Job Title: Collections Assistant

Location: Wells’Built Museum of African American History & Culture

Full/Part-Time: Part-Time, On-Call

Regular/Temporary: Temporary (June 2026 -May 2027)

Overview:

The Historical Society of Central Florida, in partnership with the Orange County Regional History Center and the Wells’Built Museum of African American History & Culture, is seeking a qualified individual to fill a project-hire position of Collections Assistant. The History Center is a national multi-award-winning, AAM accredited, and Smithsonian affiliated institution centered around its mission: to serve as the gateway for community engagement, education, and inspiration by preserving and sharing Central Florida’s continually unfolding story.

The Wells’Built Museum houses items pertaining to Orlando’s African American community and features displays on the Civil Rights movement along with African art and artifacts. This historic museum is in the center of Orlando’s historic Parramore district at 511 West South Street.

Both institutions are seeking an individual to help support the initial phase of work needed to stabilize and make accessible the collection at the Wells’Built Museum. This initial step includes the discovery, stabilization, and preservation planning of the Wells’Built Museum’s irreplaceable historical collection. This initiative intentionally centers on foundational collections work, which includes identifying what exists, documenting condition and risk, and stabilizing materials using archival best practices. This preservation-first approach ensures that future digitization efforts are ethical, accurate, fundable, and sustainable.

Reports to: Curator of Collections

Representative Duties

• Conducting an archival appraisal of the collection and what should be prioritized for eventual digitization.
• Documenting condition, vulnerabilities, and preservation risks.
• Identifying and prioritizing collection materials that need immediate rehousing using museum-grade archival supplies.
• Developing a collection policy for the Wells’Built Museum which includes a Digitization & Access Concept Plan (planning only).
• Collaborating with collections department staff at the Orange County Regional History Center and Wells’Built Museum on project goals and ensuring deliverables are up to museum standards.
• Occasional front-facing engagement with the public at the Wells’Built Museum.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in museum studies, public history, history, library sciences, or closely related field and one year of museum registration or collections experience, or equivalent combined education and work or experience.

• Knowledge of workflows for collection processing.
• Knowledge of current trends in archival standards and best practices.
• Must have strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.

Preferences

• Effective and exceptional written and verbal communication skills with both internal teams and external stakeholders and donors.
• Possesses a strong working knowledge of museum best practices.
• Detail-oriented with ability to organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.

To apply a cover letter and resume must be completed for a candidate to be considered. Complete work history, including internships and volunteer positions must be included or it will be deemed incomplete and may not pass screening. Please include a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document during submission. Send all required documentation to Travis Puterbaugh, Curator of Collections (Travis.Puterbaugh@ocfl.net).

The above description and qualifications are not all-inclusive and represent a majority of the key responsibilities of this position. Other duties may be assigned as required to fulfill the directives of the strategic plan or the museum. Work environment is a combination of office setting with some driving between the office to the museum and off-site storage; must be able to lift to 25 pounds.

*Final Candidates must successfully pass a background screening must be able to live and work in the United States. Relocation expenses are not offered.

Additional Information:

Hours Per Week: estimated 30 hours weekly

Total Project Hours: 1,500 hours

Schedule: Generally, an agreed upon time frame between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Current project scope spans from June 2026 -May 2027.

Primary Work Location: Wells’Built Museum of African American History & Culture, 511 W. South Street, Orlando, FL 32805

Pay: $18.00/hour

The application deadline is Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 5 p.m.