Assistant Director, Collections

The Jewish Museum; City of Niagara Falls (NY); On-site; USD 92,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

The Jewish Museum invites applications for the Assistant Director, Collections to lead the management of a 25,000-object collection. You will supervise the collections team, develop procedures for accessioning, deaccessioning, loans, and storage, and collaborate with curators on provenance research and exhibitions.

You will oversee data integrity in TMS and related systems, mentor staff, and coordinate with registrars, conservation, and IT to evolve collection practices in a major New York City

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or equivalent.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant Collections Management experience.
• Excellent research and organizational skills; attention to detail.
• Strong computer skills, including TMS proficiency.
• Experience with art handling.

Responsibilities

• Oversee accessioning and cataloguing with full documentation.
• Maintain records and ensure compliance with policies.
• Supervise collections team including interns and volunteers.
• Conduct provenance research and prepare dossiers.
• Coordinate access to objects for exhibitions and researchers.
• Maintain and train on collection management systems like TMS, Crystal Reports, ExLibris Primo.
• Lead committee meetings and manage storage facilities.
• Prepare labels and analytics reports.

Skills

Research skills

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Attention to detail

Education

Master's degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or equivalent

Tools

TMS

Crystal Reports

ExLibris Primo

NetX

Job description

The Jewish Museum:

The Jewish Museum is an art museum committed to illuminating the complexity and
vibrancy of Jewish culture for a global audience. Through distinctive exhibitions and
programs that present the work of diverse artists and thinkers, the Museum shares
ideas, provokes dialogue, and promotes understanding. The Jewish Museum maintains
a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media
reflecting the global Jewish experience. Located on New York City's Museum Mile, in
the landmarked Warburg mansion, the Museum plays an important role among cultural
institutions, challenging all forms of bigotry and discrimination and promoting
understanding among diverse audiences. The Jewish Museum invites applicants of all
backgrounds to consider joining the Museum in its work.

For more information, please visit www.TheJewishMuseum.org.

The Position:

The Assistant Director, Collections is responsible for the overall management and
stewardship of the Museum's permanent collection of over 25,000 objects that
range in scope from prehistoric artifacts to contemporary art. The position
develops and maintains collection protocols including evolving best practices for
acquisition and deaccession, outgoing loans, disaster preparedness, access and
handling of the collection, and ethical and practical considerations. The position
combines overall responsibility for the collections function with close
involvement in day-to-day collections work, including documentation, research,
digitization, storage, and access. The Assistant Director supervises the collections
team, establishes priorities, and ensures that collections activities meet
professional standards and support the Museum's institutional needs.

Responsibilities Include:

• Facilitate acquisition (or deaccession) of artworks in coordination with
  curators, artists, donors, galleries, legal counsel, appraisers, registrars, and
  conservators, to ensure artworks are legally accessioned (or deaccessioned)
  into (or out of) the museum's collection with proper and full documentation.
• Supervise accessioning and cataloguing of each new acquisition (performed by
  Cataloguer), including: preparation of detailed condition report;
  marking/tagging object; verifying object and artist information; creating and
  updating the TMS record; placing object into permanent storage; creating
  archival object file; corresponding with artist, estate, dealer, donor, and other
  necessary sources to confirm documentation.
• Manage the maintenance of all records pertaining to the Museum's collection,
  ensuring accurate documentation and adherence to professional and legal
  guidelines.
• Supervise and mentor the collections team, currently including the Digital Asset
  Manager and Cataloguer, as well as interns and volunteers.
• Work with curators to conduct detailed provenance research and create
  extensive dossiers of ownership for artworks in the collection, with particular
  attention to those that may have been in Europe during World War II. Train and
  supervise project interns and cataloguers on research methodologies.
• Work with curators and registration staff to propose objects from the
  collection that would be appropriate for inclusion in travelling and non-
  travelling exhibitions.
• Act as primary TMS administrator by maintaining rigorous data-entry standards,
  overseeing revisions to object records, and granting user privileges as well as
  providing support and training for staff. Coordinate with IT to make changes
  and upgrades to the database as needed.
• Develop and maintain expertise in evolving collections management systems
  and platforms, including Crystal Reports and ExLibris Primo; assess their
  potential application to the Museum's needs and contribution to the evaluation,
  implementation, and integration of new systems and technologies as
  appropriate.
• Prepare artwork labels by researching artworks for presentation in exhibitions,
  published materials, website, etc.
• Chair monthly Collections Management Committee meetings to discuss
  collection care issues and approve outgoing loan requests with curatorial and
  registration staff.
• Arrange object viewings and provide access to collection objects in storage for
  museum and visiting curators, researchers, and graduate-level students as
  required.
• Coordinate and oversee professional object photography
• Produce collections analytics and financial reports for curators, museum
  director, and finance.
• Work closely with registration staff as well as conservators, art handlers,
  framers, photographers, and mount makers as needed.
• Collaborate with registration staff to manage both on-site and off-site storage
  facilities. In conjunction with Head Registrar and Collections Director, make
• Oversee the Visual Resources Archive and supervise the workflows for the
  museum's digital assets in NetX ( performed by the Digital Asset Manager).
• Schedule, organize and lead periodic and routine collection inventories.
• Update and maintain the museum's Collection Management Policy as well as
  other collection-related procedural documents. Work with curators, Head
  Registrar and Collections Director, and the museum's Chief Counsel to ensure
• Collaborate closely with registration and collections staff to and manage
  various collection initiatives, including large-scale collection installations, off-
  site storage moves, and conservation assessments.
• Work closely with inter-departmental team to redesign the museum's
  collection website, facilitating and advising on updates relating to TMS to NetX
  links to the website.
• Assist with management of and scholarly engagement with the museum's
  library and archives.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Master's degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or equivalent
• Minimum 10 years of relevant Collections Management experience
• Extensive knowledge of museum collection management policies, including
  records management, and ethical and legal issues
• Excellent research and organizational skills; attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities
• Strong computer skills, including TMS proficiency
• Experience with art handling

Salary Range for Position: $92,000 - $102,000

The Jewish Museum is committed to diversifying its staff and encourages
individuals of all ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds to apply for
this position. The Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not
discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic prohibited by
applicable law.