Coordinator of Collections (Prints, Drawing, and Photographs) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Job Title: Coordinator of Collections (Prints, Drawing, and Photographs) 

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Salary: $52,000

About the job

We Are Committed to an Inclusive Workplace

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we actively seek to employ a diverse group of people who embody our organizational values. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply, especially those from marginalized and underrepresented groups in the museum field, who are inspired by our shared purpose and enjoy working collaboratively with others.We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected status.

How You Will Contribute

The Coordinator of Collections works with and supports curatorial staff in the management, care, utilization, and development of the museum’s collection of 162,000 works on paper. Under the supervision of the head of the Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, and in close consultation with curators and other departmental staff, the Coordinator of the collection supervises a Collections Assistant and supports acquisitions, exhibitions, outgoing loans, incoming loans, deaccessions, object files, and database records.

Specifically, you will:

  • Be responsible for managing the department’s collection, including tracking, documenting, and securing all works on paper.
  • Work with, and oversee the work of, a collections assistant, by maintaining a comprehensive administrative overview of all collection-related tasks, including facilitating acquisitions, exhibitions, outgoing loans, incoming loans, and deaccessions.
  • Work closely with various staff across the organization to ensure that the works of art in the department are properly documented, photographed, and conserved when treatment is needed.
  • Manage PDP housing and storage and ensure that space is used in the most efficient manner. This includes ordering and maintaining storage and housing supplies; overseeing movement of art works to and from their home locations, consulting with curators, Paper Conservation, and Preparators; implementing occasional reorganizing plans; suggesting which works should be stored matted or framed; and ensuring that each work, folder, box, and frame are properly identified.
  • Coordinate object moves to and from galleries, storage areas, and conservation and create expects and change of location paperwork. When necessary, notify museum stakeholders of moves and any related work and update object locations in TMS when moves are complete.
  • Support curators, conservators, and registrars, and work with collections specialists from other curatorial departments, in the coordination and tracking of external and in-house loans. This work should be understood as encompassing every aspect of lending or borrowing an artwork, from the initial loan request to facilitating conservation examinations, framing, and loan treatments, providing object-specific information to lenders, assisting curators in establishing insurance values, completing outgoing and incoming condition reports, and coordinating the movement of objects through museum facilities. In TMS, record light exposure for all displayed works.
  • Facilitate incoming gifts and purchase considerations and manage accessioning and deaccessioning processes, including creating paper and digital object files, completing condition reports, arranging for conservation review of objects, assisting registrars and legal counsel with details of warranties and other paperwork, and sending out donor and artist questionnaires.
  • Oversee Acquisitions and Due Diligence worksheets.
  • Assist with appraisals by outside parties and arrange for photography of incoming objects.
  • Facilitate the preparation of Committee meetings. Using TMS, produce lists of new and potential acquisitions, gifts, and promised gifts and coordinate the display of works for committee meetings.
  • Monitor galleries to ensure appropriate light levels for works on papers and coordinate with lighting if necessary.
  • Provide support for exhibitions as needed, including work in the exhibition module of TMS, maintaining files with exhibition checklists and loan letters, and supporting curators in grant applications and other exhibition administration.
  • Advance the production, accuracy, and detail of digital cataloguing records and other materials related to objects in the collection. Using TMS and consulting with IIT when necessary, maintain cataloguing standards within the department and produce core catalog records for potential acquisitions and gifts. Consult closely with curators and Fellows and may advise Fellows on cataloguing procedures.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Your background and experience include:

  • A broad knowledge of museum practices in the related fields of registration, administration of loans, art handling, conservation, and exhibitions.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills, ability to prioritize projects and manage competing deadlines.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work successfully with others.
  • Minimum five years of experience with TMS.

Position And Compensation Details

  • The salary for this position is $52,000.
  • This position is full-time, exempt, and 35 hours per week.
  • This position reports to The Audrey and William H. Helf and Senior Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
  • Physical requirements:
    • Able to remain stationary for extended periods of time, to utilize computers and other office equipment required of this job, to perform physically administrative duties in a typical interior office environment, gallery, or exhibit space, and to access most public and staff areas of the museum campus
    • Able to regularly set up, adjust, and operate a computer/keyboard and other office equipment used to generate work/transmit data
    • Able to move items up to 10 pounds
  • COVID-19 vaccination required.
  • Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

Institutional Requirements

  • Upholds the professional standards of the field, always acts in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the museum, and protects and enhances its reputation and standing within the community of museums.
  • Adheres to the museum’s code of ethics and Employee Handbook and avoids any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
  • Shows respect for co-workers and visitors and an understanding of and appreciation for the diversity of the museum’s staff, volunteers, and audiences.
  • Maintains confidentiality.
  • Adheres to all museum protocols, procedures, rules, and policies.

Application Timeline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage candidates to apply early as the position will close once we have a robust applicant pool or a candidate has been selected.

What We Offer

Our employees are at the center of the museum. As an employee, you will have access to numerous museum perks including, but not limited to:

  • Free general admission to the museum for you and your immediate family
  • Discounted guest tickets for admission
  • Discounts on gift memberships
  • Special staff tours and presentations from our curatorial and conservation teams
  • Discounts at the museum restaurant, museum cafés, and museum retail and online stores

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for employees* including:

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits
  • Fully paid short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, and life insurance
  • Health savings or flexible spending account program
  • Retirement savings program with museum match
  • Paid vacation, personal days, sick days, and holidays
  • Eligibility for certain benefits is based on a variety of factors including the employee’s regular schedule and tenure.

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