Associate Curator [Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY]

OVERVIEW: An opportunity to serve as the Associate Curator for Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Must have the ability to read Italian and/or French in order to perform research, writing and collection research/ cataloguing and exhibitions. Expertise in works on paper from a twentieth and twenty-first century design, including digital design.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES: •Develops an acquisition priority plan for building the collection, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary work, strategically filling in historic gaps and spearheading the museum’s burgeoning collection of digital media, a recent priority. •Performs research related to the subject/collection areas where assigned, concentrating especially on twentieth and twenty-first century design, including digital design. •Initiates, plans and prepares temporary and permanent exhibitions. •Responds or supervises response to public inquiries related to the collection and other pertinent topics. •Responsible for fundraising for acquisitions and exhibitions and to work with the Development Department to develop fundraising support for programs. •Serves as a first line supervisor for the organization, which includes but is not limited to: assigning work, setting priorities, and reviewing and evaluating work and performance of subordinates; approving leave; coaching and developing employees; recommending corrective or disciplinary actions; assisting in budget planning and projecting short-term needs; managing projects within assigned resources; resolving routine problems that typically impact the objectives of the organizational unit; and when required, coordinates with customers outside the immediate organization.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

*Experience reading Italian and/or French in order to perform duties associated with collection research and cataloguing (screen out).

*Knowledge of art history and the history of American and European design and decorative arts, its principles, traditions, historical contexts, and research methods dating from the 1400 to the present.

*Knowledge of digital media and digital end-products to capture the design process in communications and architecture.

*Knowledge of a collection devoted to works on paper (with an emphasis on modern and contemporary design, including digital drawings) to perform collections management, scholarly research, exhibition planning/production, publishing, public service, and administration.

*Ability to fundraise for acquisitions and exhibitions and to work with the Development Department to develop fundraising support for programs and activities assisting with fundraising as appropriate.

*Ability to supervise, lead, develop staff, collaborate and work effectively with all levels of museum and curatorial staff and visitors.

*Education Requirements: Bachelors Degree or higher in museum studies/art or design history with a specialization in American and European design and decorative arts dating from the 1400 to the present (or equivalent).

EXCEPTIONAL SMITHSONIAN BENEFITS: 401k with matching funds + federal pension plan Group Life Insurance Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Long Term Disability Health Insurance Dental Vision Flexible Spending Accounts Free Transit/Commuter Benefits (up to $3,060 commuter costs paid per year) Annual Leave (13 days) increasing after 3 years (20 days) Sick Leave (13 days) Federal Holidays (10 days) Family Friendly Leave Family Friendly Workplace Telework Policy Historic and landmark offices and garden 92Y Fitness Center Free Entrance to Museums and Galleries Design Library Curatorial Talks and Tours (Cooper Hewitt) Employee Assistance Program Smithsonian Network Tarallucci e Vino Museum Café (employee discount) http://www.cooperhewitt.org/visit/cafe/ Cooper Hewitt Museum Shop (employee discount) Admission to NYC museums and galleries (free) General Employee Discounts

ABOUT COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM Founded in 1897, Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. On Dec. 12, 2014, Cooper Hewitt reopened in the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansion, which offers 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. The renovation of the Carnegie Mansion and museum campus was recognized with LEED Silver certification. Currently on view are nine exhibitions and installations featuring hundreds of objects throughout four floors of the mansion, including the fifth installment of the museum’s contemporary design exhibition series, “Beauty-Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial,” “Thom Browne Selects” and “Pixar: The Design of Story.” Visitors can experience a full range of new interactive capabilities, including exploring the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, drawing their own designs in the Immersion Room and addressing design problems in the Process Lab.

LOCATION: 2 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128

Application Deadline: Thursday, June 16, 2016

Please note this is a federally funded position. In order to be considered for this job, you must set up an account at usajobs and apply on line at this website at: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/439506200/

Submit a detailed resume addressing all qualification requirements and submit an unofficial transcript from your undergraduate and graduate schools.

Thank you!