Details
Classification: Exempt, Regular, Full-time, Hybrid
Location: Mountain View, California
Department: Collections & Exhibitions – (Curatorial)
About The AI Initiative & Why This Role Now
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is building its AI Initiative to become the world’s most comprehensive repository and public forum for the history of artificial intelligence and robotics – capturing the living history of today while safeguarding the record of the past. The AI Initiative will systematically collect born-digital materials, contemporary journalism and social media, oral histories, historical documentation and software, as well as physical artifacts, while interpreting these histories through digital content, live programs, and exhibits.
To capture the living history of today while safeguarding the record of the past, the Initiative cannot be built from the outside looking in. CHM will provide institutional credibility, relationships, and a strong foundation to build upon. But it requires a leader deeply embedded within the AI ecosystem.
This is a founder-style, hands-on role at the very early stage of development. The Founding Director will initially operate as a one-person team, serving as CHM’s primary ambassador to the AI community—building trust, forging deep relationships with key figures and organizations, and establishing the Initiative as a vital, shared resource for the industry. In this role, the Director must be comfortable rolling up their sleeves, directly managing every aspect of the initiative. As these relationships and the collection grow, the Director will work closely with CHM’s Development and Curatorial teams to drive a high-impact fundraising strategy. Only through successful fundraising will there be the opportunity to expand the team, secure born-digital materials, artifacts, and oral histories, and fully realize the Initiative’s vision.
Position Summary
The Founding Director of the AI Initiative serves as the strategic, programmatic, and community lead for the AI Initiative. This role is responsible for forging authentic ties across the AI and robotics landscape, including building an advisory network. Then, operating from this foundation of community engagement, the Director will work together with Development to cultivate the strategic partnerships and philanthropic support necessary to scale the initiative and launch the right Capture (collecting and oral histories) and Share (public programs) activities.
In the first 12 to 18 months, success will be defined by:
- Community: Successfully established CHM as a trusted, known entity within key AI circles (research, safety, open-source, policy), including having launched an active advisory group.
- Funding: Leveraged the newly established network, in partnership with Development, to secure lead gifts that underwrite CHM’s AI Initiative work and build a strong, multi-year funding pipeline.
- Programs & Capture: Completed four CHM Live events and four foundational oral histories utilizing community connections; published highlights to drive reach.
- Operations: Delivered a comprehensive three-year plan with established foundational processes.
Responsibilities
Community Embedding & Ecosystem Building (Primary)
- Serve as the highly visible face of the AI Initiative, embedding deeply within the AI, robotics, and broader tech communities.
- Convene and manage an influential advisory group of industry leaders, researchers, and historians
- Represent CHM at key conferences, in online communities, and at industry hubs to build trust and awareness.
- Cultivate a network that provides first-look access to emerging artifacts, foundational narratives, and potential partnerships.
- Leverage their expertise as an AI native, actively using and evangelizing AI tools within the museum to enhance research, programming, exhibits, and digital engagement.
Relationship-Driven Fundraising & Business Development (Primary)
- Leverage community trust and network engagement to help inform and strengthen a robust donor and sponsor pipeline in close partnership with the Development team.
- Collaborate with CHM Development to support the fundraising strategy for The AI Initiative, contributing to compelling cases for support that resonate with tech founders, researchers, and philanthropists
- Actively support Development in cultivating and advancing donor relationships, helping to secure gifts that underwrite core operating capacity and programming, while ensuring strong alignment and coordination.
- Contribute to the identification and development of opportunities for catalytic investments and naming opportunities (e.g., dedicated warehouse space, major exhibitions, digital infrastructure), in collaboration with Development leadership.
Capture: Collecting, Oral Histories & Preservation
- Leverage community relationships to identify and secure proactive collecting leads (born-digital materials, corporate archives, physical artifacts, and robotics) for curatorial review.
- Source and secure high-profile oral history interviews and lay the groundwork for scaled operations.
- Establish preservation partnerships with leading AI organizations to secure anchor collections.
- Support coordination with Collections, Archives, and Legal to vet and advance prospective acquisitions.
Share: Programs, Content & Audience Growth
- Draw upon your established network to produce high-impact CHM Live programs on AI every year.
- Integrate programming with CHM’s digital channels to translate live events into broader, lasting audience engagement.
Strategy, Phasing & Operations
- Translate the AI Initiative’s vision into a 3-year phased strategy: Phase 1 – Relationship-building & Embedding; Phase 2 – Team hiring; Phase 3 – Warehouse/Storage; Phase 4 – Exhibitions; Phase 5 – Steady operations.
- Operate leanly and engage contractors strategically during the founder phase.
Competencies
The qualities and behaviors that will define the role’s effectiveness and impact.
- Builds trust and is recognized as a credible voice across AI, robotics, and related communities.
- Develops high-value relationships that translate into partnerships, access, and philanthropic support.
- Serves as a compelling ambassador, communicating effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Translates vision into action, operating effectively in a lean, evolving environment.
- Identifies significant artifacts and narratives, shaping them into meaningful public engagement.
- Aligns cross-functional teams and stakeholders without direct authority.
- Navigates ambiguity with sound judgment in a rapidly evolving field.
Qualifications and Skills
The professional background, experience, and technical skills required for success in this role.
Education and Experience
- Eight or more years of progressive experience in a museum, academic institution, or AI-focused organization, with a record of impactful contributions.
- Demonstrated and sustained engagement with artificial intelligence—through research, curation, program development, or applied work.
- Preferred advanced degree (master's or higher) in computing, history or a closely related field, with a strong interdisciplinary perspective.
Required
- Subject-matter expertise in AI, the history of computing, or both, with a credible voice within the AI tech community.
- Proven the ability to cultivate high-level relationships and translate them into major resources, partnerships, sponsorships, or philanthropic gifts.
- Strong communicator, natural networker, and relationship builder who thrives in external-facing roles.
- Entrepreneurial operator comfortable navigating ambiguity and building initiatives from the ground up.
- Experience in and appreciation of museums; curatorial sensibility and collecting experience.
- Track record of delivering high-quality programs or initiatives with lean support.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly (local and periodic domestic, with occasional international travel).
- Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events
Preferred
- Pre-existing, deep network across various AI domains (e.g., research labs, open-source communities, safety/ethics, policy).
- Existing relationships with potential tech, AI, or science funders.
- Experience with collections management, digital preservation, or IP/data-rights issues in AI.
Benefits
- Fully sponsored medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Partially sponsored health dependent costs
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA) with employer contributions
- 403(b) retirement plan with 1:1 employer matching
- Generous PTO (Paid Time Off) benefits
- Fully sponsored life and disability insurance
- Employee discounts in museum store and onsite café
Salary: $140,000–$150,000 annually
About CHM
At the Computer History Museum our mission is to decode technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. From the heart of Silicon Valley, we share insights from our research, our events, and our incomparable collection of computing artifacts and oral histories to convene, inform, and empower people to shape a better future.
At CHM, we believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success. We provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Our Values
At CHM, we strive to create a culture that is collaborative, caring, and fun, where we hold ourselves accountable, look for the best in each other, and learn together. These are our values: integrity, inclusiveness, innovation, communication, and curiosity.
How to Apply
Are you ready to become a part of our team? To be considered for this position, applicants must include a cover letter and resume describing your track record and vision for The AI Archive, and three references to [email protected]. Please be sure to add the job title (exactly as it is spelled out on this site) that you are applying for in the subject line of your email.
