Associate Collections Manager at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Job Title: Associate Collections Manager
Job Status: Full-time
About The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
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. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.
Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world.
At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity.
Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always.
Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued.
Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission.
Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity.
Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
The Associate Collections Manager works as a member of the Collections Management team within the Department of Photographs. The role is responsible for day-to-day departmental tasks concerning the permanent collection, with primary responsibility for organization, storage, and care of the collection, managing outgoing and interdepartmental loans, ordering collection photography, and database management and maintenance. Duties include managing loan paperwork and correspondence; maintaining and updating TMS records; coordinating requests for photography and conservation of permanent collection objects; and related responsibilities, as assigned.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
- Manage organization, storage, and care of the collection including, but not limited to, disaster preparedness planning, offsite storage, and inventory
- Manage collection metadata; create and maintain object records in The Museum System (TMS)
- Manage all outgoing and interdepartmental museum loans
- Create and maintain loan records in TMS as well as electronic and paper loan files
- Review and update object records in TMS as necessary, including exhibition history, bibliography entries, provenance, and object media
- Process orders for object photography and conservation
- Review and update cataloging procedures with Collections Management team and Registrar
- Assist with Study Room visitors and respond to collection inquiries
- Maintain object media rights and review reproduction requests with Rights and Permissions
- Serve as departmental contact person for the Joyce F. Menschel Photography Library
- Travel as courier with departmental loans
- Related responsibilities as assigned
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:
- Three to five years collections care experience preferred, preferably in a museum or cultural institution
- Fluency with The Museum System (TMS) or other collections management system
- Demonstrated ability as a competent, detail-oriented, proactive professional with the ability to work well under deadlines, problem solve independently, and work within a team
- Strong knowledge of photographic processes, preservation, housing materials, and storage solutions
- Strong knowledge of time-based media practice, preservation, and storage
- Strong knowledge of museum registration practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent organizational, proofreading, and analytical skills
- Fluency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Familiarity with management systems such as Workday and JIRA strongly preferred
- Ability to lift boxes weighing up to 40 pounds
Knowledge and Education:
- Master’s degree in collections management, museum studies, art history, or similar field preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in art, art history, or related field required, emphasis on photographic practice or history preferred
- Strong knowledge of the history of photography
- Strong knowledge of time-based media
Benefits Offerings
The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
- 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
- Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
- Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
- Free financial-planning services
- Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
- 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
- A subsidized staff cafeteria
- Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
To Apply:
Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.
The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact benefits@metmuseum.org.
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.