Job Posting: Scientist/Senior Scientist – Winterthur Museum (Wilmington, DE)

Job Description: Winterthur Museum is seeking candidates to fill the position of Scientist/Senior Scientist to lead their Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory (SRAL) in a dynamic conservation science and research program whose mission is the interpretation and preservation of cultural heritage through object-based research and analysis, collection preservation, and education. The Scientist/Senior Scientist will enhance the visibility of the Conservation Department and its associated professional partnerships through advocacy and development. S/he will provide support and teaching to the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC), a Master’s-level graduate program with a three-year curriculum designed to educate and prepare students to be conservators of cultural heritage. This positon offers a unique and exciting opportunity in conservation science leadership and education in the midst of a pre-eminent collection of 89,000 objects made and used in America from 1630 -1860, 20th century Winterthur Estate materials and over 500,000 documents, books, manuscripts, and images in Winterthur’s research library
In addition to SRAL, the Conservation Department includes eight other laboratories staffed by leading professionals in paper, furniture, objects, textiles, library and archival materials, preventive, and paintings conservation, photography, and collection care. The personnel of the SRAL includes another full-time scientist and retired scientist volunteers. A University of Delaware Professor of Conservation Science is closely affiliated with the SRAL.
Winterthur’s SRAL instrumentation includes XRF (handheld and laboratory-based), reflective and transmitted ultraviolet and visible light spectrometers, a near infrared reflectance spectrometer, FTIR, SEM-EDS, GC-MS, pyGC-MS, Raman, XRD, and LC-MS.
Job Requirements: A Ph.D. in chemistry, materials science, archaeometry, forensic science or related fields combined with a minimum of five/eight years postgraduate/postdoctoral experience in cultural heritage scientific research is required. The successful candidate must demonstrate both teaching and scholarly achievement, including evidence of postgraduate original research, publications, or other projects that show intellectual ability, innovation, and accomplishment in a relevant field. Support of the museum’s conservation efforts are an integral component of the position and the candidate must be committed to extensive collaboration with museum conservators, curators, related staff, and WUDPAC faculty and students. Administrative responsibilities of the Scientist/Senior Scientist include the development and oversight of the laboratory budget, instrument maintenance and service contracts, and analytical documentation. The Scientist/Senior Scientist should have a demonstrated track record of proposal preparation and the administration of grant-funded projects. Experience with instrument operation and interpretation of data from a wide range of analytical techniques is expected. Knowledge of a broad array of organic and inorganic materials, their degradation mechanisms and treatment assessments is desirable. In addition to analysis of the Winterthur Collections, the Scientist/Senior Scientist will conduct analysis of archaeological, ethnographic, modern and contemporary artwork/objects through WUDPAC student projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate (1) excellent interpersonal and communication skills with staff, students, museum and university colleagues, donors, and the general public (2) creative thinking and solutions-based problem-solving, and (3) superior organizational abilities with a high attention to detail. A proven ability to work both collaboratively and independently while managing multiple tasks simultaneously is required.
This position reports to the Director of Conservation.
Salary will be commensurate with experience. To apply, send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, writing sample, and contact information for three professional references familiar with your conservation science experience to: jobs@winterthur.org. Review of applications will begin as of August 15, 2016 and continue until the positon is filled.