Associate Conservator

Job Summary

Organisation
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Location
New York
Contract Type
Part-time
Salary
46000 USD - 59000 USD
Closing date

Job Details

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 Department of Textile Conservation is responsible for the preservation, conservation, technical study, and research of the Museum’s collection of approximately 36,000 textiles. 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 the 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.
The Department has a diverse and dynamic staff involved in the care of textiles from 12 different curatorial departments. The environment of the laboratory encourages discussion and collaboration with the conservators and the supporting staff in consultation with the Conservator in Charge.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
The Department of Textile Conservation is entrusted with conserving extensive collections of tapestries in The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. The department's practice of tapestry conservation is unique in that it includes both preserving a long tradition of increasingly rare restoration skills and evolving conservation practices.
You will join a team working on Heroes Tapestries, a renowned series from around 1400. You will have an opportunity to participate in research that uses advanced imaging techniques and various tapestry conservation methods, including wet cleaning, dyeing for color matching, and developing a support system for long-term preservation.
Please include a statement of interest explaining why you are the right candidate for this role.
This is a end-dated and part-time position requiring three days per week. Time frames will begin upon hire: 9 months.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES
• Participate in all phases of conservation work with the Heroes Tapestries, including condition check, examination, wet-cleaning, material preparation, dyeing yarns, conservation treatment, installation, and preventive conservation work in the galleries
• Perform conservation treatment on the tapestry following the plan developed by the team that incorporates various techniques to compensate for the losses and stabilize the structure of the tapestry, ranging from conservation stitching through spaced tabby weave to re-warping and re-weaving
• Participate in creating and organizing various types of documentation and conservation reports along the project's progress.
• Assist conservators with assigned tasks while maintaining regular communication with supervising staff and the Conservator in Charge during all phases of the project
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Masters degree from a recognized textile conservation training program, or someone with equivalent knowledge and work experience.
• 5 years of working experience with tapestries
• Knowledge and experience of tapestry conservation methodologies current in the filed
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent hands-on skills with textiles
• Basic photography and proficiency in using imaging programs for documentation
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with productive feedback/criticism
• Experience of working for a museum (preferred)

COMPENSATION RANGE:
• Pay Range : $46 - $50 / 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

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications 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.