Collections Specialist, Object Storage (End-Dated) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Job Title: Collections Specialist, Object Storage
Job Status: Full-time, end-dated
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $75,000 to $80,000
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.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
The Department of Asian Art is working on a capital project to renovate and reorganize two art storerooms. The collection of Asian Art comprises more than 36,000 objects, including painting, works on paper, sculpture, decorative art, and metalwork, of which, 9,000 are stored in the two affected storerooms. The project requires a complete reassessment of art storage housing and needs, with a significant amount of assessment and rehousing prior to the start of art movement to a temporary art storage location prior to construction.
As the Collections Specialist, Object Storage you will be a key member of the collections team reporting to a Collections Manager and working closely with the department’s Senior Manager, collections managers, conservators, art handlers, and other Met staff to assess and rehouse the art stored in these storerooms during the enabling work and during the renovation of the storerooms.
This position requires a high degree of knowledge of collections care, particularly the evaluation and construction of collection storage and housing, art handling and movement, as well as the ability to work closely with other team members.
This is a position with an established end-date or time frame. Time frames will begin upon hire: 1 Year
Please include a portfolio or photo examples of art rehousing or comparable work you have independently completed with your application.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
- Plans and implements the fabrication of new storage housing under the guidance of the collections team and conservators.
- Assists with support and protection for all artworks during transportation and in storage.
- Work with team to develop a plan for the movement of artworks to a temporary art storage location onsite during the enabling phase for the storeroom refurbishments, as well as for the layout of collection within new storeroom footprint.
- Works with art handlers to assist in the move to temporary storage location.
- Monitors and updates 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.
- Photographs objects for documentary purposes and performs basic post-production on images for upload to the NetX Digital Asset Management System.
- Will be required to work and oversee teams in multiple locations.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:
- BA degree required; MA in Museum Studies, Conservation or Collections Management preferred. Significant experience with rehousing museum collections will be considered in lieu of MA.
- Minimum 3 years working with fine art collections in a storage setting required, preferably in a museum setting.
- Excellent hand skills, attention to detail, and ability to produce consistent results.
- 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 create storage supports and containers for 3-dimensional works of art required.
- Ability to work independently and in collaboration/coordination with collections, conservation, curatorial, and administrative staff.
- Basic documentary photography skills.
- Ability to lift and move up to 50 pounds, work on ladders and in awkward spaces.
- Excellent organizational, management, and communication skills required.
- Proactive task management required.
- Familiarity with the following software preferred: collection management software with a strong preference for TMS, Adobe Suite, Photoshop and Microsoft Office Suite.
COMPENSATION RANGE:
- Pay Range: $75,000.00 – $80,000.00 / 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 apply through the Met Careers site.
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.