Museum Maintainer/Art Handler, Collections (2 Year Term Limited Position)

Brooklyn Museum; New York (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) and Pension

Paid time off

Sick leave

Museum holidays

Disability coverage

FSAs & HSAs

Employee assistance program

Free museum admission

Early access to exhibitions

Staff events

Staff discount 40%

Job summary

The Brooklyn Museum is seeking a Museum Maintainer/Art Handler, Collections for a two-year term to join the Registration and Collections Management team in Brooklyn, NY. You will handle art in the collections, transport, install, and assist with storage initiatives.

The ideal candidate has art handling experience, knowledge of best practices, and the ability to work with the Registration and Conservation teams. This full-time role includes a comprehensive benefits package and a 40-hour work week.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent in arts-related field preferred.
• Experience handling art and knowledge of best practices.
• Experience with tools and equipment used in handling artwork.
• Dexterity to handle a wide range of objects, including heavy and fragile items.
• Ability to work independently or in a team, with strong organizational skills.
• Willingness to learn to operate heavy moving equipment and the Museum’s TMS database.

Responsibilities

• Maintain art on open display including period rooms and loan exhibitions.
• Transport, handle, and install artwork, and clean and maintain secure storage areas.
• Assist with storage inventories, rehousing, and collection reviews.
• Support day-to-day collection moves and long-range relocation planning.
• Perform heavy lifting and work on or from vehicles, ladders, or scaffolds as needed.
• Receive/release, load/unload, pack/unpack, and move crates around the Museum.
• Periodically support temporary exhibitions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Art handling

Teamwork

Dexterity

Physical stamina

Organization

Safety procedures

Heavy lifting

Learning quickly

Education

High school diploma or equivalent (arts-related)

Tools

TMS database

Heavy moving equipment

Job description

Position: Museum Maintainer/Art Handler, Collections (2 Year Term Limited Position)

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Job Id: 385

# of Openings: 1

Museum Maintainer/Art Handler, Collections (2 Year Term Limited Position)

The Brooklyn Museum is a world-renowned cultural institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing art, history, and heritage. Our mission is to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act. Our vision is to serve as an institution where art is a powerful force for personal transformation and social change. Celebrating our differences and learning about our diverse communities through our collections, exhibitions, and programming is the core of who we are and what we do.

We are committed to creating and cultivating a community of talented, passionate people who are inspired to make the Museum an important hub of community activity and a great global destination. Our staff have the opportunity to grow their professional skills and work collaboratively with colleagues they admire and respect. Read more about our story here .

About the role

The Museum Maintainer/Art Handler for Collections will be part of a team in the Registration and Collections Management department, handling art in the collections and assisting with storage initiatives. The ideal candidate will have experience handling and installing a variety of objects. They will work closely with the Registration and Collections Management and Conservation teams in supporting the Museum’s collection-related activities.

This position is funded for a term of two years (subject to renewal).

Responsibilities

• Maintain art on open display including period rooms and loan exhibitions
• Transport, handle, and install artwork, and clean and maintain secure art storage areas
• Assist with art storage inventories and surveys, rehousing, and collection reviews
• Support day-to-day collection-related moves as well as long-range planning for collection relocations
• Perform heavy lifting or other difficult tasks, which may require working on or from vehicles, ladders, scaffolds, platforms, etc.
• Receive/release, load/unload, pack/unpack, and move crates around the Museum
• Periodically support temporary exhibitions
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency degree in arts-related field preferred
• Previous art handling experience and knowledge of best practices
• Experience working with tools
• Excellent dexterity skills, including ability to handle a wide variety of heavy and fragile objects, climb stairs and ladders, and visually identify objects and read accession numbers
• Ability to work professionally as part of a team or alone
• Responsibility and organizational skills
• Knowledge of or ability to learn how to safely operate heavy moving equipment
• Knowledge of or ability to learn how to use Museum’s TMS database

Department: Registrar

Reports to: Supervising Museum Maintainer/Senior Art Handler

Union status: Union - DC37 Local 1502

FLSA status: Non-Exempt

Position type: Full-time

Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm. This position is subject to occasional overtime and weekend hours.

The Museum provides competitive compensation along with generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Individualbenefit offerings may vary based on position type and union status.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan and Pension Plan
• Generous paid time off, including annual vacation leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) & Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for eligible pre-tax health care, dependent care, and commuter expenses
• Employee Assistant Program
• Free admission to various NYC museums and cultural institutions
• Early access to Museum exhibitions
• Invitations to staff-only programs, tours, and on-site engagement events
• Opportunities to participate in community initiatives and Museum programs
• 40% discount for staff in Museum shops
• All positions are based in Brooklyn, New York, with some eligible for a hybrid work schedule (three days on-site / two days remote)