Associate Conservation Preparator [Part-time] at The… · New York

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 DEPARMENT:

The Department of Textile Conservation is responsible for preservation, conservation, technical study, and research of the Museum’s collection of approximately 36,000 textiles in twelve curatorial departments. The encyclopedic collection represents a broad range of textiles, including tapestries, carpets, embroideries, costumes, and three-dimensional accessories of all periods and cultures.

The Department sets guidelines for care, handling, display, and storage of the textiles and has played a vital role in the Met’s initiative to create a dedicated facility for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with a purpose-built freezer and pre-and post-treatment areas. Responsible stewardship of the Museum’s collection is one of its mission statement’s primary cores. It includes preventive conservation protocols and activities ranging from proper handling through art storage to Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

The Conservation Preparator is expected to work under the supervision of the Conservator in Charge on various conservation related activities. Under the direction of liaison conservators, responsibilities will include implementing preventive conservation protocols, assisting conservators with preparatory work for conservation projects, gallery installations, as well as preparation of objects for storage, such as designing and constructing storage formats. In addition they will assist with organizational duties in and around the conservation laboratory. This is a hands-on role; through this role they will learn to craft archival storage solutions with precision, assess and consolidate outdated reference samples, and organize conservation materials including fabrics, papers, adhesives, and tools.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Assisting conservators with tasks related to the preservation and conservation of a wide range of textiles and remaining in constant communication providing status reports
• Safely and properly handle textiles
• Organization of conservation materials, paper & fabrics
• Organization of storage facilities and inventory log
• Updating sample binders
• Prepare materials for gallery installations (rotations, exhibitions) including large tapestry and carpet installations
• Design and fabricate storage formats and support mounts
• Preparation of conservation materials, such as cutting fabric for the support of large textiles
• Assisting conservators with regular gallery maintenance that includes vacuuming large textiles such as tapestries and carpets
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIRMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in textile conservation or Museum Studies, or have at least five years of equivalent experience in a museum environment
• Knowledge of textile conservation materials and procedures
• Knowledge of conservation and storage materials aligned with best conservation practices
• Excellent hand skills for the design and fabrication of storage boxes and a variety of support mounts
• Proficient computer skills (MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Knowledge of museum database software (TMS preferred)
• Experience working with museum textile collections (preferred)
• Excellent organizational, communication, and team-working skills
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure
• Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances
• Ability to work at various heights above the ground from a lift/rig (this is how we vacuum tapestries and carpets hanging on the walls)

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Rate: $40.00 / 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.

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

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.