A professional who directs and coordinates activities of workers engaged in operating exhibiting institution, such as museum, botanical garden, arboretum, art gallery, herbarium, or zoo. Responsibilities include:

• Directs activities concerned with instructional, acquisition, exhibitory, safekeeping, research, and public service objectives of institution.
• Assists in formulating and interpreting administrative policies of institution.
• Formulates plans for special research projects.
• Oversees curatorial, personnel, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff.
• Administers affairs of institution by corresponding and negotiating with administrators of other institutions to obtain exchange of loan collections or to exchange information or data, maintaining inventories, preparing budget, representing institution at scientific or association conferences, soliciting support for institution, and interviewing and hiring personnel.
• Obtains, develops, and organizes new collections to expand and improve educational and research facilities.
• Writes articles for publication in scientific journals.
• Consults with board of directors and professional personnel to plan and implement acquisitional, research, display and public service activities of institution.
• May participate in research activities.
• May be designated according to field of specialization as Curator, Art Gallery; Curator, Herbarium; Curator, Horticultural Museum; Curator, Medical Museum; Curator, Natural History Museum; Curator, Zoological Museum; Director, Industrial Museum.