About
Shelburne Museum is one of the best places to work in Vermont. Benefits include access to Museum exhibits and programs, discounts at the Museum Store and Café, and participation in the employee reciprocal program with many regional attractions. Our beautiful campus, just seven miles from Burlington, is a welcoming place to develop your skills, connect with new colleagues, and build and shape our community. Shelburne Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering diversity within the museum field.
Current openings are listed below. Applicants may apply online by completing the Employment Application and attaching it, along with a cover letter and resume, to an e-mail (pdf format preferred). Please send applications to:
Human Resources
Shelburne Museum
P.O. Box 10
Shelburne, VT 05482
HR@shelburnemuseum.org
Some positions may request additional information. Final approval for hiring will be dependent upon a successful background check.
Shelburne Museum is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the EEO brochure to view your rights.
If you are interested in volunteering at Shelburne Museum please click here.
Shelburne Museum Native American Artist Program
We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Inaugural Native American Artist Program offered by Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne, Vermont. Through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, Shelburne Museum is offering $18,500 each to three selected artists to pursue a creative project that responds to Shelburne Museum’s historical collection of Indigenous art and to develop and lead related public programs. Applications will be accepted through January 8, 2027. Selected artists will participate in program activities from March 2027 through March 2028.
As we prepare for the opening of the Perry Center for Native American Art in June 2027, we are dedicated to supporting contemporary Indigenous artists as they create original work, engage with Shelburne Museum’s historical collections, and share their processes with their communities and the Museum’s broad audience. In keeping with the Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, and to celebrate the opening of a new building housing a historical collection, artists are invited to propose a creative project that responds to the theme of “Spirituality Across Time.” Proposals should address the following prompts:
The Native American Artist Program is open to artists working in any medium, including but not limited to, fine art, literature, and performing arts. Selected artists will be expected to visit Shelburne Museum for approximately four days in the summer/fall of 2027 to view the historical collections, engage with Museum visitors by designing and implementing educational programming (with support from Shelburne Museum educators), and consult on future collection-based initiatives, programs, and/or exhibitions. The Native American Artist Program will culminate with a virtual presentation in the winter/spring of 2028, in which artists will present their completed works to audiences in both Vermont and their home communities. Artists will also be expected to arrange for professional documentation (paid for by Shelburne Museum) of work completed during the duration of the Native American Artist Program. Acceptance into the Native American Artist Program does not guarantee the exhibition or acquisition of artwork by Shelburne Museum.
Thank you for sharing this notice with your networks and interested applicants. Artists at all stages of their careers are invited to apply. Please, do not hesitate to reach out with any questions to:
Victoria Sunnergren, Associate Curator of Native American Art
vsunnergren@shelburnemuseum.org
Deadline to Apply: Friday, January 8, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Award: $18,500 each to three artists
The awarded amount includes both an Artist Stipend and the funds for travel, food, and lodging required for each artist to visit Shelburne Museum. Please note that other than funds for documentation as noted below, this Program does not offer additional funding for travel, materials, or other costs. The award will be paid in installments over the course of the Program according to the timeline below.
Requirements:
Timeline:
Application Process: To apply, email the following materials to artistprogram@shelburnemuseum.org by the deadline:
About Shelburne Museum
Founded in 1947 by trailblazing folk art collector Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888–1960), Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, is the largest art and history museum in northern New England and Vermont’s foremost public resource for visual art and material culture. The Museum’s 45-acre campus is comprised of 39 buildings including the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education and Webb Gallery featuring important American paintings by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, John Singleton Copley and many more. Construction is underway for the Perry Center for Native American Art, designed in close partnership with Indigenous voices and devoted to the stewardship and exhibition of the Native American art in the museum’s care, scheduled to open in 2027. For more information, please visit shelburnemuseum.org.
About the Perry Center for Native American Art
The Perry Center for Native American Art will be devoted to the exhibition and care of the Museum’s collection of more than 700 Indigenous items from 389 Tribal Nations. In planning for the Perry Center, Shelburne Museum was intentional in collaborating with Tribal Nations and culture bearers whose works are represented in the collection. The result is a building and integrated landscape design that honors the traditional stewards of the site and is referential to the many cultures whose items will be housed in the Center.
The Perry Center for Native American Art is planned to be an 11,200 square-foot, highly sustainable structure designed to serve as a welcoming space for Tribal members and scholars to study and engage with the collection and that will reimagine the museum experience for all visitors.
The Perry Center is being designed by Annum Architects of Boston and Two Row Architect of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, joining together firms with depth of experience in both major museum and Indigenous projects. Landscape design is by Reed Hilderbrand of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a practice with extensive experience designing landscapes that seamlessly integrate with architecture.
Integral to the project is collaboration with more than 100 Indigenous partners, who advised on cultural protocols and design considerations, and care and conservation of the collection. In addition, insight and guidance about the building and landscape design were taken from listening sessions—a series of Talking Circles—led by Indigenous-owned Two Row Architects that included leadership and culture bearers of the local Abenaki, the traditional stewards of the site, along with Tribal Nations represented in the Museum’s collection of more than 500 items.
For more information about the Perry Center for Native American Art, please visit shelburnemuseum.org/about/perry-center-for-native-american-art/.
About the Collection
The Museum collection is comprised of more than 700 Indigenous items from 389 Tribal Nations across the continent. Some of the items were on display until the 1990s when evolving professional standards prompted deinstallation for reinterpretation with appropriate cultural sensitivity. The collection includes baskets, clothing, and textiles primarily created by Plains and Northwest Coast Tribal Nations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Recently, Shelburne Museum became stewards of the Perry Collection through the generosity of Teressa “Teri” Perry, in memory of her late husband Anthony “Tony” Perry, a restaurateur and businessman with close ties to Vermont and Colorado. The Perry Collection is remarkable for its depth, breadth, and quality, including pottery, garments, footwear, dolls, and other items predominantly from Plains, Prairie, and Southwest peoples. The Perry Collection amplifies and diversifies the Native American materials already stewarded by the Museum. Together, the collections represent more than 389 Tribal Nations, presenting an opportunity to collaborate with these and other Tribal Nations in the study of both historical and contemporary Indigenous material culture and art in a manner intentionally accessible to students, scholars, and visitors.
Please share this notice with your networks and interested applicants. Artists at all stages of their careers are invited to apply. Please, do not hesitate to reach out with any questions to:
Victoria Sunnergren, Associate Curator of Native American Art
vsunnergren@shelburnemuseum.org
Shelburne Museum Native American Artist Program
artistprogram@shelburnemuseum.org
IMLS Project Cataloguer
Position Type: Year-round, full-time, 2–year grant funded position
Department: Collections
Reports to: Registrar
Starting pay: $50,000/year DOE
The IMLS Project Cataloguer is a member of the Collections department, the team that stewards Shelburne Museum’s permanent collections of art and Americana. This 2-year position, funded in part through an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America grant, is responsible for data cleanup within the Museum’s collections management database Mimsy XG in preparation for data migration to a new database. This includes verification of the information, ensuring proper data formatting, and uploading digital images. Other responsibilities include editing existing records, assisting with reorganizing objects in storage, and generating reports for other staff members.
The department includes registrars, a collections manager, conservators, a lead art handler, an exhibitions preparator, and an archivist/digital assets manager. The Museum’s collections are housed in 39 exhibitions buildings spread across forty-five landscaped acres. Among these structures are 25 significant examples of historic New England architecture, relocated to the Museum grounds.
Essential Job Functions:
Education and Experience:
Desirable Skills and Qualifications:
Terms and Benefits
The IMLS Project Cataloguer is a full-time, full-benefits, salaried, exempt, employment-at-will position. Shelburne Museum offers a generous benefits package including:
Final approval for hiring will be dependent upon a successful background check and approval by IMLS.
Shelburne Museum is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the EEO brochure to view your rights.
Position Type: Year-round, Full-Time, Staff Position
Department: Protection Services
Reports To: Director of Protection Services
Hourly Rate: $20.00/hour (2nd Shift $1/differential & 3rd Shift $5/differential)
Weekends and some holidays are required. Holidays are paid out at 2.5 times hourly rate. This is a year-round, full time, benefited position.
Protection Services is responsible for the security and safety at all times of the Museum’s collections, buildings, grounds, staff, and visitors.
Essential Job Functions:
Experience and Qualifications:
Benefits:
To apply:
Please email our Human Resources department at HR@shelburnemuseum.org and provide a Cover Letter and an updated Resume (PDF format preferred). For more information, visit our careers page: https://shelburnemuseum.org/about/employment/. Please note that any offer of employment is contingent upon a clear background check.
Shelburne Museum is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the EEO brochure to view your rights.
Carpenter
Position Type: Full-Time, Hourly
Department: Preservation and Landscape
Reports To: Lead Carpenter
Salary Range: $27.00–$30.00 DOE
Position Summary
The Carpenter performs skilled carpentry, preservation, maintenance, and repair work across Shelburne Museum’s 40 historic buildings and other Museum facilities. This position works on a wide variety of projects, ranging from historic building repairs and restoration to general maintenance, exhibit support, custom shop projects, and seasonal needs.
Working under the direction of the Lead Carpenter and Director of Preservation and Facilities, the Carpenter completes assigned work using both traditional and modern construction techniques while maintaining high standards of craftsmanship, safety, and respect for historic resources. The Carpenter may assist with volunteers on projects and is responsible for maintaining accurate records of ongoing and completed work through the Museum’s PropertyTrak system.
Essential Job Functions
Qualifications
Physical Requirements
Hours
7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday–Friday.
Terms
The Carpenter is a full-time, full-benefits, hourly, non-exempt, employment-at-will position.
Compensation and Benefits
Full Museum benefits package including health, dental, and generous paid time off. Spectacular working environment; committed, friendly co-workers; discount at the Museum Store and Café; passes to the Museum to share with friends and family; and reciprocal benefits at regional museums and attractions.
To Apply
Please email our Human Resources department at HR@shelburnemuseum.org and provide a Cover Letter and Resume (PDF format preferred). For more information, visit our careers page: https://shelburnemuseum.org/about/employment/.
Please note that any offer of employment is contingent upon a clear background check.
Shelburne Museum is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status.
Museum Store Sales Associate
Position Type: Part Time, Seasonal, Hourly
Department: Museum Store
Reports To: Visitor Services & Museum Store Manager
Pay Range: $15.50/hour
Museum Store Sales associates are expected to be helpful and knowledgeable about the store merchandise as well as the Museum including the Museum’s collection, special events and exhibits.
Experience and Skills:
Positive and friendly attitude, previous experience working with public necessary and experience with computerized registers along with cash handling preferred. Must be able to vacuum and do light maintenance.
Working Conditions:
Applicants must be able to stand and/or walk for long periods of time.
Schedule Requirements:
The season is May – October 2026, with the possibility to extend through January 1st, 2027 for Winter Lights. Must be available at least two days a week and have a flexible schedule. Weekends and holidays a must. Hours may vary due to visitor attendance.
Compensation:
$15.50/hour. Spectacular working environment, committed, friendly co-workers, discount at the Museum Store and Café, passes to the Museum to share with friends and family, and reciprocal benefits at regional museums and attractions.
Position: Director of Finance
Reports to: Director & CEO
Location: Shelburne, VT
Salary: $120,000 – $130,000/year, depending on experience, plus generous benefits
Position Type: Full-time, Exempt
About Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is one of the most beloved institutions in Vermont. In addition to being the largest art and history museum in northern New England, it is also a place that offers new perspectives through dynamic special exhibits and educational programs. The Museum’s 45-acre campus includes 39 buildings to explore and 22 beautiful gardens for contemplation. The new Perry Center for Native American Art opens in 2027.
Shelburne Museum is also one of the best places to work in Vermont. The Museum offers a welcoming and collaborative culture to team members who are eager to build and shape their community.
The Role
Reporting to the Director & CEO of Shelburne Museum, the Director of Finance manages an annual operating budget of approximately $10 million and directly oversees the Museum’s financial and risk management operations. This dynamic and collaborative role formulates the Museum’s financial strategy along with metrics tied to that strategy, and is actively involved in the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve organization assets and report accurate financial results. The Director of Finance spends about 70% of their time with tactical responsibilities and about 30% with strategic initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Skills & Qualifications
Benefits:
To Apply:
Disclaimer: What is listed above is representative of the position’s responsibilities but is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may change during employment at the company’s discretion. Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP and our client do not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
Gallagher, Flynn, & Company, LLP has been retained to conduct this search. Interested candidates may apply by sending a resume and cover letter. While we appreciate all interest in this exciting opportunity, only candidates most closely aligned with our search will be contacted.