Description

Classification: Full Time Non-Exempt      

Reports to: Director of Museums

Date created/reviewed/revised: January, 2026

Introduction 

Join Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) in bringing Charleston's storied past to vibrant life! We are seeking a dynamic Education and Collections Coordinator who will serve as both storyteller and steward—igniting curiosity in students and adults alike while safeguarding the tangible treasures that connect us to our shared heritage. In this multifaceted role, you'll be joining a team dedicated to transforming our historic house museums into immersive learning environments, forging meaningful partnerships across our community, and ensuring that every object in our care is preserved, documented, and presented with the reverence and scholarly rigor it deserves. If you're passionate about making history accessible, building bridges between past and present, and inspiring the next generation of preservation advocates, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact at one of Charleston's most vital cultural institutions.

About you

This role is perfect for a versatile professional who thrives at the intersection of education and preservation. You're equally comfortable leading an animated group of third-graders through a historic drawing room and meticulously cataloging an 18th-century artifact in climate-controlled storage. You possess the creativity to design curriculum-aligned programs that make history tangible and relevant, paired with the scholarly rigor to research provenance and maintain conservation standards. Perhaps you're an emerging museum professional eager to wear multiple hats, or an experienced educator looking to deepen your impact through hands-on work with historic collections. You build relationships naturally—whether with classroom teachers, community partners, or fellow museum staff—and you're energized rather than overwhelmed by variety in your daily work. If you're someone who sees historic objects not as relics behind glass but as powerful teaching tools, and if you're committed to making Charleston's rich cultural heritage accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences, you'll find this role both challenging and deeply rewarding.

About our Museums

Built in c. 1820, the Aiken-Rhett House is the most intact property showcasing urban life in antebellum Charleston.  HCF purchased the home in 1995 and adopted a preserved “as found” conservation approach to the interpretation of this important house and its outbuildings.  This allows visitors to explore connections among all members of the Aiken household, free and enslaved.

Visitors may also admire the grand Federal townhouse of Charleston merchant Nathaniel Russell with its exuberant interior architecture and spacious formal gardens.  HCF has restored the 200-year-old Nathaniel Russell House to its original 1808 splendor using forensic analysis and cutting-edge conservation technology.  The most recent preservation initiative uncovered material history which further illuminated the lives of the people who lived and worked there.  

About the Position

This is an exciting role for a museum professional seeking to create and promote educational programs for students and adults and help to steward the museum collections. Working directly with the Director of Museums, this position creates and promotes educational programs for students and adults and helps to steward the museum collections.  This position advances the strategic priorities of HCF through the development of programming that expands community engagement and visitation. Examples include special tours, lectures, exhibitions, and virtual programming. This position also requires the scheduled assessment, maintenance, cleaning, and meticulous documentation of the HCF’s collection objects. The successful candidate will work directly with the Director of Museums and regularly coordinate with the museum managers and archives across two historic house.

The Education and Collections Coordinator will shape two distinct elements supporting the museums team:

1. Developing and implementing K-12 education programs—with HCF’s historic house museums serving as core venues—and for maintaining and building relationships with teachers, school officials, and community partners in education. The Coordinator will introduce user feedback loops to constantly improve offerings based on curriculum standards, marketing research, and program evaluation. Additionally, this position will assist in the planning and execution of HCF’s overall educational activities such as lectures, special tours, exhibits, and special events as needed.  
2. This role involves developing exhibitions, managing loans and acquisitions, ensuring the care of the collection, and engaging the public through educational and interpretive programs. The Coordinator is responsible for researching, cataloging, cleaning, and presenting HCF’s collection. This position also collaborates with other museum staff to enhance visitor experience and fulfill the institution’s mission.

Requirements

Essential Job Functions

        Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal professionally and sensitively with diverse audiences in a variety of settings, and passion for the work of the museums and the HCF

•         Ability to work creatively with minimal supervision, operating within HCF’s mission and educational and curatorial standards
•         Proactively plan, organize, prioritize and multi-task
•         Familiarity with social media management tools to promote programs effectively
•         Consistently set and achieve goals and meet deadlines
•         Effective communication skills and computer proficiency with Microsoft Office, and specialized CRM and collections software/database packages such as Altru and CatalogIt

Key Responsibilities:

Educational Programs

•         Collaborate with the Director and HCF staff to plan and implement a wide range of educational programs that activate the museum houses through cultural events, exhibitions, lectures, special tours, and signature programs such as the Charleston Festival and Charleston by Design.
•         Develop and oversee an education outreach model in partnership with schools, libraries, and community education organizations.
•         Manage and promote K–12 educational programming, including coordinating all logistics for school field trips and tours with teachers and museum staff.
•         Design and deliver engaging educational tours, workshops, and hands-on activities for children, families, and school groups at the museum houses.
•         Work closely with museum staff to align programming with curriculum standards, incorporate new research, and enhance student learning experiences.
•         Build and maintain strong relationships with educators and administrators, ensuring regular communication and accurate contact records.
•         Evaluate program effectiveness and refine offerings to sustain engagement and impact.
•         Manage educational materials and supplies to support high-quality programming.
•         Partner with the Director to explore new educational opportunities, including the use of technology and remote-learning platforms to expand HCF’s reach beyond Charleston.

Collections Management & Research

•         Working with the Museums team, plan the cleaning, documentation, and conservation of objects in the collection.
•         Work with the House Manager at each property, giving updates and proposed schedules of cleaning, maintenance and repair of collection items.
•         Conduct scholarly research on items, artists, or historical periods represented in the collection.
•         Maintain accurate and updated records in the collection management system.
•         Ensure compliance with ethical standards and provenance research.

Education & Experience Requirements 

•         Bachelor’s degree in history, museum studies, or education with at least 3 years of professional experience in a museum education setting; or an advanced degree in history, museum studies, or education with at least 2 years of professional experience in a museum setting.  
•         Understanding of curriculum standards and the ability to develop educational programs which tie to state standards for social studies.
•         Experience with handling collection objects, and working with decorative arts professionals to maintain the highest quality of objects on display.
•         Experience working with children and adults in an educational setting and working successfully with students of all ages and behavior levels.

Time Requirements

Flexibility to work altered and non-traditional work schedule necessary to meet the deadlines of the HCF.

Minimum shift requirement is Monday through Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm. 

All HCF staff members are requested, from time to time, to support cooperative Foundation programs that are held outside normal working hours and to assist with projects separate from their primary areas of responsibility.

Physical Requirements

Ability to climb stairs, carry and lift up to 50 lbs, and have unrestricted finger dexterity for working with computers and objects, and corrected or uncorrected vision within normal range
Ability to stand or sit for extended periods of time
The work environments are subject to fluctuating temperatures and may be dusty
 

The employment relationship with Historic Charleston Foundation is at-will and may be terminated by either you or the Foundation at any time, for any reason. Neither this form, or any oral or written policy or procedure, nor any representation by any HCF employee, supervisor or officer can or will change the at-will nature of your employment.

Historic Charleston Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve and protect Charleston's architectural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Laurie Ouellette, HR Coordinator via direct email to careers@historiccharleston.org