Open Positions
Growing Griot Fellow
Background: The mission of the Griot Museum of Black History is to create a community of life-long learners who will explore, discover, experience, and embrace the regions’ rich and enduring Black history. Since opening in 1997, The Museum has collected, preserved, interpreted, and shared uplifting, enriching stories, through its permanent core collection, changing exhibits, special events and community education programs. In 2020, The Museum ramped up its efforts to activate its capacity-building strategy to ensure long term growth and sustainability. Supported by The Andrew Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program, the activities of this position help to ensure the ongoing success of this strategy.
Position Summary: The Growing Griot Fellowship is an opportunity for emerging professionals to experience immersive engagements that enable them to develop or expand the skills that advance their careers in place-based humanities, heritage preservation, public history, collections, IT, and related fields. the Growing Griot Fellow is a member of the Griot’s team supporting the Museum’s vision to be the premier resource for Black history and culture in the Midwest.
Key Roles, Responsibilities, Impact
The Growing Griot Fellow engages with staff across all Museum functions and areas to facilitate seamless capacity-building and programming goals to include:
Maintaining open hours and a safe, welcoming environment; facilitating effective communications and timely response to written and phone inquiries; maintaining data entry and digital content; enhancing volunteer recruitment and recognition; attending community meetings, and other activities.
Facilitating community engagement strategies that expand existing programs, activate exterior spaces and public installations, including Asaase III and Black Herstory Initiative; and ensure desired outcomes.
Creating programmatic collaborations with residents, businesses, stakeholders, and cultural partners that support the Museum’s mission and increase its presence in the community.
Supporting new, community focused outreach initiatives in partnership with other cultural venues and the community, that promote engagements for and between students, young adults, and intergenerational audiences.
Maintaining relevant databases and implementing IT--based solutions to support networking - on-line, cloud-based/cyber security/devices - to ensure optimal operation.
Maintaining, contextualizing, and monitoring “Asaase III,” a significant rammed earth public sculpture of Sir David Adjaye and Associates, to ensure long-term conservation.
Qualifications, Experience, Expectations
This Growing Griot Fellowship may be the ideal position for a recent college graduate, an entry-level public historian seeking to advance their skills, or someone seeking to change career paths or re-enter the workforce. The ideal incumbent will possess:
Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, public history, art, history, museum studies, anthropology, related discipline, and minimum one-year post degree work experience
Strong interest in advancing practical skills in public history, anthropology, cultural preservation, museums, and basic knowledge of cultural traditions and organizations.
Energetic self-starter; able to multi-task and pivot quickly to rapidly changing situations.
Able to work onsite, including some evening and weekends.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; proficiency with word processing, Power Point, Excel, graphic design, and related software.
Excellent organizational and time management skills with ability to work independently and with others including staff, board, and constituents.
Levelheaded and able to make reliable professional judgements.
Reliable, trustworthy and a committed steward of sensitive information
Able to lift to 50lbs.
Compensation and Benefits
The Growing Griot Fellowship is the Museum’s second Mellon Foundation, two-year, grant-funded position. If offered, The Griot Museum of Black History requires the Fellow to accept a minimum one-year post-fellowship commitment of employment following the successful completion of the two-year Fellowship.
This is a full-time, exempt Fellowship with salary range of $38,000-$42,000; Six paid days off (sick, vacation, personal) that accrue bi-monthly following the successful completion of 90 days; medical reimbursement up to $2,000 annually.
To apply, email cover letter (500 words maximum), resume, and contact information of two professional references to “Growing Griot Fellowship” at thegriotmuseum@aol.com.
