Associate Registrar

The Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Staff discount

Commuter benefits

Education assistance

Job summary

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is seeking an Associate Registrar to organize packing, shipping, customs documentation, and art insurance for Costume Institute exhibitions, loans, and acquisitions. You will coordinate with lenders, shippers, and in-house staff to track and document artworks, including off-hours releases to meet international and domestic shipping needs.

Responsibilities include budgeting, invoicing, using TMS, and collaborating with Curatorial and Conservation teams on

Qualifications

• BA degree or museum studies required.
• 5+ years registrar experience at a major art museum preferred.
• Knowledge of costume history and the contemporary fashion industry.
• Detail-oriented with excellent interpersonal skills and deadline discipline.
• Experience with Costume Institute registrar tasks and with art law (CITES, Immunity from Seizure) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Report directly to the Exhibitions Registrar and Senior Associate Registrar for Exams.
• Supervise and coordinate transfer of artwork to/from the museum, including transportation, security, customs, and insurance.
• Prepare budgets and pay invoices for packing, shipping, and insurance of loans and acquisitions.
• Utilize TMS to document artworks and generate reports.
• Coordinate with Curatorial and Conservation staff on unpacking/packing and courier arrangements.
• Review loan agreements and liaise with Counsel’s Office as needed.
• Archive all records for special exhibition loans and acquisitions.

Skills

Costume history

Interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented

Multi-tasking

Organizational skills

Verbal skills

Education

BA degree or museum studies

Tools

TMS

MS Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

About The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

About The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world. At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity.

Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always.

Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued.

Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission.

Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity.

Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

As the Associate Registrar, your primary responsibility will be to organize the packing, shipping, customs documentation, and fine arts insurance for The Met’s Costume Institute special exhibitions, long term loans, and acquisitions including gifts and purchases. You will coordinate with lenders, shippers and in‑house museum staff to ensure artwork is properly tracked, documented and accounted for. You will act as liaison between lenders, donors, shippers, art handlers and receiving staff, and will be available to receive and release shipments outside standard operating hours to meet international and domestic shipping requirements. Some domestic & international travel may be required. Some work on weekends and early mornings or evenings may be required based on shipping schedules.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

• Report directly to the Exhibitions Registrar and Senior Associate Registrar for Exams
• Supervise and coordinate the transfer of artwork to/from the museum including transportation, couriers, security, customs compliance, insurance, packing, unpacking, storage, and related documentation for both temporary exhibition and acquisition
• Prepare budgets and pay invoices for the packing, shipping and insurance of loans to special exhibitions, and packing, shipping, and artworks for acquisitions
• Utilize TMS to accurately document incoming and outgoing artworks, create documentation and reports
• Collaborate with Costume Institute Curatorial and Conservation staff to coordinate and oversee the unpacking/packing, installation schedules and courier arrangements
• Review and negotiate loan agreements, liaising with Counsel’s Office as necessary
• Coordinate projects with Storeroom One personnel and museum packers
• Archive all records and files for assigned special exhibition loans and acquisitions
• Candidate must complete Security Threat Assessment application
• Some domestic & international travel may be required. Some work on weekends and early mornings or evenings may be required based on shipping schedules.
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• BA degree or museum studies program
• 5 years related registrar experience at a major art museum
• Knowledge of costume history and the contemporary fashion industry
• You are detail‑oriented and a successful multi‑tasker. You possess excellent interpersonal skills and consistently meet deadlines.
• Previous museum registrar experience with costume and textiles preferred
• Working knowledge of art law (i.e. Immunity from Seizure, CITES, customs restrictions, antiquities legislation)
• Collections Management database experience in TMS
• Organizational, written and verbal skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Detailed‑oriented and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Computer proficient – MS Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat

COMPENSATION RANGE

• Pay Range: $80,000.00 - $85,000.00 / Annually

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

Benefits Offerings

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Long‑term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre‑tax income for eligible health care expenses)
• Commuter benefits (pre‑tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
• Free financial‑planning services
• Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
• 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
• A subsidized staff cafeteria
• Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions

The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact [e-mail].

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.