Collections Intern

Summary

The International Spy Museum is a private nonprofit museum dedicated to educating the public about the world of espionage and intelligence through exhibits, educational programs, special events, and public outreach. Our Exhibitions and Collections department seeks a fall intern to assist with management of our world-class collection.

The Collections Intern will work closely with the Collections Manager and Collections Specialist to improve physical and intellectual access to the Museum’s permanent and loaned collections. This entails assisting with cataloging, inventorying, and digitizing a variety of collections, including artifacts, photographs, and archival material in the existing collection.

Responsibilities (Subject to Adjustment by Mutual Agreement)

Working closely with the Collections Manager and Collections Specialist, this work will focus on the following projects and deliverables (with the understanding that these ongoing projects may not be finished before the internship ends):

Collections Inventory

· Physical inventory, with updates to our Collections Management System (PastPerfect)

· Assist with artifact rehousing

· Provenance research

· Assist with artifact photography

· Improve and update catalog information for both new and existing records

Exhibit Maintenance

· Assist with artifact rotations in the permanent exhibit

· Assist with artifact care in the permanent exhibit

Education Requirement

· This internship is open to anyone currently pursuing their post-secondary pathway, including undergraduates, graduate students, and persons seeking a professional certificate or an associate degree. Students pursuing, or planning to pursue, a Museum Studies degree are strongly encouraged to apply.

Our Ideal Candidate Will Identify as:

· Detail-oriented, organized, and interested in problem-solving.

· Familiar with the basics of museum registration methods.

· Dependable, responsible, and self-motivated.

· Professional and approaches challenges with a positive attitude.

· An effective communicator who enjoys working in a team environment but can also easily tackle independent projects.

Hours and Compensation*

· 2025 Fall Internship

o Up to 240 hours over 10-12 weeks beginning approximately September 2, 2025.

o Weekly hours and schedule will be determined based on department needs and the students’ academic/work schedule.

· This is a paid internship with a DC hourly minimum wage of $17.95 per hour.

· The internship does not entitle, nor guarantee, the intern employment at the conclusion of the internship.

· The International Spy Museum offers academic credit for this internship. The Museum will work with the intern to design a viable project if necessary, and to complete all necessary forms to receive credit, but the intern is responsible for making all appropriate arrangements with their school.

· This is an in-person internship located in Washington, DC.

How to apply: To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to spymuseum.org/about/careers by Thursday, July 10, 2025. We recommend creating an account to access your application at a later date. Contact internships@spymuseum.org with any questions or help with attachments.