Museum and Historic Site Administrator 2 - Drake Well Museum & Park

About the role

Do you have a passion for industrial history, love working with historic equipment and museum collections, revel in teaching complex topics to a wide range of audiences, and enjoy managing multifaceted museum operations? If so, the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums (BHSM) of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) is looking for a museum director to manage Drake Well Museum & Park, birthplace of modern petroleum industry.

Apply today to continue your career at one of Pennsylvania's premier historic sites!

Welcoming thousands annually from across the U.S. and the world, Drake Well Museum & Park, located in Venango County, PA, preserves and shares Pennsylvania's rich petroleum history, connecting past to present and inspiring visitors to strive for a sustainable energy future. As Drake Well's Site Administrator, you will play a crucial role in the preservation and interpretation of this 218-acre historic site, including the National Historic Landmark well, dynamic outdoor exhibits of operating oil field machinery, over 12,000 square feet of interior exhibits, an extensive artifact and archival collection and more.

This position leads the daily operations and long term development of Drake Well Museum & Park by guiding staff, resources, and planning efforts. The role supports preservation, education, community partnerships, and smooth operation of the entire site. As a Museum and Historic Site Administrator 2, you will perform the following duties:

• Site Management: Oversee daily operations, facility upkeep, security, and long term planning for the museum and grounds
• Staff Leadership: Direct personnel activities, training, and scheduling to keep work organized and effective
• Collections Oversight: Guide the care, documentation, and interpretation of artifacts and exhibits
• Community Engagement: Build connections with local groups, partners, and the Friends of Drake Well, Inc (the museum’s official support group) to support site goals
• Financial Coordination: Manage budgeting, fundraising efforts, grants, and financial procedures for site operations
• Volunteer Development: Recruit, train, and support volunteers who assist with education, events, and site activities

This is a professional museum administrator position requiring subject matter expertise related to the historic site, its era of history, and the museum profession in general.

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 60-minute lunch. Occasional weekend, evening, and holiday work for meetings and special events may be required.
• Telework: Telework for this position is on an ad hoc basis only. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements

• One year as a Museum and Historic Site Administrator 1 (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
• Four years of professional experience managing overall museum operations including two years of experience supervising professional or volunteer museum staff; and a bachelor’s degree in history, American studies, museum studies, or a closely related field; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training which includes two years of experience supervising professional or volunteer museum staff and a bachelor’s degree in history, American studies, museum studies, or a closely related field.

Other Requirements

• This particular position also requires possession of a valid Class C Driver's License.
• This particular position also requires three or more years of full-time experience managing multiple-building historic site tasked with the preservation and interpretation of industrial and/or cultural history from the 19th century through the 20th century – accomplished using assigned staff, volunteers, contractors, and community partners. Experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility at a historically significant industrial or cultural history site.
• Historically Significant is defined as providing tangible & intangible examples of subject matter critical to the understanding of a specific period, community, process, demographic, or locale.
• Industrial Site is defined as a location that preserves and shares the history of an industry. Examples included but are not limited to iron, coal, lumber, oil, manufacturing.
• Cultural Site is defined as a location where a group of people congregated for, and with, a particular purpose, lifestyle, means of self-determination, religious adherence & study and/or belief system.
• Multiple-Building Historic Site is defined as a site containing two or more historic buildings/structures.
• Volunteers, Contractors, and Community Partners is defined as individuals providing their expertise and services at no cost, a determined cost, or through contractual arrangements such as a non-profit dedicated to advancing the site mission.
• PA residency requirement is currently waived for this title.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements

• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
• Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

Additional information

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
• your score may be lower than deserved.
• you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.