Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin is interviewing candidates for three key jobs as the museum moves to strengthen its collections-related staffing.
The three positions to be filled are collections and research director, conservation manager and Maori curator.
Dr Griffin said he was already interviewing 10 candidates from a ''very high calibre field'' for the collections and research post.
Applications had been received from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, museum marketing and development director Caroline Cook said.
There had also been strong interest in the other two jobs, with more than 50 people applying for each.
It was hoped to announce the successful applicants in coming weeks and for the positions to be filled within the next two to three months.
Dr Griffin told a recent Otago Museum Trust Board meeting the museum had previously ''underinvested in its collection for decades'', and collections-related staffing would be strengthened.
Ms Cook said safeguarding and managing the collections were ''critical'' for the museum's future.
