Collections Management Assistant

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.

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. 

About the Department:

The Costume Institute's collection represents over 35,000 examples of fashionable dress and accessories for women, men, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present. The goals of The Costume Institute’s collection are to represent and maintain a comprehensive timeline of costume from the eighteenth century forward, and to be a collection of “masterworks,” examples of dress of the highest technical artistry with an exemplary aesthetic, and, if after 1850, by a designer of lasting significance.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As the Collections Management Assistant, you will provide essential support across collections functions with a focus of processing new acquisitions. You will track, maintain, and organize objects within the collection as well as provide general support for the collections team.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Organize, prepare, pack, and place objects in both on and offsite storage following preventive collections care principles.

• Coordinate integration of new objects into the collection, including writing object descriptions, labeling, identifying object storage needs, and placing in home storage locations.

• Maintain and monitor accurate object locations in TMS through regular object inventory and auditing.

• Take part in ongoing Collections initiatives including object organization, updating storage materials, and object monitoring.

• Participate in object pulls and put backs for exhibition, loan, study,  photography, and object transport.

• Conduct research appointments and manage related object pulls/put backs and condition checks.

• Assist with general storage facility maintenance, cleaning, and integrated pest management.

• Help create optimized storage mounts as needed.

• Support assessment initiatives including research, organization, and object packing as needed.

• Assist with loan packing/unpacking, mannequin dressing, and the installation and de-installation of departmental exhibitions as needed.

• Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• BA degree in Museum Studies, Costume/Fashion History, or a related degree

• Experience with costume handling, packing, and storage

• Understanding of preventive care, collection maintenance, and general conservation principles for fashion and textiles

• Comprehensive knowledge of fashion history and terminology

• Demonstrated hand skills through storage mount creation, sewing, or similar.

• Object organization and tracking skills

• Close attention to detail

• Familiarity with The Museum System or similar object database

• Strong computer skills with familiarity of Microsoft Excel

• Proven ability to work independently, taking initiative in task management, and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and positive work ethic

• Ability to lift 30-40 pounds.

COMPENSATION RATE:

• Pay Rate: $29.00 / Hourly

• 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.

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

The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.

• 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

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

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 benefits@metmuseum.org.  

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.