Collections Manager / Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

Collections Manager / Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

General Description:
The Collections Manager works closely with the AAOA Conservator and the Administrator to oversee and handle all activities in the galleries and storerooms, in addition to planning, managing and scheduling the work of the department technician.
Primary Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Organize and manage movement of objects within and in between galleries, storerooms and other museum departments
  • Organize and undertake a regular and ongoing schedule for gallery maintenance and cleaning of art objects on open display and in closed cases.
  • Monitor the climate of the galleries/storerooms and work with conservators/scientists/engineers to maintain optimum conditions
  • Coordinate with conservators for the care for objects in the storerooms and conduct regular condition checks of all work on display in the galleries
  • Organize, and supervise the maintenance of mounts, bases, and other installation equipment, in addition to occasionally manufacturing simple mounts
  • Coordinate with curators, conservators and special events personnel in the safeguarding of art    during departmental or museum special events in the AAOA galleries
  • Coordinate with curators and conservators to provide access to the collection for scholarly study purposes
  • Supervise the technician in the ongoing task of gallery cleanliness and maintenance, and during exhibition and gallery installations
  • Oversee a regular inventory check of AAOA’s holdings with Registrar and Director’s Office.
  • Coordinate with the Departmental Administrator in the supervision of the collections management assistant’s work maintaining and updating departmental  records in the TMS database, conducting ongoing inventory and maintaining gallery labels.
  • Prepare MMA loan documents and coordinate with curators, registrars, conservators and administration to identify special requirements for travel and  handling
  • Maintain the storage and inventory of installation-, collection’s emergency-, and cleaning materials for the department
  • Coordinates with the departmental administrator the maintenance of departmental files for all permanent and temporary exhibitions, collection care, education, photography, and loans
  • Other related duties

Requirements and Qualifications:
Experience and Skills:

  • Excellent organizational, management, and communication skills
  • Ability to prioritize  and multitask
  • Formal or on-the-job training and experience in  handling, storing and moving 3-dimensional works of art
  • Ability to create supports and containers for 3-dimensional works of art for loan, storage and display
  • Knowledge of agents of deterioration and the museum environment
  • Excellent computer skills, including TMS

Knowledge and Education:

  • B.A. degree  required; M.A. degree preferred (specialization in museum studies/collection care)

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.