Director of Collections at The New York Historical
Job Title: Director of Collections
Job Status: Full-time
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $125,000 – $145,000
ABOUT THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL
New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution documenting over 400 years of American history through a peerless collection of art, documents, and artifacts. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the Reiss Family Graduate Institute for Constitutional History, the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Center for Teaching Democracy, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better.
JOB SUMMARY
The Director of Collections manages the Collections Department, including the supervision of the Collections staff; care and preservation of museum’s permanent collection; and management of all incoming, outgoing, and long-term loans. Other responsibilities include oversight of the traveling exhibition program and the supervision of special Collections-related Museum projects.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES
-Oversee and manage Collections Department activities and staff, including registrars, art handlers, museum database administrator, museum conservator, and departmental interns.
-Manage the care and preservation of museum collection (70,000+ objects). This includes: Supervising packing, shipping, and long-term storage;
-Overseeing conservation by staff and contract conservators;
-Collaborating with security staff to ensure security of exhibition spaces and museum storage;
-Monitoring environmental conditions at the museum and storage facilities;
-Managing all off-site object storage facilities;
-Overseeing all fine arts insurance coverage;
-Ensuring compliance with and updates to Museum Collections policies and procedures;
-During construction of the new wing, managing the relocation and protection of collections;
-Responding to emergency situations affecting the collections;
-Oversee all registrarial work on incoming loans and outgoing loans, including loan agreements, insurance, packing, shipping, installation, and deinstallation;
-Serve as registrar for special long-term loans and several temporary exhibitions per year;
-Help to develop and track exhibition budgets in consultation with the Chief Curator, -Director of Exhibitions, Director of Museum Administration, and exhibition curators;
-With the registrarial team and in consultation with exhibition curators, lead the traveling exhibition program;
-Chair the staff Acquisitions & Loans Committee;
-Prepare summaries for meetings of the Board Collections Committee;
-Supervise special museum Collections projects;
-Collaborate with the Development department on Collections grant applications and grant management;
-Periodically review New York Historical Collections Policy to ensure it is up-to-date and propose changes as needed;
-Periodically review Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Response plan and establish procedures to make sure that collections staff is prepared for all types of emergencies;
-Undertake additional duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS
-MA in museum studies, art history, history, material culture or related field preferred;
-A minimum of ten years of increasing museum management experience including work in museum registration or collection management;
-Experience creating and managing exhibition budgets;
-Experience with TMS (The Museum System) collections management database;
-Superior management, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills;
-Prior experience and demonstrated skills leading teams, managing staff, as well as experience managing vendors and consultants;
-Collaborative, team-based approach and excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with staff throughout the organization as well as external stakeholders;
-Ability to handle multiple projects and tight deadlines;
-Ability to work well under pressure;
-Ability and comfort level to travel outside of New York City for traveling exhibitions.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee with or without accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
This is largely a sedentary role using a computer but may require standing for extended periods, lifting objects (up to 25lbs), opening filing cabinets and bending or stooping as necessary. The ability to travel to off-site storage facilities and lead tours through the museum and storage facilities is also required.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The expected salary range for this position is $125,000-$145,000. The successful candidate will be offered a salary within this range based on specific factors such as their individual qualifications, experience, and internal equity considerations.
The New York Historical provides a generous benefits package for eligible employees to support their health and wellbeing, which includes:
Paid time off, including vacation, sick and personal days, and holidays observed by the Museum;
Medical, dental, vision and life insurance;
Short and long-term disability coverage options;
403(b) retirement plan with eligibility for employer contributions following one year of full-time service;
Flexible spending accounts for health-related expenses, dependent care, and parking and transit expenses;
Employee Assistance Program for all employees and their families;
20% discount at the NYHistory Store;
Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions across the city.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
To ensure the overall health and safety of The New York Historical community, all newly hired employees of New York Historical are required to be fully-vaccinated with an FDA or WHO approved vaccine against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions for medical, religious, or other reasons in accordance with all applicable laws.
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 New York Historical is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
How To Apply
Preference will be given to applications received before Friday, December 20, 2024.