Job Description

Curator

Bring Frontier Homestead and southwest Utah pioneer history to life for school groups, families, and visitors. As Curator at Frontier Homestead State Park Museum, you will care for collections and exhibits, interpret the historic ruins at Old Iron Town, plan and deliver K–12 field trips, and support events such as Iron Mission Days. You work with the Park Manager, seasonal rangers, volunteers, and community partners. Days mix collections work, teaching at the museum and Old Iron Town, visitor services, and events. Field trip delivery is central—candidates must be effective with children and comfortable speaking in public, including in front of large groups.

Why you should join our team:

Utah State Parks are committed to creating a supportive and positive work environment that values the well-being of our team members. We understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and will do our utmost to accommodate your personal needs while ensuring that our team performs at a high level and provides exceptional customer service. We believe that respect, dignity, and empathy are key elements of a positive workplace culture and we strive to cultivate these values within our team. We are dedicated to creating a culture of mutual support, open communication, and continuous learning, and we look forward to working with you to achieve our shared goals.

Minimum or "day-one" qualifications:

• Care for and present museum collections and indoor/outdoor exhibits.
• Interpret and support educational use of Old Iron Town.
• Plan and deliver K–12 field trips and other education programs aligned to Utah standards.
• Lead tours and hands-on activities for schools, youth, families, and visitors; speak confidently in public and to large groups.
• Develop programs, events, and interpretive materials for the museum and Old Iron Town.
• Train and schedule volunteers, interns, and seasonal staff.
• Assist with landscaping, janitorial duties and maintenance of artifacts, exhibits, historic structures, and museum grounds.
• Assist visitor services, gift shop, social media, and grants as needed.
• Support general park operations and perform other duties as assigned.
• Associate's degree in museum studies, history, public history, anthropology, archaeology, American studies, education (including elementary/secondary), interpretation, park/recreation management, or a related field; or equivalent education and experience.
• Proven ability to work with children and lead youth groups.
• Resume must show field trips, school programs, classroom teaching, or comparable K–12 education work.
• Ability to plan age-appropriate programs.
• Comfortable speaking in public and presenting to large groups.
• Ability to stand, walk uneven ground, lift 25–50 lbs., and work indoors and outdoors in heat and cold (museum and Old Iron Town).
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed.
• Pass a criminal background check.
• Reside in Utah and report to the park as required.

Preferred or trainable/on-the-job qualifications:

• Current State of Utah employees.
• Knowledge of State of Utah collections and museum requirements that apply to Division of State Parks.
• Bachelor's or master's in museum studies, history, education, curriculum, or related field.
• Curator, collections, or museum educator experience.
• Teaching credential and/or K–12 curriculum planning.
• Knowledge of Utah pioneer, Frontier Homestead, and Old Iron Town history.
• Museum best practices; volunteer supervision; grants and social media.
• Comfort leading groups at outdoor historic sites and in the museum.

Work Environment: Duties are performed in both controlled indoor museum settings and rugged outdoor historic environments across Frontier Homestead and Old Iron Town. The position is on-site in Cedar City, Utah, and is not eligible for remote work. Working Conditions: Exposure to varying climate conditions, including high-altitude summer heat, winter cold, wind, and precipitation. Work involves frequent public contact and variable scheduling, including mandatory weekend, holiday, and occasional evening shifts. Physical Requirements: Requires physical agility to walk across rough, uneven, or unpaved terrain; prolonged standing during tours and events; bending, stooping, reaching, and lifting/carrying objects weighing between 25 and 50 pounds (e.g., event setups, artifact cases, grounds equipment).

In Utah, we believe hard work is important, but balance is essential. Finding work/life balance is a vital element to our culture. To find out more about WHY Utah. Other benefits may include:

The State of Utah is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. For accommodations, please contact (801) 957-9390.

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