Job Summary

The Director of Collections Management is charged with overseeing the activities of the collections department and supervising its staff of nine, including collections manager, registrars, database manager, project manager, and art handlers. He/she will oversee the care of the New-York Historical Society’s museum collection, comprised of 70,000 paintings, sculpture, works on paper, decorative arts, and objects of material culture. The Director of Collections Management will supervise recordkeeping and tracking, ensure safe storage, handling, and transport, and direct proper maintenance of storage facilities on- and offsite. He/she will ensure the long-term preservation of the works in the collection while furthering their use as an active learning resource.

The Director of Collections Management will conduct his/her work in accordance with the museum’s official Collections Policy, adhering to the code of ethics advised by the American Alliance of Museums.

Responsibilities

Lead team of registrars coordinating in-house and traveling exhibitions and overseeing permanent collections
Supervise Collections Manager overseeing collections located in several offsite storage facilities

Oversee the Database Administrator administering TMS (The Museum System); ensure accuracy of data and adherence to data entry and style manual; and maximize use of TMS for all collection projects

Work with Assistant Project Manager for Collections to coordinate and direct the art handling team, and hire additional freelance art handlers and project registrars when necessary

Review N-YHS Collections Policy periodically to ensure it is up-to-date; 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

Review and refine general departmental policies and procedures, including those for outgoing loans

Work with Chief Conservator to establish object handling guidelines and ensure that all collections and curatorial staff are adequately trained and adhere to guidelines

Lead the museum staff’s monthly Acquisitions and Loans meeting; prepare summaries for quarterly meetings of the Board Collections Committee

Perform other reasonable duties as requested by the Museum Director.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

Education: M.A. in museum studies, art history, history, material culture or related field.

Experience: At least ten years’ experience in museum registration or collection management, with at least three years in a supervisory role; proficiency with TMS (The Museum System) collection management software.

Candidates must have strong leadership abilities, demonstrate excellent oral and written communication, and possess superior organizational skills.

For consideration please send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to hr1@nyhistory.org. In the subject line please reference the job title.  The New-York Historical Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Email Address: hr1@nyhistory.org