Japan Gallery Research Associate

Royal Ontario Museum; Toronto; On-site; CAD 63,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits for permanent/1

Pension plan with employer match

Free ROM membership + attraction discs

Job summary

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) invites applications for a Research Assistant – Japan Gallery to support the development of ROM's Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan. The role reports to the Chief Curator, Art and Culture and collaborates with the Japan Gallery team on research, publications, exhibitions, programs, acquisitions, and loans.

You will research artworks and artifacts in ROM’s collection, help craft narratives for Japanese art, maintain documentation in TMS, and engage with advisory groups

Qualifications

• Academic training in Art History, History, Anthropology, Museum Studies, or a related field.
• Experience within a museum curatorial environment.
• Strong research and analytical abilities with detailed collections work.
• Proficiency in reading and writing Japanese.
• Clear written and verbal communication for diverse audiences.
• Excellent organization and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with museum databases such as TMS is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Conduct collections-based research on Japanese artworks and artifacts for the new gallery.
• Identify potential acquisitions and loans to support interpretive goals.
• Collaborate on developing narratives and approaches for presenting Japanese art in a museum setting.
• Contribute research content to gallery development, publications, exhibitions, and programs.
• Maintain accurate collections documentation in the ROM collections management system (TMS).
• Participate in cross-functional Japan Gallery development meetings and advise on research.
• Support community consultation and engagement with advisory groups.
• Collaborate with curators across ROM to advance project milestones.

Skills

Research

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Time management

Independent & collaborative work

Reading Japanese

Education

Art History / History / Anthropology / Museum Studies or related field

Tools

TMS familiarity

Digitization practices

Job description

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) invites applications for a Research Assistant – Japan Gallery to support the development of ROM's Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan. The role reports to the Chief Curator, Art and Culture and collaborates with the Japan Gallery team on research, publications, exhibitions, programs, acquisitions, and loans.

You will research artworks and artifacts in ROM’s collection, help craft narratives for Japanese art, maintain documentation in TMS, and engage with advisory groups