Research Assistant at The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Museum Studies

Job Title: Research Assistant

Job Status: Full-time, end-dated

Location: New York, NY

Salary: $31-$32/hour

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 James Van Der Zee Archive

In December 2021, The Met announced the establishment of the James Van Der Zee Archive at The Met, a collaborative initiative with the Studio Museum in Harlem to research, conserve, and provide full public access to the remarkable archive of photographer James Van Der Zee (1886–1983). The Archive comprises approximately 20,000 prints made in his lifetime, 30,000 negatives, studio equipment, and manuscript materials. The James Van Der Zee Archive is the third archive of an American photographer to be acquired and administered by the Department of Photographs at The Met—preceded by the archives of Walker Evans and Diane Arbus, which were acquired by the Museum in 1994 and 2007, respectively—and its first collaboration with a partner institution to safeguard the legacy of an individual artist.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

You will research, catalogue, and preserve materials in the James Van Der Zee Archive. You will bring art historical and cultural perspective to the cataloguing process, identifying associations among the work of Van Der Zee and his contemporaries and bring knowledge of the local, national, and global significance of people, places, and events depicted and make connections to the history of Harlem, New York City, and the U.S. You will assist the Van Der Zee Archive management team in the implementation and organization of the project and be responsible for liaising with internal and external contacts regarding preservation and digitization of Archive materials.

This is a 3 year end dated position.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Work as a member of the James Van Der Zee Archive processing team to implement the cataloguing and rehousing protocols for Archive materials, including photographs, negatives, equipment, library, and manuscript materials.
Create and maintain object records in The Museum System (TMS).
Research people, places, and events represented in the Archive.
Assist with coordination of storage, photography, and conservation of Archive materials.
Assist the project manager and collections team in the implementation and organization of the project.
Liaise with internal and external contacts regarding preservation and digitization of Archive materials, including The Met’s Registrar, Imaging, and Photograph Conservation departments.
Assist with supervision of interns and volunteers working in the Archive.
Related responsibilities as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s degree in art history, museum studies, archives and collections management, African American studies, 20th Century U.S. history, or similar field preferred
Strong knowledge of photographic practice and/or history
General knowledge of 20th-century New York City history, including Harlem Renaissance
2 years cataloguing and research experience, preferably working with photographic archives in a museum or cultural collection
Fluency with The Museum System (TMS) or other collections management system preferred
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
General knowledge of photographic history and processes
General knowledge of New York City history
Written and verbal communication skills
Organizational, proofreading, and analytical skills
Fluency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Ability to lift boxes up to 40 pounds

COMPENSATION RANGE:

Pay Range : $31 – $32 / Hourly
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

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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.