Assistant Digital Asset Manager

Menil Drawing Institute; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

AD&D coverage

LTD coverage

401(k) plan with employer contribution

Job summary

The Menil Collection seeks an Assistant Digital Asset Manager to administer the DAMS and lead efforts in migrating and organizing media to support the collection's digital initiatives.

You will coordinate ingestion, tagging, and display of assets across internal systems and the public online collection, ensuring timely publication and high-quality metadata. This role requires collaboration across departments and a drive to enhance access to the permanent collection.

Qualifications

• BA or BS in Library Science, Museum Studies, Computer Science, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 3-4 years practical experience in a museum, archives, or library image archive, including: database management, software administration, digital rights management, metadata standards and practices, file formatting, and data migration.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to collaborate with staff at all levels across the institution, and with outside organizations and vendors.
• Experience with collection management systems, digital asset management systems, and print and media technologies.
• An understanding of intellectual property law, including "fair use" and similar copyright issues.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others as part of a team as well as independently.
• Must possess the drive and focus necessary to improve and expand the distribution of and access to the museum's permanent collection and exhibition assets through digital media.
• Team player with the ability to organize information at a high level, multi-task in a fast-paced environment, and creatively solve problems.

Responsibilities

• Configure and administer the DAMS and its integration with other internal systems.
• Facilitate ingestion of digital media assets into the DAMS from all museum departments, including Archives, Advancement, Communications, Conservation, Curatorial, Public Programs, and Publishing.
• Coordinate display of up-to-date imagery in the internal collections management system and public online collection.
• Track online collection priorities and deadlines, ensuring preferred media assets are published on time.
• Coordinate asset delivery for internal projects and external requests.
• Work with Archives and IT on file management, record retention, and digital preservation initiatives.
• Create and enforce naming taxonomies and metadata schemas, tagging files with metadata and enforcing asset standards.
• Lead DAMS training and education for staff and provide one-on-one support.
• Provide quality control for all metadata to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Assist in reorganization of file directories and metadata cleanup projects.

Skills

Communication

DAM systems

Metadata standards

Database management

Digital asset management

Team collaboration

IP rights knowledge

Education

BA/BS in Library Science

Master’s degree preferred

Experience in museums

Tools

Archives databases

Metadata tooling

Job description

Research Resources Department, Imaging Services Division

Reports To

Director of Research Resources

Status

Full-time, exempt from overtime

Work location

Onsite

$55,000-$60,000

General Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Research Resources, the Assistant Digital Asset Manager is charged with the administration of the Menil’s digital asset management system (DAMS) and leading efforts in migrating and organizing new and existing media to meet the Menil Collection's strategic digital initiatives, including the expansion of the online collection.

Specific Duties

• 1. Configure and administer the DAMS and its integration with other internal systems.
• 2. Facilitate ingestion of digital media assets into the DAMS from all museum departments, including Archives, Advancement, Communications, Conservation, Curatorial, Public Programs, and Publishing.
• 3. Work with Senior Associate TMS Administrator, Collections Registrar, Senior Collections Photographer, and Assistant Manager, Rights and Reproductions, to coordinate display of up-to-date imagery in the internal collections management system and public online collection.
• 4. Track online collection priorities and deadlines, taking a lead role in the process and ensuring preferred media assets are published on time.
• 5. Work with Senior Collections Photographer and Assistant Manager, Rights and Reproductions, to coordinate asset delivery for both internal projects and external requests.
• 6. Work with Archives and IT on institution-wide file management, record retention, and digital preservation initiatives.
• 7. Create and enforce naming taxonomies and metadata schemas, tagging files with relevant and accurate metadata, enforcing asset file standards, and ensuring system documentation is up to date.
• 8. Lead DAMS training and education for staff and provide one-on-one support when needed.
• 9. Provide quality control for all metadata to ensure accuracy and consistency across the institution. This includes the development and management of metadata tools, controlled vocabularies, and other metadata standardization solutions.
• 10. Assist in bringing existing assets up to appropriate standards, including reorganization of file directories and metadata cleanup projects.

Qualifications

BA or BS in Library Science, Museum Studies, Computer Science, or related field. Master's degree preferred.

3-4 years practical experience in a museum, archives, or library image archive, including: database management, software administration, digital rights management, metadata standards and practices, file formatting, and data migration.

Excellent communication skills, including the ability to collaborate with staff at all levels across the institution, and with outside organizations and vendors.

Experience with collection management systems, digital asset management systems, and print and media technologies.

An understanding of intellectual property law, including "fair use" and similar copyright issues.

Ability to work collaboratively with others as part of a team as well as independently.

Must possess the drive and focus necessary to improve and expand the distribution of and access to the museum's permanent collection and exhibition assets through digital media.

Team player with the ability to organize information at a high level, multi-task in a fast-paced environment, and creatively solve problems.

The position comes with a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation and sick time, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, AD&D, and LTD coverage. Employees may also participate in the Menil's 401(k) plan and receive an employer contribution equivalent to 5% of wages earned after one year on the job.

The Menil Collection is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks diversity in its workforce. The Menil is committed to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.