Job Description

We're looking for an experienced curator to lead a team of experts in NZ Histories and Cultures and contribute to the development and enhancement of curatorial practice.

Purpose of the position

The position leads a team of three curators and is responsible for leading, overseeing and continuously improving curatorial practice across the team. The position works closely with other Senior Curators to shape curatorial practice across Te Papa, and with our Audience and Experience teams to champion curatorial presence in the development and delivery of exhibitions and other audience experiences. The position also has responsibility for developing, supervising and undertaking research projects - continuing Te Papa's tradition of knowledge creation and sharing.

What success looks like

After your first year, people will describe you as someone who has approached the role methodically and invested time getting to know each individual in the team. You have reviewed activities and understand how the team functions and are developing ways to create efficiencies in how we operate and increase the impact the team can have on collection acquisition, management, research, scholarship and sharing knowledge with communities.

You'll work in a way that reflects manaakitanga (care and respect), builds whanaungatanga (strong relationships), and encourages auahatanga (continuous improvement).

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to and supporting the Head of Mātauranga Māori and Humanities, you will:

• lead the NZ Histories and Cultures team, creating an environment that fosters growth, engagement and high performance
• provide technical leadership and direction, overseeing and supporting the work of curators and developing and enhancing curatorial practice
• develop, supervise, and undertake research projects aligned with Te Papa's cross-curatorial strategy, Mana Taonga framework, and audience engagement priorities
• lead contributions to exhibitions, visitor experiences and promotions in collaboration with the Audience and Experience directorate
• develop operation plans for the New Zealand Histories and Cultures team ensuring that they are innovative, future focussed and customer centric

Who we're looking for

We're looking for someone who brings:

• experience leading people, with the ability to inspire and develop high performance, and manage the team's operational delivery
• New Zealand expertise in your field of New Zealand Histories and Cultures, with strong research and curatorial skills and ideally a PhD or equivalent experience and skills in New Zealand Histories and Cultures
• significant experience in collection development with demonstrable success in building and shaping collections to support organisational strategies/ priorities
• ability to work collaboratively as a manager across an organisation, building relationships and leveraging interdependencies to achieve organisational outcomes
• strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts to a variety of audiences and develop business cases and other written communications
• experience in exhibition or experience development within a museum, cultural, or creative context
• a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and experience embedding te ao Māori perspectives and practices in their work

What we offer

• A supportive, values-driven team environment
• A workplace committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Comprehensive benefits including onsite Kindergarten, subsidised parking, café and store discounts, and free entry to paid exhibitions

This is a full-time permanent position, 40 hours per week, based at Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Wellington.

Salary and applications

The starting salary will be in the range of $111,510 - $132,418 pa. Offers will be made within the range to reflect the skills and experience offered by the candidate and internal relativities.

Applications close: Sunday 23 August 2026

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.

For a confidential discussion, contact Paul Diamond via Paul.Diamond@tepapa.govt.nz