Assistant Curator, Numismatics, Libraries & Cultural Resources

Position Overview

Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) at the University of Calgary invites applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment as Numismatics Curator, Nickle Galleries, at the rank of Assistant Curator. The Assistant Curator will join the professional team of Nickle Galleries in all aspects of activity, and in supporting the strategic direction of Libraries and Cultural Resources and teaching and learning across disciplines at the University of Calgary.

LCR is a leader in the development of innovative information resources and services, locally, nationally, and internationally. LCR is an interwoven environment, combining extensive collections and both physical and virtual spaces, together with resources and services of libraries, institutional and research archives, rare books and special collections, art galleries, and a university press. Driven by a user-centric philosophy, LCR provides unique engagement opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

Nickle Galleries is a university museum with an established history of challenging, relevant and successful exhibitions and public programs. The Nickle has three areas of concentration for its exhibitions and collections: modern and contemporary art, with a focus on Western Canada; numismatics, with strength in ancient coins and modern paper money; and textiles, with an emphasis on Asian carpets. The Nickle presents a full complement of temporary exhibitions and ongoing public programming to engage students and scholars and to collaborate both nationally and internationally. Museum staff, following the highest professional museum standards, aim to foster critical thinking and discovery through their exhibitions, publications and outreach. Composed of over 20,000 objects, the Numismatics Collection has been deemed one of the top 5 research collections in North America for its holdings of Hellenistic coins, and overall is the largest and most important academic numismatic collection in Canada. It is a rich teaching and research resource, contributing to academic advancement and enjoyment at the university and in the community as a whole.

Reporting to the Chief Curator, Nickle Galleries, the Curator of Numismatics will be responsible for the management, conservation, description, and development of the prestigious Numismatics Collections. The Curator of Numismatics will be responsible for research and scholarship related to the collection for description, for exhibition, for teaching and learning, for facilitating access to the collection by faculty, students and researchers, and for the development and growth of the collection. As part of the curatorial team, the Curator also shares responsibility for the professional practices and outreach of Nickle Galleries across all exhibitions and programs.

As an academic staff position, appropriate participation and involvement in scholarship, teaching and service is expected.

Position Description

Responsibilities:

• Manages, catalogues, describes, and conserves the Numismatics Collection
• Originates and curates exhibitions of numismatics and other objects for the Nickle Galleries, and the publication of exhibition catalogues
• Establishes and develops effective working relationships with other relevant museums, galleries, and numismatics associations
• Establishes meaningful relationships with faculty across campus to facilitate and expand teaching and learning opportunities with the Numismatics Collection and all exhibitions at Nickle Galleries
• Contributes to the development, planning and implementation of Nickle Galleries’ exhibitions and public programs
• Professional development through engaged participation in the activities and governance of professional, academic and relevant community societies and associations

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in relevant discipline (for example Greek and Roman Studies, Curatorial Studies)
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in major areas of numismatics including ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Celtic, Medieval, European and modern, as well as pre-coinage currency collections
• Evidence of exhibitions curated, program development and academic support
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
• Excellent project management skills
• Working knowledge of relevant ancient and modern languages appropriate to the specialty within numismatics

Desired Qualifications:

• 5 or more years of relevant museum work experience with a strong preference for experience with an academic numismatics collection
• Demonstrated knowledge of professional museum practices including communication and promotion for museums
• Evidence of a background in art history, classics and ancient history
• Experience working at a post-secondary institution, including but not limited to teaching
• Experience conducting classroom instructions or teaching in an academic environment
• Evidence of scholarly work and professional service
• Demonstrated success of fundraising and donor stewardship
• Familiarity with The Museum System (TMS) collections management software
• Experience cataloguing numismatic objects
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across departments within Libraries and Cultural Resources and across the University of Calgary
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively with local, national and international numismatic communities

The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to staff members through coverage for health, dental, life insurance, income protection for disability, and retirement income planning. For salary and benefits information, please refer to: https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/sites/default/files/teams/239/tucfa-schedule-a.pdf

Application Procedure
Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application online via the Apply Now link. Please submit a letter of application addressing background and experience relevant to the position, a current curriculum vitae and the contact information for three professional references, in one PDF.

For further information, please contact:
Christine Sowiak
Chief Curator
Libraries and Cultural Resources University of Calgary
2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
[email protected]

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)

Application Deadline: October 19, 2022

Additional Information

To view a listing of all available academic opportunities and to find out more about what the University of Calgary has to offer, please visit our Academic Careers website.

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

 About Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.