Curator NZ Histories and Cultures
Fixed Term until September 2026 (to cover for parental leave)
Salary: $79,299 – $94,167
Help build a New Zealand History and Cultures collection for Aotearoa New
Zealand’s national museum.
An opportunity to contribute to sustaining a vigorous New Zealand History and Cultures
collection and research base for Te Papa and to support our Exhibition/Experience
programme.
You will work closely with other curators, collection managers, our exhibition
development team and others in the organisation to:
- strengthen and develop collections;
- undertake research to add to collection-related scholarship and Mātauranga
Māori; - share the collections with the public and other institutions;
- assist the team in answering relevant internal and external enquiries as
necessary.
You will be part of a small and busy team so you will need to be able to work across the
range of curatorial tasks including working with communities, research, writing and
cataloguing.
The ideal person for this position will have: - A good knowledge and experience of New Zealand material culture, social
history and related theory and scholarship. - A Masters/PhD or equivalent experience and skills in historical or material
culture research in relation to New Zealand history. - A personal record of research and inquiry in your chosen field or speciality.
- Experience of working with objects, collections and forms of intangible
knowledge. - Experience and comfort in communicating in a range of forms and media to
diverse audiences. - A network of experts, communities and stakeholders you can bring to
complement the team’s existing contacts. - Good computer skills with the ability and willingness to work with, and
contribute to information databases, such as the EMu collection management
system.
About Te Papa
Te Papa is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national museum, renowned for being bicultural,
research-driven, and innovative. Our success is built on our relationships with and our
ability to represent communities who have connections to the collections in our care.
Our vision is for a Tiriti-based museum, where a collective commitment to Te Tiriti o
Waitangi is fostered and Māori exercise tino rangatiratanga.
The starting salary for this position will be between $79,299 to $94,167 with opportunity
for progression through the band. Offers will be made within the range to reflect the
skills and experience offered by the candidate and internal relativities.
Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain the legal right to work in New
Zealand. Prior to Te Papa confirming any offer of employment, pre-employment checks
will be undertaken including criminal conviction history and reference checking as a
minimum.
Applications close: 5pm, 31 July 2025
Contact: Paul Diamond, Head of NZ and Pacific Histories and Cultures:
Paul.Diamond@tepapa.govt.nz
To apply or view the position description, please follow this link:
Curator New Zealand Histories and Culture | Wellington – Wairarapa | Te Papa Careers –
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa