Scientist, The Getty Conservation Institute

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, and one of the operating programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust, works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts, broadly interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, and sites. The Institute serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the broad dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field. In all its endeavors, the GCI focuses on the creation and dissemination of knowledge that will benefit the professionals and organizations responsible for the conservation of the world’s cultural heritage.
The GCI’s Science Department is seeking an individual with a background in Materials Science and Engineering to fill the position of Scientist, which is a five-year, limited-term position. The Scientist will join the research team for the Managing Collection Environments Initiative, which was launched at the end of 2013. The Initiative focuses on the research and development of sustainable environmental control and management strategies for collections in museums, libraries, archives, and other repositories. The initiative will have several complementary activities—including, field testing, education, and information dissemination—in an initial program of work that spans five years. Please see: http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/education/managing/index.html
Responsibilities: The Scientist will report to the Senior Scientist in charge of preventive conservation research and will be part of an interdisciplinary team of conservators and scientists. The GCI team will coordinate its activities with international researchers and practitioners. The Scientist will liaise with internal and external colleagues and will contribute to the dissemination of the results in the conservation field.
The Scientist will carry out research and will address critical questions pertaining to the behavior of materials under a range of environmental conditions. Specifically, the Scientist will model mechanical properties of a range of hydroscopic materials under environmentally stressed conditions, employing a variety of mechanical testing techniques to establish the relationship between elastic modulus and time, temperature, and relative humidity to yield and failure. The research will explore stress relaxation and fatigue for a series of natural products and modern materials used in the creation of works of art. The focus will be materials of the artist and conservator, not building materials.
Qualifications: The Scientist must have: 7-10 years of scientific research experiencewith experience in the field of heritage conservation, including demonstrated experience managing scientific research projects; and a Ph.D. in Materials Science, or Mechanical Engineering with a strong interest in materials science. Hands-on familiarity with computing tools such as FEM, MathCAD, ABAQUS and/or Ansys is strongly desired as well as experience with nano-indentation and DMA testing, acoustic emission, or similar techniques. The successful candidate must be adaptable, analytical, and a creative problem-solver and thinker, and is expected to be a strong team member with excellent communication skills. He/she must be available for occasional travel internationally, including trips that may be several weeks in duration.
International candidates welcome. An excellent benefits package and salary commensurate with experience will be provided. This position is limited-term (five years).
To apply, please see: https://jobs-getty.icims.com/jobs/2233/scientist/job. All applicants should be prepared to upload a cover letter and curriculum vitae as a single file (either a PDF or a Word document) when prompted to upload a Resume online. Candidates who successfully complete the online application process will receive an automated message from “autoreply@icims.com”. If you have specific questions about the Scientist position, please email gcistaffing@getty.edu. Deadline for applications is June 30, 2014.