Administrative Assistant, Curatorial

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Job category: Curatorial
Requisition number: ADMIN001164

Posted: 17 November 2021
Full-time

Description
Administrative Assistants will work as a collaborative to support museum wide curatorial operations. Working in conjunction with and under the direct supervision of the Curatorial Administrator, Administrative Assistants will perform the following primary duties and responsibilities, while continuing to assist specific curatorial departments with administrative tasks and needs.

Responsibilities:

Curatorial Administration Team (Pool Responsibilities):

Meetings (departmental and subcommittee) – assist with the following as needed or requested:

Set up & logistics (catering, reservations, notices/RSVPs, work requests)
Compiling, printing, and circulating materials / Board Effect
Compiling art purchase packets & coordinating approvals/signatures
EMS reservations – includes related logistical work orders for AV & B&G
Recording minutes and minute summaries
Assist curators in preparation for curatorial meetings (monthly) and collections committee meetings (quarterly)

Purchase orders
Travel requisitions and arrangements
Expense reports

General

Ordering supplies
Drafting misc. documents and presentations, editing PDFs
Correspondence and mailings
Reception/fielding queries
Non staff travel (approvals, forms, hotel requests, etc.)
This job description is not intended to be all inclusive.
Administrative Assistants may also perform other duties as required.

For clarity, these administrative duties and responsibilities list below will generally be assigned as follows:

Curatorial Assistants –

TMS requests & reports (movement, conservation, etc.)
Input curators’ write ups from word to TMS
Calendar management
Logistics and requests related to exhibitions and/or events involving B&G, AV, Preparations or Exhibitions departments

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

Strong administrative support AND computer programs (typing, spreadsheet, note taking, WORD, EXCEL, etc) proficiencies;
Combined with exceptional research skills
Must be able to take detailed meeting notes and produce accurate, well-written minutes
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail required
Must have strong communication skills and be able to interact with diverse groups of people
Ability to support museum mission and goals, act as museum representative in a professional and ethical manner.
Must be diplomatic, exercise discretion in dealing with confidential information about the collections, and be organized and efficient in managing time-sensitive deadlines
Ability to interact tactfully with board members, volunteers, and membership.
Ability to interact within a team environment and with other museum departments.
Ability to respect and maintain professional confidentiality.
Competent to work in basic curatorial functions
Must be able to attend evening meetings at museum as needed

Education and Experience:

Minimum 3-5 years administrative support experience
Bachelor’s degree in related field OR an equivalent combination of experience and education from which comparable and demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved

Preferred:

Degree in Art History or related fields;
Familiarity with TMS
1-3 years museum curatorial experience
Foreign language fluency

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Work will be performed in varied and wide-ranging indoor environments and conditions. Physical demands are minimal but may vary. Should be able to lift up to 25 pounds in tandem with colleagues. Work may involve extended sitting and computer use. Evening and weekend work may be required based upon exhibition schedule.

Regular attendance on campus required with intermittent telework options available.

The MFAH has extensive COVID mitigation protocols in place to provide for a safe working environment, including:

Face coverings required for staff at all times in public settings;
Plexiglas partitions for staff members who do not work in offices;
Temperature checks for staff at entrances;
Onsite COVID testing for staff who work in close contact with colleagues or visitors;

More About The Organization:

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston functions as an integrated visual arts experience centered in one of the nation’s great cities. Counted amongst North America’s largest museums, MFAH has permanent collections spanning more than 6,000 years of history with an encyclopedic collection of more than 65,000 works of art and a wide range of media from six continents. The main campus encompasses 14 acres in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, with buildings contributed by world-renowned architects housing permanent collections; 450,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibition spaces; a variety of horticultural features and visually stunning gardens, fountains and outdoor exhibition areas; restaurants and arts-themed retail shops; school, classrooms, research and lecture hall facilities; archives, libraries and conservation facilities; and administrative offices. During most of the transformative Campus Redevelopment that has been in process since 2012, annual attendance reached a high of 1.25 million despite significant construction.

Houston stands among America’s largest cities by population and area, is diverse racially and ethnically, and is an economic powerhouse with a very strong arts ecosystem that attracts over 7 million visitors alone to the Museum District where MFAH is centered. MFAH employs over 600 staff members funded solely by MFAH. 400 docents support the educational mission, and 1,500 volunteers support a broad range of MFAH activities.

Work and Culture at the MFAH – Benefits Offered

Medical, Vision and Dental Insurance,
Life and Long Term Disability Insurance,
MFAH Retirement Savings Plan (403b),
Flexible Spending Plans,
Paid Time Off, Reserve Time Off, Volunteer Time Off, Holiday Pay,
Museum Membership and Discounts

Equal Opportunities for All

At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston we believe that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusivity are fundamental to our organization. We welcome all candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our organization and to our pledge for workplace diversity, inclusion, and excellence.

Our commitment to our policy and practice of nondiscrimination represents more than good intentions. It provides for employment decisions that are made without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law or any other reason unrelated to your ability to join and contribute to our organization and support our mission to provide a museum experience for all.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is equally committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals interested in employment with the organization. As part of this commitment, we want to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation needed to 1) participate in the job application or 2) interview process; 3) perform essential job functions; and/or 4) participate in the benefits and privileges of employment with the MFAH. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the human resources department: HR@mfah.org