Collections Manager, Registrar – Modern & Contemporary at The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Museum Studies

Job Title: Collections Manager, Registrar – Modern & Contemporary

Job Status: Full-time, end dated

Location: New York, NY

Salary: $80,000 to $90,000

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.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

The Modern and Contemporary Art department at The Met is devoted to the study, collection and exhibition of art from 1890 to the present. An era marked by seismic cultural, social and political shifts across the globe, artistic responses to these changes have shaped multiple modernities and diverse contemporary practices. The department is committed to foregrounding the interconnected and richly variegated narratives and experiences that inform the art of this period from around the world.

Historically focused on the art of Western Europe and North America, since 2012 Modern and Contemporary Art has greatly expanded and diversified its collections, especially through works by women and artists of color, with particular emphasis on acquisitions from Latin America, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and African diasporas. Today, its holdings span a range of media, including paintings, sculpture, works on paper, design, decorative arts, and time-based media. The department presents rotating selections from its dynamic collections in its galleries and special projects throughout the museum.

The Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, is working on a capital project to completely design and build the new Tang Wing. The collection of modern and contemporary art comprises more than 12,000 objects, including painting, works on paper, sculpture, decorative art, and time-based media, most of which is presently located on site. The project requires a complete assessment of the permanent collection that is both on display and in onsite storage, for movement to offsite storage in advance of construction for the Tang Wing.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

You will be a key member of the collections team working closely with the department’s Senior Manager, Chief Registrar, the Collections Managers and other Met staff in all activities related to the care of and assessment of the collection during the enabling work and renovation of the Tang Wing. You will help manage and coordinate the packing and movement of art. You will lead a team of Collection Specialist, Registrars.

This is a 2 year end dated position.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Lead the team coordinating the transfer of artwork to/from the Museum including the organization of packing and crating with emphasis on documentation.
Work with the collections team and registrar department to continue developing a plan for the movement of artworks on and offsite during the enabling phase for the new Tang Wing.
Coordinate and work with contract staff hired to assist in the assessment of the collection and the move offsite.
Lead the Collection Specialist, Registrar team to facilitate the flow of information.
Work with Senior Manager and other departments to track the budget for the move offsite and move back to The Met Fifth Avenue.
Lead the collections team in setting up storage locations and outfitting storage spaces.
Monitor and update collection-move data, such as dimensions, locations, components, etc., into The Museum System (TMS), collection management software working with other members of the Collections Team.
Compile and maintain collections documentation associated to the project, both digitally and in physical files.
Track costs around art movement, packing and crating.
Supervises the Collection Specialist, Registrars.
Coordinate the packing and rehousing of collection works.
Will be required to work in multiple locations.
Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

BA degree required; MA in Museum Studies or Collections Management preferred.
5 years working with museum collections preferred.
This position will require a high degree of project management experience, organizational coordination, knowledge of collections care, as well as art handling and movement, the ability to work closely with other team members.
Strong interpersonal skills required.
Collections Management database experience in TMS.
Excellent organizational, management, and communication skills required.
Intermediate knowledge of archival materials and best practices in collections care.
Formal or on-the-job training and experience in handling and moving 3-dimensional artworks required, familiarity with fragile composite objects preferred.
Demonstrated ability to adapt and produce high-level results on multiple projects with shifting priorities.
Ability to work independently and in collaboration/coordination with collections, conservation, curatorial, and administrative staff.
Proactive task management required.
Familiarity with the following software preferred: collection management software with a strong preference for TMS, Adobe Suite, and Microsoft Office Suite.

COMPENSATION RANGE:

Pay Range : $ 80,000 – $90,000 / Annually
The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

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

Please visit the Met Museum career page

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.