Preparator II

HEH Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery; San Marino (CA); Presencial; USD 39.000 - 40.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Matching retirement plan

Paid time off

Staff discounts

Free museum admission

Free guest passes

Descripción de la vacante

The Huntington is seeking a Prepare II to join the Preparation Department. The role focuses on planning and implementing exhibition schedules, rotating the permanent collection, and caring for artworks per museum standards.

The Preparator II works as part of a team, reporting to the Head of Preparations. Responsibilities include handling, packing, installing, and creating display mounts, with strong emphasis on safety and collaboration with curatorial and preservation staff.

Formación

• Three to four years in preparation, collections management, and installation in a gallery or museum.
• Expertise in industry-standard materials, processes, equipment, and safety protocols.
• Proficiency in mounting, matting, and framing works on paper.
• Experience handling two- and three-dimensional art objects

Responsabilidades

• Assist with object preparation, installation/de-installation of exhibitions, and gallery rotations.
• Receive, unpack, and pack artworks; assist curators with placement in galleries.
• Handle and install artworks and collections objects per museum standards.
• Create or modify display mounts, case risers, and related supports.
• Perform carpentry tasks like retrofitting crates and modifying pedestals; spackle and paint.
• Light and maintain exhibition lighting; monitor A/V elements; clean regularly.

Conocimientos

Preparation

Collections management

Installation

Art handling procedures

Heavy equipment operation

Safety protocols

Matting & framing

Herramientas

Scissor-lift

Gantry

Pallet jack

Pedal lift

Descripción del empleo

About Us

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

The Huntington Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

The Culture

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity. Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture. Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community. Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community. Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection. Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

Job Description

About the Role

The Preparator II is a member of the institution’s Preparation Department, under the Registration and Collection Management Department. This position is integral in the consistent planning and implementation of the Institution’s schedule of special exhibitions, permanent collection rotations, and collections care. This position is part of a team of preparatory staff. The position’s primary responsibility is to assist in all handling, display preparations, installation, packing, storage and care of artworks according to museum standards. Reports to Head of Preparations.

Essential Duties

• Assists with object preparation, installation/de-installation of exhibitions, gallery rotations, and collection rehousing projects, working with colleagues in the Registration, Exhibitions, and Preservation department.
• Receiving, unpacking and packing artworks
• Assist curators in placement of artworks in galleries
• Handling and installing artworks and collections objects
• Hinging, matting and framing artworks
• Generating profiles and schematics for display mounts (book cradles, slants)
• Creating or modifying display mounts and case risers/buildups
• Performing carpentry work such as retrofitting crates and modifying pedestals
• Spackling and painting
• Lighting exhibitions, to Curatorial and Preservation standards
• Monitoring and maintenance of exhibition lighting and A/V elements
• Performing regular gallery dusting and cleaning
• Assisting with buildouts of historic painting frames
• Organizing supplies and communicating resupply needs
• Driving art preparation vehicles to transport art on and off campus
• Attending and occasionally leading in-house training workshops in Huntington object prep procedures
• Providing guidance to Broad DAP apprentices during their placement at The Huntington
• Attending regular departmental meetings
• Attending object review meetings and consulting with Preservation Dept. on object prep needs
• Providing input to supervisors and colleagues on preparation and installation methods
• Sharing project status information with supervisor and colleagues
• Accessing FileMaker and TMS databases for object information
• Updating object preparation status via Excel
• Tracks and communicates object location changes

Candidate Requirements and Experience

• Three to four years of experience in preparation, collections management, and installation in a gallery or museum setting.
• Expertise in industry standard materials, processes, equipment, and safety protocols.
• Excellent working knowledge of installation methods required.
• Proficiency in mounting, matting, framing of works on paper.
• Extensive experience using heavy equipment, including scissor-lift, gantry, pallet jack, pedal lift.
• Must have safe driving record.
• Demonstrated knowledge of art-handling procedures for two- and three-dimensional objects in various materials, sizes and weights
• Knowledge of museum-quality packing, and crating.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
• Conduct self in a professional manner and establish positive working relationships with museum staff, representatives from other arts institutions, consultants, artists, and vendors.

Other Desirable Qualifications

• Ability to plan, prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines
• Woodworking and/or metalworking skills
• Working knowledge of fabrication methods
• Ability to ensure adherence to the institution’s brand in all activities
• Facility with word processing, Excel, Outlook/Gmail
• Proven solutions-oriented, diplomatic problem solver and true team player
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills

Working Conditions

Gallery, workshop, and office settings. Most of the work will be indoors, but there is some occasional outdoor work. Prolonged periods of standing, bending, sitting, and stooping. Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Rate: $28.00- $29.00/hr. Commensurate with experience.

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds

The Huntington is a cultural and educational institution of global significance. Building on Henry E. Huntington’s renowned collections, the Huntington today supports research and promotes education in the arts, humanities, and botanical sciences through the growth and preservation of its collections, through the development of a community of scholars, school programs and partnerships, and through display and interpretation of its extraordinary resources to the public.