Assistant Registrar
The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City. It serves the people of New York and visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.
The Museum believes that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people including people of color, people of different socio-economic backgrounds, women, people with disabilities, people in the LGBTQ community and veterans, to name a few. We strongly believe as an organization in deconstructing barriers and building a team that authentically represents the diverse communities, and backgrounds of New York City. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized groups.
The Museum seeks an Assistant Registrar, to work directly with the Registrar in maintaining the intellectual control of both the City Museum's collections objects and those loaned to the Museum for exhibition. The position reports directly to the Registrar, and works closely with curators, exhibitions designers, and preparators.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Under the supervision of the Registrar, assist with intellectual and physical control and care of art objects including loans, collection objects, and courier needs in conjunction with a rigorous schedule of long-term and temporary exhibitions.
- Assist Registrar and independently manage all logistics for incoming loans, including the shipment of objects locally, domestically, and internationally.
- Assist Registrar and independently oversee exhibition installation, rotations, and deinstallation.
- Generate and maintain physical and digital documents such as loan agreements, condition repots, object receipts, and certificates of insurance.
- Assist Registrar with logistics for outgoing loans, including the shipment of collection objects locally, domestically, and internationally, including tracking all collections objects sent for conservation.
- Act as courier for outgoing loans, as needed (domestic and international travel required at times).
- Work in concert with appropriate staff to contribute to the ongoing process of cataloguing and rehousing collection objects and incoming acquisitions.
- Assist Registrar with collections conservation, including oversight of budgets and payment of invoices.
- Act as collection liaison at the off-site facility for both in-house curatorial access to objects for exhibition planning, reviewing and vetting exhibition checklists, evaluating condition as necessary, as well as for external inquiries as deemed appropriate by the Director of Collections.
- Assist Registrar as needed with all aspects of the off-site storage facility, including monitoring climate conditions and warehouse activity, and work with Facilities to maintain appropriate conditions as needed.
- Schedule and oversee contract workers, such as art handlers, for special projects.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Master's degree in museum studies with a specialty in collections administration, or equivalent museum collections experience.
- A minimum of three years of experience in an art or history museum is required, along with demonstrated knowledge of collections care and management.
- The ability to coordinate and manage multiple, often complicated, concurrent projects.
- Demonstrated attention to detail.
- The ability to develop, implement, and track project and departmental budgets.
- Strong understanding of proper documentation for acquisitions, collections objects, loans, and other administrative functions.
- Knowledge of appropriate care, handling, and storage for a wide range of formats.
Benefits
The position offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, life insurance, 401K and pension plan, short and long-term disability. Voluntary critical illness, accident insurance, legal services, pet insurance, and Employee Assistance Program. The Museum has a generous paid time off policy including 12 sick days per year, vacation and 12 holidays.
Your employment relationship with the Museum qualifies you for free or discounted admissions to other participating cultural institutions.
Working Conditions and Physical requirements
While performing the essential functions of the job, the Assistant Registrar works onsite, with a flexible schedule. The Museum environment is fast-paced and in an open office plan setting and galleries.
In accordance with applicable law, as a term and condition of employment, all candidates must present full vaccination against COVID-19. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to Human Resources in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law.
While performing the essential functions of job, the individual must be able to remain stationary, standing in galleries during installation and de-installation for several hours at a time. The individual must be able to handle collection objects and visually inspect objects and images with fine attention to detail. Individual is regularly required to climb ladders, bend, stoop, kneel, lift up to 40 lbs. unassisted, and up to 75lbs. with assistance. Individual must be able to work with power tools such as a pallet jack, power drill and work in varying light conditions.
Approximately 50% of the time may be spent in a stationary position in operating a computer.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The Museum of the City of New York is committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as New York City and the audiences who are curious about learning more about its history and engaging in contemporary urban issues. Our staff members are dedicated to working towards a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring city museum in the world.
The Museum of the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the museum provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without unlawful discrimination with respect to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identification or expression, marital status, military status or veteran, national origin, political association, political/personal convictions, predisposing genetic characteristics, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and style), religion (including attire, clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with religious requirements), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and transgender status), sexual orientation, socio-economic status, geographic location, philosophies, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws, in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off, and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. The museum complies with applicable state and local law governing nondiscrimination in employment which prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employees, applicants for employment or interns, as well as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, other individuals providing services in the workplace or their employees in every location in which the museum has facilities. The Museum is an AAP employer.