Join Our ʻOhana
At Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, we believe that preserving Hawai‘i’s rich cultural and natural heritage is a collective effort — and you’re invited to be part of it. Whether you’re looking to build a meaningful career, volunteer your time, or share your skills with our community, there’s a place for you here.
Joining our ʻohana means more than just working or volunteering — it means becoming part of a legacy. From behind-the-scenes collections care to front-facing visitor engagement, every role supports our mission to inspire wonder and discovery about Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
Careers
Looking to turn your passion into purpose? A career at Bishop Museum offers the opportunity to work alongside leading cultural practitioners, scientists, educators, and community leaders — all dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
Whether you’re just starting out or bringing years of experience, we welcome professionals who are inspired by culture, science, and lifelong learning. Explore open positions and find where your journey begins.
Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart of Bishop Museum. From helping with keiki activities and special events to supporting research, collections, and visitor services, there are countless ways to make a meaningful impact.
Whether you can give a few hours a month or a few days a week, your time helps us connect with the community and care for the stories that shape our islands.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Education Docent Volunteer Program
The Education Docent Volunteer Program was developed to create a cadre of well-trained, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable volunteers who provide assistance, along with interpretive and educational experiences, to all members of our community.
Bishop Museum Te Rangi Hīroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship
Bishop Museum hosts a nine-month fellowship with the possibility of renewal for a second term. The fellowship provides training and supports research related to the collection of Bishop Museum. The fellow is fully integrated in a Bishop Museum department with duties, privileges, and expectations of those working within the Museum. Time is divided between assigned projects and general work within the department, with an additional focus on oral history training and sessions with narrators. Through weekly gatherings and discussions, the fellow takes part in knowledge sharing and sessions that explore the inner workings of Bishop Museum. The fellow participates in departmental and area of specialization meetings and has opportunities to work with departments across the Museum. They also have access to mentorship from colleagues at partner museums including the British Museum, Te Papa, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to uplift Indigenous methodologies, implement policies and praxis informed by Indigenous knowledge and worldviews, demonstrate excellence and creativity in their practice whether it be as a curator, editor, collections manager, educator, public programmer, digital humanities specialist, artist, or cultural practitioner. Applications are requested from people whose interests and areas of expertise align with Bishop Museum collections and programs. Specifically, the fellows will be full participants in projects and departments listed below. They will participate in departmental projects and priorities as described under each fellowship area. Cover letters and statements must specify which fellowship area is most aligned with the applicant’s expertise and interests.
Fellowship Opportunities
Bishop Museum is in the process of a mulit-phased rematriation of collections to Guahan and the Northern Mariana Islands in collaboration with the governments of the Mariana archipelago, the Guam Museum, and the Northern Mariana Island Museum. This effort requires meticulous provenance research, contextual and cultural understanding of the Mariana Islands, and a commitment to uplifting Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. The Curatorial and Collections Fellow will work closely with the Cultural Resource curatorial and collections teams to support and conduct provenance research, conduct oral history sessions, create checklists, conduct inventories, and conduct data clean-up and entry. Fellow must be able to work alongside staff when on island and be in close communication when working remotely to participate in community consultations, contribute scholarship and feedback on reports, and conduct oral history sessions with people from the region. The fellow must be a team player with an interest in cultural stewardship, and the ability to conduct oneself with discretion when working with confidential matters. A Low-residence option is available for selected fellow(s) if they are residents of the Mariana Islands, and need to be in their home islands for much of the residency term.
Fellowship Position Requirements
- Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in a museum or cultural heritage stewardship, an artistic practice, or related field
- Security background check for finalist
- Ability to and experience working with Pacific Islander communities
- Relevant knowledge and experience related to the different fellowship positions described above
Professional Knowledge and Experience Requirements
- Professional knowledge of the history, intellectual discourse, and practice of art, history, archaeology, and/or culture of the Pacific
- Knowledge of research tools and methodology as it pertains to your fellowship area
- Specialization in the areas of focus described in the fellowship description is preferred
- Understanding of museum principles, practices, and procedures
- Cultural competence in Indigenous Pacific culture(s)
- Appreciation for Pacific languages
- Experience in building relationships with museum colleagues, audiences, living artists, and cultural practitioners is preferred
Skills and Abilities Requirements
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
- Commitment to audience accessibility, dignity for all people, and diversity awareness
- Collegiality, diplomacy, interpersonal effectiveness, and flexibility
- Demonstrated ability to complete projects within deadlines
- Diligence in maintaining high ethical standards, confidentiality, and discretion
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team player
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Bishop Museum staff and partner organizations. Please do not contact Bishop Museum curators or other officials directly regarding possible placement or projects. With questions, please write to healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org and title the subject of your email: Last Name, First Name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship QUESTION.
Virtual Interviews
Finalists for the Te Rangi Hīroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship will be contacted for virtual interviews.
The Molokaʻi Curatorial Fellow will work closely with the Curator of Archaeology who is based on Molokaʻi, and will also work with the Cultural Resource collections teams to support and conduct curatorial research, conduct oral history sessions, create checklists, conduct inventories, and support digitization and data entry in support of curatorial projects related to Molokaʻi. Fellow must be able to work alongside staff when on island and be in close communication when working remotely to participate in community consultations, contribute scholarship and feedback on reports, and conduct oral history sessions with people from the region. Fellow will collaborate with the Curator of Archaeology to process transcripts, issue payments, and conduct other administrative aspects of oral history and curatorial research efforts. The fellow must be a team player with an interest in cultural stewardship, and the ability to conduct oneself with discretion when working with community members and confidential matters.
Fellowship Position Requirements
- Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in a museum or cultural heritage stewardship, an artistic practice, or related field
- Security background check for finalist
- Ability to and experience working with Pacific Islander communities
- Relevant knowledge and experience related to the different fellowship positions described above
Professional Knowledge and Experience Requirements
- Professional knowledge of the history, intellectual discourse, and practice of art, history, archaeology, and/or culture of the Pacific
- Knowledge of research tools and methodology as it pertains to your fellowship area
- Specialization in the areas of focus described in the fellowship description is preferred
- Understanding of museum principles, practices, and procedures
- Cultural competence in Indigenous Pacific culture(s)
- Appreciation for Pacific languages
- Experience in building relationships with museum colleagues, audiences, living artists, and cultural practitioners is preferred
Skills and Abilities Requirements
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
- Commitment to audience accessibility, dignity for all people, and diversity awareness
- Collegiality, diplomacy, interpersonal effectiveness, and flexibility
- Demonstrated ability to complete projects within deadlines
- Diligence in maintaining high ethical standards, confidentiality, and discretion
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team player
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Bishop Museum staff and partner organizations. Please do not contact Bishop Museum curators or other officials directly regarding possible placement or projects. With questions, please write to healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org and title the subject of your email: Last Name, First Name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship QUESTION.
Virtual Interviews
Finalists for the Te Rangi Hīroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship will be contacted for virtual interviews.
Bishop Museum’s Library & Archives stewards photography, music recordings, oral history interviews and other time-based media, art, books and manuscripts while undertaking collection movements related to capital improvement projects. This requires thorough collection inventories; database management and file updating; records reconciliation; close collaboration with curatorial staff members; collections digitization; careful documentation, handling and rehousing of collections; and the ability to co-develop plans with supervising Collection Manager. Fellow will report to the Library & Archives Collection Manager, and with their guidance, conduct oral history sessions with community members and/or Museum staff members to connect community-held knowledge about the collection with the items being stewarded. This fellow will be fully integrated into the day-to-day life of Collections Management in the Library & Archives Division. This fellow must be comfortable working with their hands and experienced at handling significant collection pieces with care.
Fellowship Position Requirements
- Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in a museum or cultural heritage stewardship, an artistic practice, or related field
- Security background check for finalist
- Ability to and experience working with Pacific Islander communities
- Relevant knowledge and experience related to the different fellowship positions described above
Professional Knowledge and Experience Requirements
- Professional knowledge of the history, intellectual discourse, and practice of art, history, archaeology, and/or culture of the Pacific
- Knowledge of research tools and methodology as it pertains to your fellowship area
- Specialization in the areas of focus described in the fellowship description is preferred
- Understanding of museum principles, practices, and procedures
- Cultural competence in Indigenous Pacific culture(s)
- Appreciation for Pacific languages
- Experience in building relationships with museum colleagues, audiences, living artists, and cultural practitioners is preferred
Skills and Abilities Requirements
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
- Commitment to audience accessibility, dignity for all people, and diversity awareness
- Collegiality, diplomacy, interpersonal effectiveness, and flexibility
- Demonstrated ability to complete projects within deadlines
- Diligence in maintaining high ethical standards, confidentiality, and discretion
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team player
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Bishop Museum staff and partner organizations. Please do not contact Bishop Museum curators or other officials directly regarding possible placement or projects. With questions, please write to healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org and title the subject of your email: Last Name, First Name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship QUESTION.
Virtual Interviews
Finalists for the Te Rangi Hīroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship will be contacted for virtual interviews.
This fellow reports to the Director of Cultural Resources, and Curator for Hawaiʻi and Pacific Arts and Culture to support an exhibition and accompanying catalog, and will conduct oral history sessions with artists who are featured in the exhibition. This person will provide administrative support working with curators, copyeditors, catalog contributors, and artists. This person will attend exhibition planning meetings via zoom or teams, update and edit checklists as needed to reflect exhibition development, and author brief artist bios for the exhibition catalog. This fellow must have a strong working knowledge of Pacific literature, be detail oriented, able to accept feedback on written material for edit revision, able to work on tight timelines under pressure, and able to multi-task.
Fellowship Position Requirements
- Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in a museum or cultural heritage stewardship, an artistic practice, or related field
- Security background check for finalist
- Ability to and experience working with Pacific Islander communities
- Relevant knowledge and experience related to the different fellowship positions described above
Professional Knowledge and Experience Requirements
- Professional knowledge of the history, intellectual discourse, and practice of art, history, archaeology, and/or culture of the Pacific
- Knowledge of research tools and methodology as it pertains to your fellowship area
- Specialization in the areas of focus described in the fellowship description is preferred
- Understanding of museum principles, practices, and procedures
- Cultural competence in Indigenous Pacific culture(s)
- Appreciation for Pacific languages
- Experience in building relationships with museum colleagues, audiences, living artists, and cultural practitioners is preferred
Skills and Abilities Requirements
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
- Commitment to audience accessibility, dignity for all people, and diversity awareness
- Collegiality, diplomacy, interpersonal effectiveness, and flexibility
- Demonstrated ability to complete projects within deadlines
- Diligence in maintaining high ethical standards, confidentiality, and discretion
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team player
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Bishop Museum staff and partner organizations. Please do not contact Bishop Museum curators or other officials directly regarding possible placement or projects. With questions, please write to healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org and title the subject of your email: Last Name, First Name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship QUESTION.
Virtual Interviews
Finalists for the Te Rangi Hīroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship will be contacted for virtual interviews.
Fellowship Details
The fellow must be in residence at Bishop Museum during the fellowship period, which lasts nine-months with the ability to renew for a second term. A low-residency option is available for inter-island Hawaiʻi residents and Pacific Island residents living outside of Oʻahu. Low-residency fellows must be able to juggle remote-work with on-site extended visits to Bishop Museum through the duration of the fellowship.
Consideration is given to candidates working in fields represented by the Museum’s permanent collection of Hawaiʻi and Pacific cultural resources and Library & Archives including art, ethnology, archaeology, as well as candidates with specialization focused on Oceanic material culture, history, art and/or art history, Indigenous archaeology, music and dance, Indigenous literary arts, political and social movements of the Pacific, and collections stewardship. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. This is an international program. With questions, please write to healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org and title the subject of your email: Last Name, First Name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship QUESTION.
The fellow will receive a stipend of $45,000. The stipend is not wages and is not compensation for employment services. Fellows are solely responsible for determining and satisfying any tax obligations and are encouraged to consult a qualified tax advisor regarding the tax treatment of stipend payments.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for the Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, or any other protected status.
By the date below, all application materials must be submitted as PDF attachments, by email to: healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org. We do not accept applications or related materials via postal mail or in person. There is no fee to apply for this fellowship.
The application requires you to provide the following in PDF format:
- Cover letter
- Full curriculum vitae of education, professional experience, honors, awards, and publications
- A statement, not to exceed 700 words: explain your reasons for applying, and specify your areas of specialization and the relationship of your expertise to the Museum’s collection and proposed fellowship focus areas
- Copy of a published paper or recent writing sample if applying to the Hawaiʻi and Pacific Arts and Cultures Curatorial Fellowship Fellow
Submit all application materials in PDF to the following Bishop Museum email address: healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org by April 24, at 11:59 p.m. (HST). Please title the subject of your email: Last Name, First name. Te Rangi Hīroa Fellowship Application.
Questions?
Healoha Johnston, Director of Cultural Resources and Curator for Hawaiʻi and Pacific Arts and Culture at Bishop Museum
Email: healoha.johnston@bishopmuseum.org
1525 Bernice Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Questions?
Email: maricel.barroga@bishopmuseum.org
HR/Volunteer Department
1525 Bernice Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
The Human Resources and Volunteer Department has office hours Monday through Friday. We are closed over the weekend and during administrative holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Be a Part of Our Story
Celebrate the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific with a gift to Bishop Museum. As a partner in the Museum’s work, you can help to sustain vital collections, research, and knowledge, and inspire exploration and discovery with a tax-deductible donation.