CAREERS

Collections Manager & Registrar

Salary: $37,000 (full-time, hourly) plus benefits (see below)

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to the attention of Alexandra Nicholis Coon, executive director, at jobs@massillonmuseum.org, no later than 5:00pm on Sunday, November 10, 2024.   

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Overview

Massillon Museum is a cultural hub where art and history come together. Having completed an expansion of its facility in 2018, MassMu now operates a 48,421-square-foot building that occupies an entire downtown city block in the heart of Massillon, Ohio. Governed by a board of directors and funded in large part by a municipal property tax levy, Massillon Museum maintains free admission, is open six days a week, and places emphasis on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI), and offers a diverse mix of educational programming and rotation of exhibitions. The permanent collections of both Massillon Museum and the Paul Brown Museum hold more than 30,000 artifacts and artworks along with over one million individual archival documents, negatives, photographs, and other ephemera. A dynamic staff consisting of nineteen part-time and full-time positions operate the museum alongside several contractors.

Position Summary

The Collections Manager & Registrar is an integral member of the Collections Team, acting as an advocate for the permanent collections. This position manages and documents all activities associated with the permanent collections, as well as temporary loans as needed, in partnership with the Collections Team. This position may assist with oversight of interns and volunteers, and may grow to have oversight of a Collections Assistant. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities

The Collections Manager & Registrar assists and supports the duties and objectives relevant to the collections and archives department, which include:

·        Assisting with the development and implementation of policies and procedures for collections stewardship, access, and use in collaboration with the Collections Team;

·        Receiving, documenting, cataloging, and storing incoming acquisitions to the collections in collaboration with the Collections Team;

·        Regular inventorying of collections;

·        Coordinating and/or facilitating photography of permanent collections

·        Submitting recommendations for conservation, appraisals, and deaccession in collaboration with the Collections Team;

·        Setting appraisal schedules;

·        Maintaining the collections management database;

·        Maintaining well-organized digital and physical files, inclusive of donor and object files as well as all registrarial binders;

·        Staying informed of new developments in registration methods and collections management practices and software;

·        Processing outgoing loan requests of permanent collections objects;

·        Assisting with image use requests of permanent collection objects, particularly with regard to copyright and fee assessment and documentation;

·        Supporting the Collections Team in maintenance of clean, well-organized storage spaces, and coordinating cleaning schedules and use of appropriate equipment with the Facilities Manager;

·        Collaborating with the Collections Team on development of the annual departmental budget and maintaining adequate collections and archival supplies;

·        Coordinating and scheduling quarterly Collections Committee meetings;

·        Attending quarterly Collections Committee and weekly Collections Team meetings; and

·        Managing and delegating projects to interns, volunteers, and the Collections Assistant as appropriate.

This role is responsible for advocating for the permanent collections, as well as objects on temporary loans to the Museum, by:

·        Completing condition assessments of all objects and archival material slated for exhibition in collaboration with the Museum’s Curators and Archivist and determining appropriateness (i.e. stability and preservation needs, display requirements, availability of information, access limitations)

·        Monitoring the Museum’s adherence to ethical guidelines and federal regulations with regard to collections care and management, including but not limited to NAGPRA;

·        Assisting the Collections Team with environmental monitoring of collections storage and gallery areas and creating weekly EM logs;

·        Managing the collections insurance policy, communicating insurance value changes, and requesting insurance coverage increases as needed for collections and exhibitions;

·        Overseeing the Museum’s integrated pest management system in partnership with the Facilities Manager and liaising with contracted pest inspectors; and

·        Maintaining the Museum’s General Facility Report, working with both the Guest Operations Manager and Facilities Manager to ensure any updates are included.

The Collections Manager & Registrar is also responsible for assisting in certain facets of the rotating exhibitions at the Museum, which may include:

·        Maintaining oversight of the museum-wide exhibition schedule and conducting regular meetings with staff to ensure exhibition planning and preparation remain on schedule;

·        Facilitating incoming and outgoing loans, which includes creating necessary loan agreements and coordinating packing and shipping arrangements;

·        Tracking all incoming and outgoing loans;

·        Working with the Collections Team on permanent gallery exhibition schedules, object selection, and installation methods;

·        Assisting staff with proofreading and editing efforts of exhibition-related content; and

·        Completing regular check-ins with Executive Director.

This position is also expected to support other departments within the Museum and represent the Museum within the local and regional community by:

·        Staffing exhibition opening receptions and other Museum events (both on-site and off-site) as needed; and

·        Attending community events as appropriate.

Opportunities for professional development are encouraged, and may take the form of organizational memberships, conference attendance, and board or committee involvement at local and statewide levels.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate must have:

·        The ability to work independently and be self-motivated;

·        The ability to collaborate and function as a member of a team;

·        An existing knowledge of museum best practices and industry standards;

·        A desire to remain up-to-date and well-informed of new developments in collections stewardship;

·        Be familiar with collection management databases (preferably PastPerfect Online) and museum infrastructure; and

·        A network of industry colleagues with whom they are willing to consult; and/or the willingness to grow such a network.

Requirements

This team member must also:

·        Be detail-oriented;

·        Exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills (both written and verbal);

·        Have the ability to work effectively with competing projects and deadlines;

·        Be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; and

·        Demonstrate a working knowledge of object evaluation, preservation, and selection, along with exhibition and display methods and equipment.

Education and Experience

A bachelor’s degree in art history, history, library science, museum studies or related field is required; a master’s degree is preferred. A minimum of two years of work experience in a museum, library, or similar institution is required, inclusive of internships and volunteer work. Preference will be given to candidates with collections management and/or registration experience.

Salary: $37,000 (full-time, hourly)

Benefits:

·        Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

·        Simple IRA Retirement Savings Plan

·        Additional funds provided for Staff Experience Days (two annually)

·        Accrued PTO from start date; ten paid vacation days at one-year anniversary

·        Eight Paid Holidays, Annually

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to the attention of Alexandra Nicholis Coon, executive director, at jobs@massillonmuseum.org, no later than 5:00pm on Sunday, November 10, 2024.   

The Museum regularly works with area artists to lead classes, workshops, art activities, and Do the Mu in the Museum's classrooms or Ceramics Studio. Instructors are contracted and paid an hourly rate based on their experience. If you are interested in teaching, please email your resume and a description of what you might like to teach to Education and Outreach Manager Stephanie Toole at sltoole@massillonmuseum.org.