Senior Collections Manager

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About the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.
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. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.

About the Department
Founded in 1924, the American Wing is the only western collecting area of The Met’s seventeen curatorial departments to regularly blend so-called fine and decorative art in our more than 75 galleries. With a collection of roughly 20,000 works by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American makers—ranging primarily from the mid- 17th to early-20th century—the American Wing represents one of the largest and most comprehensive holdings of North American artistic expression in the world. These collections include paintings, sculpture, drawings, furniture, textiles, regalia, ceramics, basketry, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, as well as historic interiors and architectural fragments, produced by highly trained and self-taught artists—both identified and unrecorded—adding up to an expansively defined American art housed within a global museum.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
Working closely with American Wing Curators, the Senior Collections Manager is responsible for the ongoing, day-to-day care of the permanent collection of one of the Museum’s largest, most active, and most diverse curatorial departments. In this capacity, the Senior Collections Manager facilitates activities in the galleries and storerooms, executing best practices in collections care and overseeing the department’s Technicians, Collections Management Associate, and Collections Management Assistant. The Senior Collections Manager will also create and enforce a policy for the maintenance of all files directly related to the permanent collection, both hard copy and digital.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Oversee physical care of objects and art movement, supervise collections staff, and—in consultation with curatorial and conservation staff—oversee the documentation and best practices for cleaning, storage, and handling of American Wing collection
Manage scheduling and coordination of departmental installations, exhibitions, and rotations; liaise with Exhibitions, Registrars, Buildings, and other related departments
Oversee space allocation, organization, maintenance, and environmental conditions in all storage areas of American Wing
Document and review American Wing standards for collections-related analog recordkeeping
Document, oversee, and enforce digital recordkeeping to meet Museum-wide standards, while working in close collaboration with American Wing staff to ensure accuracy and consistency of database records and website content
Conduct annual inventory, both digital and physical, and issue annual report to Director’s Office
Oversee Integrated Pest Management in galleries and storage areas
Support the evaluation, documentation, and repatriation processes of Native American collection items according to the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
Liaise with Collections Information and Collections Care committees, advocating for departmental interests; keep curators informed of Museum’s latest policies related to object care
Advise and assist curators with all department-initiated digital projects
Co-manage, with Senior Administrator, all in-gallery projects and events
Other related duties

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).

Skills and Knowledge:

Excellent organizational, time-management, and communication skills, and ability to represent department Museum-wide
Ability to collaborate, multitask, and problem-solve with flexibility
Advanced knowledge of TMS and Crystal Reports required, knowledge of SQL preferred
Knowledge of digital-imaging equipment and software required
Proficiency in computer applications, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Photoshop, and XML required
Knowledge of art handling, gallery and storage materials and supports required
Management experience required
Familiarity with NAGPRA preferred
Knowledge of AAM or CCI standards for collections care preferred

Education and Experience:

College degree with background in American art required
5+ experience in Collections Management role in museum environment required

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.