Reports to: Curatorial Department
Employment Status: Full-time, Non-exempt

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually to experience the beauty of our gardens, the richness of our decorative arts collection, and the lasting legacy of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Our mission is to share our founder’s vision and foster a greater understanding of the arts and cultures that shaped her world.

The Research Assistant supports Hillwood’s Curatorial Department through research, cataloging, writing, and project coordination across exhibitions, publications, and long-term collection initiatives. This role plays a key part in maintaining accurate and up-to-date collection information in TMS and object files; producing scholarly and interpretive research; contributing to exhibition and publication development; and supporting curators in meeting project deadlines.

Working collaboratively across Collections, Curatorial, Exhibitions, Archives, and other departments, the Research Assistant ensures that Hillwood’s curators have the research materials, documentation, and organizational support necessary to advance exhibitions, interpretive content, acquisition research, and thematic scholarship

About the Role:

Research & Writing

• Conduct primary and secondary research on Hillwood’s collections, including textiles, decorative arts, and related subject areas.
• Compile research for exhibitions, publications, interpretive labels, and internal files.
• Prepare research summaries, annotated bibliographies, timelines, object histories, and reference packets.
• Assist in drafting interpretive and didactic content in collaboration with curators.
• Support research needed for grant narratives, proposals, and scholarly contributions.

Collection Cataloging & Documentation

• Update and maintain TMS object records and associated paper files.
• Support long-term cataloging initiatives, provenance research, and documentation projects.
• Verify object information through on-site review, including occasional object handling under supervision.
• Ensure documentation follows museum standards and departmental procedures.

Project Coordination

• Track project timelines and assist curators in meeting deadlines for exhibitions, publications, and grants.
• Organize research materials and manage research-related communications.
• Coordinate workflow across departments as projects require.
• Support the scheduling and organization of research priorities for curators.

Exhibition & Publication Support

• Gather research materials for upcoming exhibitions.
• Organize and maintain research files, interpretive drafts, and supporting documents.
• Contribute to publication preparation, including research verification and fact-checking.
• Assist with reference images, copyright information, and background research.

General Administrative Support

• Organize digital and physical research files.
• Maintain bibliographic and archival research logs.
• Assist curators with administrative tasks requiring research, writing, or organization.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Art History, History, Museum Studies, Material Culture, or related field required.
• Demonstrated research, writing, and source-citation experience.
• Experience with museum cataloging systems; familiarity with TMS strongly preferred.
• Prior museum, library, archives, or academic research experience desirable.
• Experience handling historical or art objects (through coursework or museum practice).
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with SharePoint.
• Experience with library and archival research systems; Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Suite helpful.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written communication skills and ability to synthesize information clearly and accurately.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, and consistency in research and data entry.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.
• Ability to work independently while meeting deadlines.

About Us:

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is deeply committed to fostering a positive, inclusive, and engaging workplace where all voices are valued, and where staff and visitors of all backgrounds can be inspired by the life and legacy of our founder, Marjorie Merriweather Post.

We Offer:

• A fabulous work culture that inspires your best work.
• Casual Monday.
• Support for career development with internal and external opportunities to learn and grow.
• Retirement Savings Plan
• Metro commuter benefits of up to $50 per month or free on-site parking.
• Mental wellness support.
• Discounts in the shop and Merriweather Café.
• Free admission to the museum and festival days for employees, families, and friends.

Hillwood is seeking applicants from all backgrounds and educational levels to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with marginalized identities to apply for open positions. We strive to make the hiring process as accessible as possible. Please do not hesitate to share what will make the process best for you. We cannot guarantee all accommodations; our team will make accommodations where possible with sufficient notice. When sending your resume via the ADP Careers portal, please let us know of any accommodation you may find helpful while engaging in our process. 

To apply for this position, visit HERE.

The compensation for the Research Assistant position is $55,000 annually. This is a full-time salaried role lasting through December 31, 2026, with the potential to become a permanent position in 2027.