Assistant Registrar for Collections

Assistant Registrar for Collections
Reports to: Registrar for Permanent Collections
Salary Range: $45,000 - $55,000

The Assistant Registrar provides support to the Registration and Collections staff to ensure proper care, maintenance, preservation, and documentation of works of art under the care of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.

The Assistant Registrar manages a broad range of registration functions including maintaining records in the museum’s collections management database, (KE-EMu), as well as be involved in all aspects of the handling, documentation, and physical care of the permanent collection including acquisitions, deaccessions, exhibitions, and loans to the Museum.

The Assistant Registrar must be able to exercise discretion and judgment in actively managing both the Museum’s collection and works of art owned by other institutions or individuals that are part of temporary exhibitions or otherwise on loan to the Museum.  The Assistant Registrar must possess knowledge of museum registration standards and procedures as well as possess art handling skills and knowledge of art packing procedures.

Essential Job Functions

Collections Management:

• Support the Director of Registration and the Registrar for Permanent Collections with the primary oversight and care for the permanent collection of the Museum.
• Support the KE-Emu (or equivalent) collections management database by maintaining the database’s integrity and function, including, when necessary, troubleshooting database problems, and resolve database issues.
• Maintain and update in-house data standards documentation and user’s manual related to Assistant Registrar’s job-related functions; work with Museum staff to maintain data quality input into the database.
• Follow American Alliance of Museums (AAM) guidelines and Museum Policy to determine and implement best practices and ethics for Museum Registration

Loans to the Museum’s Permanent Collection and Exhibitions:

• Process and negotiate incoming loan agreements for the art galleries in coordination with Curatorial and Registration.
• Prepare and execute related Registration paperwork such as, temporary receipts, outgoing memorandums, re-entry memorandums, loan agreements, and insurance, for entering and exiting works of art.
• Coordinate packing, shipping, and process entering and exiting works of art for incoming loans. Produce condition reports and ensure that art is tagged, measured, digitally photographed, and properly stored.
• Close out hard-copy and digital loan files upon completion of the loan.
• Receive and release works of art

Art Handling and Transit:

• Coordinate and book fine art shippers within budget.
• Maintain finance records in purchase ordering system and registration ledger.
• Accompany works of art as a courier domestically, internationally, and with traveling exhibitions.
• Assist the Registration and Collections department with the movement, installation, and deinstallation of works of art and exhibitions, including shipping, unpacking, and packing

Department Support:

• Assist with addressing requests from the Museum’s collections inquiry mailbox, from the public, information desk, and other staff while utilizing appropriate resources.
• Perform as a staff liaison and be able to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers, and the public.
• Prepare, process, update, maintain, and distribute departmental records, budgets, reports, schedules, inter-departmental forms, and memorandums. Compose and type routine correspondence.
• Collaborate with the Registration and Collections Support staff to produce and maintain the weekly Registration Department Schedule.
• Provide department-related support as needed.
• Be available to work limited hours outside of normal museum hours for after-hours emergencies and/or artwork shipments.

Other duties may be assigned.  To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Required Skills

• Exercise discretion and judgment in actively managing both the Museum’s collection and works of art owned by other institutions or individuals that are part of temporary exhibitions or otherwise on loan to the Museum.
• Must maintain confidentiality.
• Possess knowledge of registration standards and functions.
• Possess art handling skills and knowledge of art packing procedures.
• Possess strong computer skills and proficiency in use of software programs used by the Registration department including, but not limited to, Word, Access, Excel, and Outlook. 
• Perform general administrative duties such as preparing paperwork, filing, and copying.
• Complete special projects and basic research as assigned.
• Possess excellent organizational, interpersonal, and effective communication skills. 
• Be detail-oriented with strong attention to accuracy.
• Possess strong note taking and proofreading skills.
• Be capable of meeting deadlines with minimum supervision.
• Possess the ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. 
• Possess the ability to function as staff liaison and to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, board members, staff, and the public.
• Possess the ability to calculate and analyze numbers and perform basic mathematical equations.
• Possess the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Be able to produce and maintain various schedules.
• Possess the ability to do multiple tasks, prioritize them, and work with frequent interruptions. 
• Assist with inventories of the collection.
• Serve as supervisor to interns or volunteers.
• Possess knowledge of digital photography media.

Educations and/or Experience

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required, A master’s degree in art history or museum studies is preferred.
• Two to three years’ related experience and/or training required; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Demands of Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of that that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this hob, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel works of art, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/ or move up to twenty-five pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color, vision peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the position. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

Salary : $45,000 - $55,000