Historian

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references to: Emily Martz, Executive Director, emartz@greatcampsagamore.org.

Job Title: Historian

Location: Raquette Lake, NY (May – October); remote (November – April)

Job Type: Full-Time

Salary: $48,430.20 - $55,348.80 (exempt)

Benefits: Health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, paid sick leave

Perks: Full-use of camp amenities, discounted rates for friends & family, free on-campus lodging and meals May - October

Great Camp Sagamore, a non-profit National Historic Landmark, is seeking a Historian to oversee the interpretation of the 17-acre, 27-building lakeside property that is surrounded by vast tracts of “forever wild” New York State Forest Preserve.

The Historian is a year-round senior staff position that answers to the Executive Director and works closely with the History Committee of the Board of Trustees. This position is full-time from May - October and, depending upon the successful candidate, 3/4 time or full-time from November - April.

The Historian hires, trains, and supervises a team of seasonal Interpreters to guide public tours of the campus and camp-related infrastructure sites in the nearby forest. The Historian also serves as an Interpreter. The successful candidate will further refine an intricate narrative of the camp’s main characters, its historical antecedents, and its place in the wider phenomenon of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks.

The Historian will care for a small but significant collection of archives and artifacts and will be tasked to create and maintain a new digital catalog of related images and historical source materials along with an inventory of Sagamore’s current furnishings. This position is also responsible for the care and cleanliness of Sagamore’s interpretive exhibits and tour spaces.

The Historian will help build relationships with Sagamore’s donors and partners through private tours, and will represent Sagamore to a wider audience through writing projects and public speaking engagements.

Started in 1897 by William West Durant, the complex was sold to Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt in 1901. For five decades, the Vanderbilts hosted some of the most exciting public figures of the time, far from the trappings of modern life. They hired local craftspeople who knew how to build and maintain the remote rustic complex, and also how to provide an authentic human element for their guests’ Adirondack experience. Sagamore’s iconic Main Lodge is one of the most recognized buildings in northern NYS and is an architype of the Adirondack style.

The position is intricately tied to the culture and functions of camp life. Most of the eight year-round and 18-20 seasonal staff members choose to live on campus where free room and board are provided during the May to October season. The Historian will become a full participant in camp life and contribute to providing a safe and welcoming atmosphere for guests and staff.

Great Camp Sagamore is committed to creating, supporting, and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment that empowers all staff members to grow and to be active within decision making spaces. Sagamore is committed to ensuring an anti-racist culture and a work environment free from discrimination and harassment where staff are empowered to bring their authentic selves to every aspect of their work. Great Camp Sagamore does not discriminate based on gender, gender expression, sexual identity, sexual orientation, race, class, color, age, ethnicity, first language, religion or belief, or family, marital, parental, military, or veteran status in any aspect of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotion, discipline, termination, wages, benefits, training, and professional development.

Qualifications, Required or Preferred

• A master’s degree in History Museum Studies, Public History, or a closely related

  academic field

• At least three years of supervising staff in a professional setting

• Experience handling historic artifacts in a museum or archival setting

• Experience with collections management software systems

• Professional knowledge of the functions and values of historic preservation

• Demonstrated public speaking and writing skills

• Willingness and ability to engage with people in any setting

• Willingness and ability to deliver in-person presentations in the northeast year-round

• Project management experience

• Experience with online databases and platforms

• Ability to thrive in a close-knit professional community in a remote wilderness setting

• Ability to work independently and remotely

• Experience with grants

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references to: Emily Martz, Executive Director, emartz@greatcampsagamore.org.

This position remains open until filled.