Historian

Information about the organization

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention.

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Information about the role

This position is located in the Museum Experience and Digital Media (MEDM) division of the Levine Institute for Holocaust Education. The Levine Institute is central to the Museum's role as America's national educational institution on the Holocaust. In that capacity, it aims to reach vast and diverse audiences and serve as the global leader in establishing the relevance of Holocaust history today. The Levine Institute is responsible for creating, planning, developing, directing and administering a wide range of educational programs, exhibitions, trainings, and resources on the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.

The Digital Learning Tools team within MEDM seeks a Historian to join a dedicated and passionate content development team. Help us tell the history of the Holocaust through stories aimed at making the past relevant today. This position involves content research, writing, and review for digital resources that support the Museum's student, educator, and general public audiences, primarily the online Holocaust Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia reaches millions; its content must be created and produced to rigorous standards of accuracy and accessibility.

The position is located in Washington, DC and is hybrid telework eligible, within the local commuting are of the Museum worksite. This is a full-time donated position (non-Federal) paid with the Museum's private funds. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Duties, and Responsibilities for the role

• Apply your subject matter expertise, knowledge of current trends in Holocaust history, and an understanding of audience needs to the creation or updating of content in MEDM's digital learning tools. Working with the content team and internal/external experts, the goal is to ensure that MEDM's digital learning tools, primarily the Museum's online Holocaust Encyclopedia, are a continually expanding and reliable resource for the general public, students, and teachers.
• Create content in areas related to the history of the Holocaust and in your own related area of expertise. Write a range of articles and select assets for a general reference digital resource that serves students, teachers, and the general public. Partner with the content team's review manager to ensure that Encyclopedia and related content meets Museum vetting standards, institutional guidelines, and audience needs.
• Conduct research in the Museum's Collections to identify appropriate and engaging content for use in MEDM's digital learning tools, including the online Holocaust Encyclopedia and other educational platforms.
• Serve as a public historian on interdisciplinary teams to create rich and useful digital learning experiences for students, educators, and the public.
• Partner with Museum staff to shape products that are accessible for audiences that consist of students, educators, and the public while maintaining appropriate scholarly and pedagogical standards. Consult on program development, and speak to priority audiences.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications for the role

• Expertise in historical methodology and 5 Years of related experience as a Holocaust historian, including negotiating varying historical points of view. Ability to work with multiple contributing subject matter experts.

• Demonstrated expertise in the development of online reference content about the history of the Holocaust; direct experience with planning, researching, writing, and reviewing content for general audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of content vetting principles and demonstrated skill in maintaining academic rigor while presenting complex and sensitive content in an accessible manner.
• Demonstrated expertise in balancing accessibility and rigor. This could include familiarity with principles of readability editing and sensitivity in selecting media that illustrates the history for an audience unfamiliar with the history.
• Demonstrated experience in collaborative content development processes.
• Exceptional organizational and communications skills.
• Ability to work both independently and productively as part of a team with people in multiple locations, effectively participate in or lead meetings remotely, and use a variety of digital communication and collaboration tools such as Slack or Google Meet.
• Experience collaborating with peers, supervisors, and stakeholders in a manner that embraces teamwork, effective conflict resolution, and an environment of trust and respect.
• Proficiency in 1-2 languages connected to the lands where the Holocaust took place. Extensive knowledge of primary and secondary sources on the Holocaust, World War II, and twentieth-century European history.

Preferred Qualifications for the role

• PhD in an area of content expertise about the Holocaust or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the history, purpose, and mission of the Museum, of the various functions and programs of the Museum, and of the purpose of the Levine Institute and the role it fulfills in providing the complete Museum experience
• Familiarity with productivity tools such as Trello, Airtable, and Slack.
• Experience working at an education organization, museum, agency, or media organization that works with the public and students.

The application deadline for this position is March, 28 2024.

Interested applicants must submit:

Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter and Subject matter related - academic or professional writing sample (1,000-1,500 words).

Applications without these requirements will not be considered.

The Museum is committed to cultivating and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI). Please click to view the Museum Statement on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (PDF).

Benefits Highlights:

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum values employee wellness, work-life balance and the diversity of what this means for individual employees in life and work. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible employees that includes generous paid leave benefits, health, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, a health savings account with an employer contribution, 403(b) retirement plan with a generous employer match and contribution, group term and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, commuter subsidy, access to two employee assistance programs, as well as voluntary critical illness and accident insurance coverage, long-term care and pet insurance options. Our policies also support telework and other flexible schedule options based on the job, work and team collaboration requirements.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that embraces a diverse and inclusive workplace. Applications from all qualified individuals will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status.