Research Associate

Research Associate

•  The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

The Research Associate works closely with The Costume Institute curators and departmental colleagues, providing crucial research and administrative support on special exhibitions, related publications, and departmental projects. The Research Associate assists curators with the collection and organization of research, including development of the object list, textual elements, and related content in support of the department’s active exhibition and publication schedule. As a curatorial point-person for exhibitions, the Research Associate supports the curatorial team; colleagues in Design, Editorial, Digital, Communications and Education; along with external collaborators to disseminate information, track project milestones, and coordinate timely delivery of materials.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Conducts thematic and object-based research, independently, and in collaboration with junior staff such as Research Assistants and interns
• Organizes curatorial research in TMS and internal drives
• Creates and updates research presentations and materials for internal and external collaborators
• Drafts object tombstones for exhibitions and catalogues
• Assists with submission, tracking, and authoring exhibition labels as needed
• In collaboration with loans coordinator, aids in tracking lender correspondence and coordinating research requests under a rapid timeline
• Supports production of special exhibition catalogs, including organization of objects lists, planning for photography, and receipt and review of images
• Assists with additional research support, fact checking, routing and proofing of texts and other curatorial content
• Coordinates and assists with procurement of rights for images, video, music and other content for publications and exhibitions
• Serves as an internal point person for Costume Institute teams, coordinating with CI Collections, Conservation, and Installation to track and communicate changes to exhibition curation, and object needs pertaining to design and installation
• Coordinates with other museum departments, including Exhibitions, Design, Editorial, Communications, Digital and Education, as well as with external creative consultants and other exhibition partners, to help manage curatorial work
• Provides tours of departmental exhibitions
• Supports Educational programming
• Assists with cataloguing and processing of departmental acquisitions as needed
• Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced degree in Costume, Art or Design History
• 3-5 years of museum and research experience
• Knowledge of fashion history, basic textile science, and strong object-based knowledge
• Strong research skills with proven follow-through
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; strong attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and to exercise initiative
• Fluency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant languages such as French, Italian, or Japanese
• Familiarity with TMS preferred

COMPENSATION RANGE

• Pay Range : $64,000 – $71,000 / Annually
• 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

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.

How to Apply

Click here to apply online
JR-42683

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.

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