Head of Department for the Modern Era at Museum East Jutland

Do you want to lead the stories that still shape us?

How do we make the history of the past centuries relevant for people today? Which stories should we prioritise, and how should we tell them in an approachable way? Do you want to be involved as we bring the museum's knowledge, collections and expertise more strongly into play in our modern society?

Museum Østjylland seeks a professionally strong and engaged department head who can set the direction for the work in the department “Nyere Tid” and thereby actively contribute to the development of the whole museum.

You will become the leader of a small team of skilled and independent employees who work with collection, registration, documentation, investigations, research and development of new knowledge about life in the municipalities of Randers, Norddjurs and Syddjurs. Together you shall select and develop the stories that have the greatest significance – locally, nationally and in some cases internationally.

The position is for you who are motivated by work with people, cultural-historical disciplines and development.

A central role in a museum with ambitions

Museum Østjylland is one of the country's larger cultural-historical museums. We work across three municipalities and a number of different visitor centres in Randers, Grenaa and Ebeltoft.

Our geography and professional breadth are strengths. At Museum Østjylland, stories about market towns, industry, crafts, tourism, migration, everyday life, gender, occupation and social changes meet. As head of Nyere Tid you will have the opportunity to shape the museum's continued development. You contribute to securing the collection and communication of the cultural heritage that attracts, fascinates and inspires different user groups.

You will be part of the museum's management team and report to the director of the museum.

Your main tasks

As department head you shall

• have personnel and professional leadership responsibility for the staff in Nyere Tid
• set a clear direction for the department's work and in close collaboration with your leadership colleagues translate the museum's strategy into concrete priorities
• solve museum professional operational tasks within your area of expertise.
• secure relevance, quality and progress in the department's tasks within, among other things, collection, registration, investigation, research and dissemination
• be an active and constructive part of the museum's leadership team
• prioritise the department's resources and create realistic frames for task execution
• develop projects that connect local cultural history with current and relevant social topics
• strengthen collaboration with the museum's other departments on research, collections, exhibitions, dissemination and user experiences
• build and maintain relations with municipalities, associations, research environments, museums and other partners
• contribute to grant applications and development of externally funded projects.

You must be able to create room for professional immersion and at the same time help the staff to choose what to do and what to forego. We do not expect you to have all the answers from the start, but we expect you to listen, set a direction and make decisions when necessary.

We imagine that you

• have solid experience with museum professional work or similar tasks within cultural heritage, research or cultural institutions, anchored in a relevant academic education. It could be in history, ethnology or a related cultural-historical field
• have management experience or clear potential and a wish to develop yourself as a leader
• have a trusting and appreciative demeanor with a view to both the individual employee, the department's tasks and the museum's overall needs
• can prioritise and create progress in a busy everyday life with many tasks and stakeholders
• are curious about other disciplines and naturally ensure cross-disciplinary collaboration
• can translate professional knowledge into projects that are relevant outside the museum's own walls
• have experience with project development, grant applications or research projects.

It is an advantage if you have knowledge of the Museum Act, collection work and the standards and systems associated with a state-recognised museum's tasks. The most important is, however, that you can unite professional quality with good leadership and organizational understanding.

What you get with us

At Museum Østjylland you become part of a workplace with wide professional breadth and significant ambitions. You come close to decisions and get real opportunity to influence both your own area and the museum's overall development.

You get

• a meaningful leadership job with great professional and societal relevance
• skilled and dedicated colleagues with various professional backgrounds
• opportunity to develop notable cultural-historical projects
• access to rich collections and strong local stories
• a workplace where cross-disciplinary collaboration and warm collegiality are highly valued
• space to think creatively – and a shared responsibility to translate ideas into realistic and sustainable solutions
• opportunity to work in an organisation that is solidly rooted in its local communities and oriented towards the outside world we are part of.

We are focused on ensuring that professional quality, ambitions and a good working environment support each other. We believe in clear goals, trust in employees' professionalism and an open dialogue about priorities and resources.

History is not finished

At Museum Østjylland we work with history because it makes us wiser about who we are and how our society has become. As head of Nyere Tid you are responsible for ensuring that the most important stories are investigated, preserved and brought into play – even when they challenge our notions of the past and the present.

We look forward to hearing how you will help set the direction.

Deadline

1 November 2026.

The first round of interviews is expected to take place in week 46 and a possible second round in week 47.

If you want to know more

about the position, you are welcome to contact the Museum Director Henrik Hatt at telephone 21 79 99 42 or email [email protected] .

The position is 37 hours per week with primary workplace in Randers. You should expect meetings and work days at the museum's various locations in Randers, Grenaa and Ebeltoft. A driving licence is therefore an advantage.

Salary and terms of employment follow the applicable collective agreement and agreement on local salary formation.