Research Associate, Community Engagement and Programming at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Job Title: Research Associate, Community Engagement and Programming

Job Status: Full-time

Location: New York, NY

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 Ancient Near Eastern Art (ANE), in collaboration with Greek and Roman Art, is working on a capital project to reimagine the stories and renovate the spaces that present the permanent collections of these two departments to the public. The ANE Department is responsible for a collection of more than 7,000 archaeological and historic works of art ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. and encompassing a geographical area that includes Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia.

The Research Associate will be a key member of the curatorial team and will focus on the ANE Department’s collaborations and relationships with West Asian diaspora communities, whose heritage is represented in the collections of the Department. The Research Associate will help the curatorial team develop constructive and meaningful ways for heritage communities to connect with the collection, and to explore and strengthen their ties with the deep history of West Asia, thus making space for the complex, shifting legacies of cultural inheritance to be reflected in the permanent galleries. Building on previous work and existing partnerships, and working closely with curatorial staff, the Research Associate will help develop a partnership structure that will allow ANE staff to maintain mutually beneficial and generative connections over the long term with diaspora communities.

The Research Associate will also begin establishing guidelines for community curation, which will bring knowledge and narratives from community members into dialogue with existing curatorial approaches. Working closely with ANE, and with staff in The Met’s Education and LiveArts Departments, they will start to identify possibilities for performances and commissions, connecting with artists in the visual and performing arts fields, as well as poets and writers, to activate the galleries and collection. These performances and commissions can be sited anywhere in the renovated galleries but are particularly relevant to an innovative and dynamic space in the renovated galleries which is being designed to be used for events and workshops, and which will also house a series of rotating micro-exhibitions.

The Research Associate will play an important role in determining the programming of this space and the cadence of rotations, together with ANE staff. We welcome applicants who share the goal of transforming museum practices and spaces toward greater openness and relevance.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

  • Coordinate with local heritage communities, building on existing partnerships within ANE; identify and develop relationships with local and/or national organizations that share a commitment to the ancient heritage of Western Asia
  • Develop a framework for maintaining partnerships and showcasing community connections and knowledge; define success metrics and report progress to internal Met stakeholders on a quarterly basis
  • Start to develop programming for renovated galleries, together with Met LiveArts and Met Education Departments; liaise with Met LiveArts and Met Education Departments
  • Work with curators and collections staff to lay the groundwork for community curation of rotating exhibition space
  • Explore opportunities for sharing outcomes of ANE’s community-based work with Met staff internally
  • Build a detailed archive of the year’s work
  • Other related duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, sincerely held religious belief, or pregnancy, or because you are a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sex offenses).

Experience and Skills:

  • 2-3 years of experience in community relations and/or organizing work, preferably at the intersection of immigrant/diaspora communities and the arts; demonstrated success in building relationships between organizations
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to plan, lead, and facilitate productive and efficient meetings with multiple constituencies
  • Strong research and organizational skills, and experience with coordination of complex projects
  • Ability to work efficiently, both independently and as part of a collaborative team

Knowledge and Education:

  • BA in related field or equivalent experience Required
  • Computer skills including facility with Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, and social media platforms
  • Fluency in at least one of the modern languages of West Asia

Compensation Range:

  • Pay Range: $34.00 – $36.00/hour
  • 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.

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:

Apply via LinkedIn

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.