
Partner closely with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team as a service-oriented leader, anticipating needs, removing barriers, and enabling peers to succeed.
Act as a strategic catalyst who inspires, mentors, and empowers colleagues across disciplines to take shared ownership of ambitious goals.
Combine creative risk-taking with disciplined managerial rigor by setting clear priorities, implementing measurable plans, and driving accountable execution.
Serve as a visible ambassador for the Chicago History Museum, building relationships with scholars, cultural leaders, and communities across Chicago.
Center equity, access, and public impact in decision-making, ensuring the museum’s work reflects and serves Chicago’s diverse communities.

Qualifications & Characteristics:

Advanced degree in relevant humanities subjects (American Studies, Museum Studies, Art, Architecture, Public History, Urban History, etc.); MA or Ph.D. strongly preferred
Senior leadership experience of 7 to 10 years in museums, historical institutions, or related cultural organizations with responsibility for collections, exhibitions, curation, and education
Strong record of strategic planning, budget management, and fundraising success
Deep understanding of collections care, access, digitization, and research services
Experience with inclusive storytelling, public engagement, and community partnership
Excellent communication skills, verbal and written; relationship-building and consensus-driven leadership skills
Experience leading and managing institutional initiatives and complex projects
Experience working with boards, academic partners, and external stakeholders
Personal qualities: integrity, curiosity, empathy, resilience, and collaborative spirit