Associate for Administration- Asian Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Job Title: Admin Associate

Job Status: Full-time

Description:

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

The Department of Asian Art is one of The Met’s most active curatorial departments with a large curatorial and conservation staff responsible for studying, displaying, and creating access to the over 36,000 objects in its collection. The Associate for Administration plays an integral role in executing and coordinating the daily tasks necessary for the smooth operations of the Department. S/he is responsible for performing a range of clerical and administrative tasks, including general office and departmental administration, external communications, supporting the department’s purchases, and coordinating staff travel.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

General Administration

• Assist department of 10 curator and five conservators with office tasks, mailings, and general communications as needed.

• Draft routine correspondence and facilitate domestic and international mailings; provide support to Mailing Services to facilitate bulk mailings; Arrange for courier services; sort and distribute mail.

• Serve as Workday Timekeeper for Asian Art staff; submit requests for time off on behalf of curatorial and conservation staff.

• Answer/direct all incoming telephone calls (with other department administration)

• Maintain Travel, Annual Leave, and Sick Leave Calendar.

• With Visitor Services, facilitate private group tours with Curators.

• Coordinate answers to public inquiries with the department’s volunteers; provide training and guidance for office volunteers.

• Coordinate requests for high-resolution images and scans.

• As Security Office Monitor, schedule fire drills and maintain emergency equipment for the department.

• Welcome and escort visitors to the Department.

• Oversee troubleshooting and assist Curators in resolving office equipment and computer issues.

• Liaison for departmental Fellows, Visiting Research Scholars, Interns, and Volunteers.

• Other duties as assigned.

Procurement

• Act as Procurement Ambassador for the department

• Process requests for payment for vendors and independent contractors

• Checks monthly purchase statements; reports any discrepancies

• Create and facilitate all requisitions, supplier invoices, and P-Card purchases and verifications.

• Process requests for payment for vendors and independent contractors.

• Work with Curators and Conservators to create Purchase Orders for large, specialty orders.

• Arrange international importation of conservation materials from Asia; coordinate shipping logistics and customs paperwork on behalf of the Asian Art Conservation team.

• Order all office equipment/supplies and Technician supplies.

• Liaise with the Procurement Department; allocate monthly P-card statements.

Travel

• Track curatorial spending for Whitney curatorial travel fund.

• Prepare and submit travel Spend Authorizations in Workday for the curatorial and conservation staff.

• Submit expense reports for curatorial and conservation staff, following T&E guidelines.

• Work with Amex Travel on flight arrangements for all curatorial and conservation travel both in the US as well as in Asia, including complex itineraries lasting up to one month.

• Secure travel and hotel accommodations for curatorial and conservation staff.

• Assist Department Senior Manager with organization of travel budgets for special exhibitions.

• Assist with Visiting Delegations for special exhibitions and coordinate international travel for large groups and individual vendors, scholars, and artists—including arranging airfare, ground transportation, hotel, and per diem.

Communications and Events

• Compile list of curatorial publications for Museum’s Annual Report, following Museum’s guidelines for editorial standards and style.

• Maintain departmental social media calendar.

• Serve as Department liaison for Social Media / Communications to collate images, captions information, etc. for scheduled posts.

• Assist with Friends of Asian Art events and bi-annual Visiting Committee Meetings.

• Assist with large department events.

• Coordinate all Ikebana and Tea Ceremony demonstrations.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, sincerely held religious belief, or pregnancy, or because you are a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sex offenses).

Experience and Skills: 

• Minimum of 1-2 years professional administrative experience required, preferably in a museum or cultural institution;

• Demonstrated ability as a competent, detail-oriented, discreet, proactive administrator with the ability to work well under pressure, meet deadlines, problem-solve independently, and work within a team;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including professional telephone manner;

• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to manage time and multitask;

• Excellent computer skills.

Knowledge and Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required, MA preferred;

• Fluency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required;

• Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of Asian art preferred;

• Fluency with project management systems, such as Workday and JIRA, strongly preferred;

• Proficiency with TMS or other museum database systems preferred.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. 

TO APPLY: