Job description
Join the Beacon History Center, a premier nonprofit dedicated to preserving and presenting the past in accessible, engaging formats. We are seeking a Senior History Researcher to join our vibrant team in Boston.
In this role, you will lead rigorous archival research, drive narrative development for exhibitions and digital stories, and collaborate with curators, educators, and external partners to translate complex history into compelling public content.
You will steward multiple research projects from conception through publication, ensuring rigorous sourcing, ethical provenance, and accessible storytelling for diverse audiences.
Responsibility
- Lead archival and primary-source research to support exhibitions, publications, and digital history projects.
- Design and execute research plans, assess source reliability, and manage citations and metadata.
- Collaborate with curators, educators, and external scholars to craft accurate, engaging historical narratives.
- Prepare scholarly materials such as wall texts, catalogs, lecture scripts, and digital content for online platforms.
- Represent the Center in public programs, lectures, and partnerships; contribute to grant writing and reporting.
- Supervise interns and research assistants, providing mentorship and ensuring high-quality outputs on schedule.
- Ensure compliance with ethics, copyright, and provenance standards, and maintain meticulous documentation.
Qualification
- Master's degree or PhD in History, Public History, Archaeology, or a closely related field.
- 5+ years of research experience with demonstrated publication or exhibition development.
- Strong proficiency with primary sources (archives, manuscripts, maps, rare books) and skills in critical source evaluation and historical argumentation.
- Experience with digital humanities tools, archival databases, and metadata standards (e.g., Dublin Core).
- Excellent writing and editing abilities; proven track record in producing accessible, engaging historical content.
- Public-speaking experience, education/outreach skills, and the ability to conduct engaging lectures and tours.
- Exceptional organizational and project-management skills; ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
- Knowledge of Boston-area history is a plus and strongly preferred.