Archaeology Center – Academic Curator, Academic Program Professional; APP Position- Hybrid O

Archaeology Center – Academic Curator, Academic Program Professional (APP
2) Position - Hybrid Opportunity

This position has been deemed critical by the School of Humanities and Sciences Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education  school encompasses 24 departments and 24 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university’s largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major.

Graduate students work alongside world‑renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.

Department/Program Description
The Stanford Archaeology Center is an inter‑disciplinary hub focused on innovative research and education in archaeology and heritage. As a separate inter‑disciplinary and inter‑departmental program, we value the way that the Center has the independence to bring together diverse interests across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

The Stanford University Archaeology Collections (SUAC) is a museum‑style collection of over 100,000 archaeological, ethnographic, and contemporary folk art objects from around the world. The collection’s origins predate the university itself, reflecting cultural encounters and broad intellectual trends from the mid‑19th century to the present day. SUAC is a privileged steward of diverse cultural legacies, and recognizes its special responsibilities to the local Muwekma Ohlone tribe and to other Indigenous peoples and people of color communities, both locally and around the world, whose heritage is represented in the collections.

Through its mission of “connections through collections,” SUAC models best practices in the ethical stewardship of cultural heritage collections and celebrates the power of material culture to bring people together and inspire innovative thinking. Through exhibits (both physical and digital), stand‑alone courses, pedagogical partnerships, and research programs, SUAC is an established resource for teaching, research, and public engagement on campus and beyond.

SUAC contributes to the Stanford Archaeology Center's mission to understand the past and its contribution to contemporary and future worlds, to redress the colonial foundations of archaeology through an enduring commitment to ethics and to support excellence in archaeological research and foster dynamic links between scholars in disparate fields.

The Archaeology Academic Curator reports to the Director of the Stanford Archaeology Center and additionally collaborates with the SUAC Curator of Collections, the Archaeology Center Administrative Director, and SAC staff to advance and develop SUAC operations, education, research, and outreach, serving both the Stanford community and the broader public audience. The Curator supervises student interns, teaching and research assistants while structuring their contributions to SUAC’s mission.

The candidate should understand and work with the team to embrace the opportunities and challenges for a mid‑sized museum‑like collection. Ideally the candidate should also have robust professional experience in a museum setting, with a preference for 5‑10 years of experience specifically in Museum Anthropology. Additionally, the candidate should have teaching and curriculum development experience.

The candidate also must be able to thrive in an academic environment, developing partnerships with Stanford faculty members and engaging students across disciplines as well as the general public. The candidate should possess demonstrable museum experience, as well as subject expertise in anthropology, archaeology, indigenous studies, or related fields. Because SUAC is located on the campus of one of the world’s premier…