Bernisches Historisches Museum

Bern

Ethnographic Collection Curator at 80%

  • 03 October 2026
  • 80%
  • Bern

About the job

The Bern Historical Museum is one of the leading museums dedicated to cultural history in Switzerland. Its collection is conceived as an ever-expanding database, a memory of life and culture in Bern and worldwide. The history, archaeology, and ethnography collections today comprise approximately 567,000 objects, each offering insights into spheres of life from different eras and contexts. The Einstein Museum, an integral part of the Historical Museum, places the life and work of the physicist in its international context.
With the planned complete renewal and accompanying major transformation, the museum is set to undergo profound changes and is preparing to face exciting challenges. The goal is to reopen the museum in 2032 as a vibrant place dedicated to history, offering varied mediation formats, a new access to the Bern Museum District, and high-quality hospitality.

We are looking, from 1 January 2027 or by agreement, for a

Ethnographic Collection Curator at 80%
with a specialisation in Africa and a complementary interest in Orientalist collections

Within the team, you will ensure the conservation of the third largest ethnographic collection in Switzerland, which includes some 65,000 objects from Asia, Africa, America, Europe, and Oceania. You are a historian or cultural sciences specialist, with an interest in museological issues, and possess proven expertise related to Africa and/or Central Asia. Experience in provenance research is an asset.

Your main tasks:

  • Contribute to the development of collection management policy
  • Document, inventory, and study the collections
  • Manage the inventory of collections and object documentation
  • Ensure appropriate conservation of the collections in collaboration with the Conservation-Restoration team
  • Provide scientific curation and participate in the design and implementation of mediation offers, such as exhibitions, events, and participatory projects, particularly in view of the exhibition and mediation programme linked to the museum's reopening in 2032
  • Collaborate with partner institutions and source communities related to the Bern Historical Museum's collections
  • Prepare and conduct guided tours of permanent and temporary exhibitions
  • Write texts intended for both the general public and specialised audiences
  • Oversee the tracking of objects within the framework of loans, including transport operations within Switzerland and abroad

Your profile:

A completed university degree (at least at Master’s level) in history, cultural and social sciences, or social anthropology, along with a broad interest in the field accompanied by in-depth knowledge of Africa and/or Central Asia, is required for this position. With several years of professional experience in the museum sector, you have a thorough command of curatorial practices as well as current debates in the museum world. You adopt a global history approach to collections, take a critical view of the function and significance of museum collections, ideally already have a relevant network for this role, and are also willing to familiarise yourself with new thematic areas.
 
You also have experience in project management and exhibition realisation. Possessing good interpersonal skills, you place great importance on communication, both within the scientific team and in an interdisciplinary context with specialists from other museum fields. You are keen to convey your knowledge in a lively manner to both professionals and museum visitors. Very good knowledge of German and English (other languages relevant to the collections are an asset), a structured working method, a rigorous approach, and good command of museum database systems complete your profile.

We look forward to receiving your complete application dossier (cover letter, CV, certificates) by 25 October 2026. In your cover letter, please briefly describe your professional and personal skills, your experience in the museum field, as well as your expectations and objectives for the advertised position.

For further information, you may contact Saskia Klaassen, Director of Collections, 031 350 77 54

Helvetiaplatz 5, P.O. Box 149, CH-3000 Bern 6, Telephone +41 31 350 77 11, www.bhm.ch

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