Description

ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM

The Walters Art Museum is among America’s most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museum’s campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects.

Today, the Walters serves Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educators and storytellers, using the collection as a vehicle of knowledge and cultural expression to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. The museum is committed to public education, offering essential programs that help people to connect art to their lives. The Walters’ Visitor Promise aligns staff and volunteers across the museum to preserve and share the works in our care for future generations, partner with communities, and create welcoming, accessible experiences for visitors. The museum offers challenging and creative work opportunities by promoting collaboration, teamwork, and a culture that celebrates the diversity and inclusion of all. In December 2020, the museum finalized a set of multiyear diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) goals in alignment with the museum’s Strategic Plan and grounded in the following commitments: expand the histories the museum examines and shares; partner with our communities; and center equity, inclusion, and accountability in our culture and decision-making.

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

Reporting to the Director of Publication and Digital Production, the Manager of Publication is responsible for the editing of all programmatic texts produced for publication in any form, and other museum materials as needed, at the Walters Art Museum. In partnership with the copyeditor, the Manager of Publication acts as the logistical project manager for all publication projects, both digital and print, and serves as the main contact for image rights.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Editing

- Works in partnership with the Copyeditor to successfully:

Edit texts written by Walters staff and contractually bound writers to ensure grammatical and logical consistency with sensitivity to the level of editing required for each project, including books, catalogues, journals, labels and didactics, board materials, annual reports, members’ magazine, etc.;

Maintain the Walters institutional style guide; and

Ensure that the museum adheres to best practices with regard to sensitive and inclusive language.

All other duties as assigned.

Image Rights

- Works in partnership with the Imaging and Rights Coordinator to:

- Clear image rights in support of museum activities and ensures compliance with copyright laws; and

- Fulfill all external requests to the museum for publication quality photography.

- All other duties as assigned.

Administrative

- Creates and maintains all publication timelines, ensuring that projects progress according to schedules;

- Manages annual publication budget in order to effectively predict costs and meet production goals, through thoughtful projections and meticulous expense tracking; and

- Supervises Copyeditor and Imaging and Rights Coordinator.

- All other duties as assigned.

Quality Control

- Ensures that all printed and digital materials published adhere to the Walters style, standards, and brand.

- All other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

- BA, BFA, or equivalent professional experience preferred;

- 23 years of experience as a professional content and copy editor, with additional experience managing people; and

- Experience working with a variety of non-fiction texts related to the visual arts or cultural heritage preferred.

- Must be well-versed in the Chicago Manual of style, have knowledge of standard practices related to peer review, familiarity with print and digital publication practices, and basic knowledge of the history of art.

- Must have highly developed editing and proofreading skills, strong time and project management abilities, and effective verbal and written communication skills.

- Must be able to manage multiple projects on distinct timelines, generously keep authors on track, and maintain strong partnerships across the museum.

The Walters Art Museum provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, prescription, vision, subsidized transportation and parking, museum membership, short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, FSA (flexible spending account), 457b retirement, and free professional financial management counseling.

All employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The museum does not sponsor work visas.