Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY

EXETER, NH

Phillips Exeter Academy, a co-educational residential school serving students in grades 9 through 12, and post-graduate level, was founded in 1781 by John Phillips.  Exeter has a tradition of academic excellence, a distinguished faculty, and a long history of educating young people to find their place in the world.  The 671-acre campus with academic and residential buildings, a 309,432 volume library, playing fields and green lawns is located in Exeter, a southern New Hampshire town which retains its 18th-century New England charm.  The Academy enrolls more than 1000 students from around the world.  Exeter offers a rich curriculum with over 400 courses taught by 210 faculty in eighteen academic departments.  The Academy employs approximately 425 staff who support the living, learning and teaching environment of a diverse student body.  The Academy’s longstanding commitment to excellence has made the school one of the finest in the country.  To learn more about Phillips Exeter Academy, visit http://www.exeter.edu/.

The Position

Lamont Gallery is embarking on the first sustained and comprehensive project to inventory, identity, and organize objects in its collection and to develop a set of procedures, policies and systems in support of maintaining the collection. The Collections Manager will coordinate the development of this project, and oversee all aspects of the care and management of works of art owned by or on special loan to or by Lamont Gallery. This position will report to the gallery director and curator.  This is a part time position (15-22 hours/week).

The Collections Manager, working with gallery staff and consultants, will

• Conduct a comprehensive objects inventory of Lamont Gallery collections in gallery storage and across campus.
• Oversee the development/purchase and maintenance of a digital collections management system.
• Organize and manage other records and files that provide information on the history, provenance, status, condition, location, and insurance of each object, working in collaboration with the Institutional Advancement, Archives, Facilities and Finance departments where relevant. Create a standard protocol for future object files.
• Develop a set of comprehensive collections policies and procedures that reflect the guidelines of AAM, AAMG, and other established best practices in the museum field; contribute to the development of a collections mission and future collections strategy.
• Oversee the reorganization of safe and proper storage of artworks in the collection and on loan; coordinate off-site art storage.
• Create, organize and maintain loan agreements and related documents; serve as courier for regional, national or international loans; manage reproduction requests.
• Help identify objects requiring conservation treatment and work with conservators to address these needs.
• Coordinate appraisals and work with Finance to update insurance coverage.
• Coordinate photographic documentation of works in the collection
• Contribute to facilities and budget planning for future collections care needs.
• With consultation with director and curator, oversee accessioning of gifts and purchases of all works of art into the permanent collection and ensure that all appropriate acknowledgments and deeds of gifts are executed; develop and oversee the deaccessioning process.
• In conjunction with the gallery manager, supervise art handling, preparation, installation, packing and shipping associated with work from the collection.
• Work with curator, education staff, interns, and volunteers to develop educational programs linked to objects from the collection.
• Assist faculty, students, individuals and institutions engaged in research and scholarship pertaining to Lamont Gallery collection; provide access to the collection.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must have a Bachelor’s Degree in art history, museum studies or library science, ideally with concentration in collections management. Masters-level training preferred but undergraduates with substantial hands-on experience in the field (conducted in a professional setting outside of the context of a degree program) are also welcome to apply.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of accepted registration and collections practices and principles including inventory, collections management systems, provenance research, and object/art handling.
• Experience with some or all aspects of starting a collections management project from start to finish is desirable. Familiarity with AAM guidelines, collections policies, and academic collections.
• Knowledge of standard practices in art shipping and storage, materials knowledge (2D/3D), and exhibition preparation.
• Strong organizational, communication, and computer skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team, ability to juggle multiple projects and prioritize.
• Ability to work across a range of people including students, faculty, staff and alumni, donors and outside institutions.
• Attention to detail, flexibility, a sense of humor, discretion, and inventiveness in problem-solving collections issues with minimal resources.

Application

Submit a cover letter and a current resume, as one document (pdf or MS Word format), AND a completed application http://www.exeter.edu/documents/Application__EEO.pdf to recruitment@exeter.edu.  Please indicate in the subject line:  HR Partner.  The deadline for submission is August 15, 2015.  The successful candidate for this position will be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment background check.

The Academy offers competitive salaries, free parking, meals & more in a supportive, collegial environment in a drug- and smoke-free workplace.
The Academy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, genetic information, or physical or mental disabilities which do not prevent performance of essential job tasks.

The Academy is committed to recruiting, supporting and fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive community of outstanding faculty, staff and students. Those who share this goal are encouraged to apply.

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Due to the volume of responses received for job postings, we are unable to provide individual status updates.  All applicants will receive electronic confirmation of application submission and final status.  Only those applicants selected by the search committee will be contacted directly.  We appreciate your understanding, cooperation and interest in employment at Phillips Exeter Academy.