Historical Society Associate Director

The work we do matters!

Hiring Agency:

Nebraska State Historical Society - Agency 54

Location:

Lincoln NE

Hiring Rate:

$31.695

Job Posting:

JR2026- Historical Society Associate Director (Open)

Applications No Longer Accepted On (If no date is displayed job is posted as open until closed):

Job Description:

The Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) seeks an experienced and collaborative leader to serve as Director of Collections & Conservation. This role provides strategic administrative and professional leadership for all collections and conservation functions ensuring alignment with NSHSs mission as a statewide educational and cultural institution. The Director works closely with agency leadership and across departments to advance institutional priorities address public needs and guide the long-term stewardship and accessibility of Nebraskas historical resources.

Look at what we have to offer!
13 paid holidays
Vacation and sick leave that begin accruing immediately
Military leave
156% (thats not a typo!) state-matched retirement
Tuition reimbursement (Depending on Agency Budget)
Employee assistance program
79% employer paid health insurance plans
Dental and vision insurance plans
Employer-paid $20000 life insurance policy
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) through the Federal government
Wide variety and availability of career advancement as the largest and most diverse employer in the State
Opportunity to be part of meaningful work and make a difference through public service
Training and Development based on your career aspirations
Fun inviting teammates
A safe and secure environment
At the State we stand by our core values of treating others with dignity and respect acting ethically in all situations and creating an environment where our customer is our top priority. Apply to join our team today!

Leadership Administration and Professional Representation

• Provides leadership and administrative oversight for all NSHS Collections & Conservation activities including: reference and research services; archives and library collections; 3D object and archeological collections; digitization and digital access; and Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center operations.
• Plans assigns supervises and evaluates the work of professional staff fostering their development and encouraging collaboration across departments.
• Ensures fiscal responsibility and strategic alignment of departmental activities through budgeting planning and prioritization in collaboration with the NSHS Finance team.
• Develops short- and long-range plans that balance public access responsible stewardship and improvements to staffing systems and infrastructure that support sustainable operations.
• Participates as a key member of the agencys leadership team contributing to organization-wide strategic planning resource allocation and cross-department collaboration to advance NSHSs mission.
• Acts as a subject matter expert on collections and conservation providing technical guidance to agency leadership staff partners and the public; advocates for collections priorities and represents NSHS in agency planning efforts professional forums and public engagements.

Public Access and Use

• Provides oversight and support for in-person and online research services digitization and digital access to ensure collections are accessible well-documented and appropriately managed.
• Ensures departmental work supports safe public access exhibitions and research use across NSHS facilities and platforms.

Collections Stewardship and Conservation

• Provides direction and oversight for the physical intellectual and legal stewardship of collections including collections care environmental monitoring security inventory and rights management.
• Directsaccessioning processing appraisal collecting and deaccessioning activities in accordance with institutional policies professional standards and applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Oversees conservation operations and infrastructure through supervision of the Conservation Center Manager.

Projects Partnerships and Institutional Support

• Provides leadership for collections-related projects and partnerships across NSHS including exhibits loans active collecting public programs and collections care initiatives.
• Collaborates with internal teams to support exhibitions interpretation education and site-based stewardship.
• Ensures compliance with institutional requirements related to collections accountability and records retention.

Planning Grants and Capacity Development

• Identifies and oversees grant- and contract-funded projects; ensures required documentation and reporting are completed.
• Leads planning efforts to address backlogs and expand access as resources allow.
• Advises agency leadership on long-term stewardship risks facility needs and collections-related policies.
• Other duties as assigned within the scope of classification.

Requirements / Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelors degree in history historic preservation public/business administration or other field related to area of responsibility including: American studies architecture archeology anthropology archival studies historic preservation library science museum studies or related field AND two years experience in cultural resource management; OR a Masters degree in any of the above-mentioned fields. Experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications: Advanced degree (Masters or higher) in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Experience overseeing multiple functional areas such as archives libraries museum collections digitization or conservation. Personnel management grant development and project management experience. Experience working within a public-sector nonprofit or statewide cultural institution. Familiarity with collections management systems and digital asset platforms.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of professional standards and best practices for collections stewardship archives libraries digitization and conservation.
• Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws regulations and policies related to collections and cultural resources.
• Ability and desire to lead supervise mentor and evaluate professional staff.
• Strong organizational planning and problem-solving skills with the ability to balance competing priorities.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills including the ability to explain technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners.
• Willingness and ability to adapt to evolving technologies systems and professional practices.

If youre currently employed by the State of Nebraska please dont apply through this external career site. Instead log in to Workday and open the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home landing page. You can access Workday anytime through the Link web page: offer a comprehensive package of pay benefits paid time off retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.

Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! Benefit eligibility may vary by position agency and employment status. For more information on benefits please visit: Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity inclusion and belonging. We recruit hire train and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race color religion sex. age national origin disability marital status or genetics.