Research Assistant [End dated]

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.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
The full-time (35 hr/wk with benefits) Research Assistant/Associate's primary responsibility will be to provide administrative support and undertake research for Musical Bodies, a major special exhibition being organized by the Musical Instruments Department.
This is a position with an established end-date or time frame . This position is currently scheduled to end near the end of June 2026.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
- Conduct in-depth research to support the writing of the catalogue, exhibition didactics, checklist, provenances, bibliographies, and exhibition histories of works in the exhibition; and assist in organizing associated programming and online material;
- Manage lender correspondence, track loan requirements
- Work with Curator and Publications Department to assist with all aspects of the exhibition catalogue production, including image requests for the catalogue, communications with authors, design process of catalogue, and copy editing;
- Maintain object checklist and files;
- Prepare PowerPoint materials for lectures in support of projects; give walkthroughs and gallery talks as needed;
- Assist Curator in interfacing with internal departments involved in exhibition actualization, including Exhibitions, Registrar, Design Department, Communications, Conservation, Editorial, and Development;
- Draft object tombstones for exhibitions and catalogues
- Coordinate and assists with procurement of rights for video, music, images, and other content for publication and exhibition
- Work with Curator, Counsel's Office and Exhibitions Department to compile information needed for Immunity from Seizure applications;
- Other duties as assigned
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
- Graduate degree in anthropology/ethnomusicology, art history, and/or music;
- Excellent administrative and research skills, ideally gained through prior museum or gallery experience
- Cross disciplinary and strong object-based knowledge
- Superb communication and organizational skills, with the ability to effectively research while tracking references, collections information, and project deadlines;
- Excellent writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly in both academic and public-facing prose.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and to exercise initiative
- Excellent computer skills; experience with Microsoft Office Suite, TMS (The Museum System), and Adobe Photoshop preferred
COMPENSATION RANGE:
- Pay Range : $31 - $32 /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 [email protected] .
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.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides an opportunity for employees to enrich and develop their love of the arts while contributing their specific skills and talents to the mission of the Museum. Career opportunities at The Met are as varied as the cultures represented in the Museum's collection, and require all levels of training, experience, and education.
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. If you share our community's values, please apply to one of our exciting opportunities!
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.
The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.
Transparency in Coverage
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Machine-Readable Files on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in compliance with the Transparency in Coverage Rule. To link to the Machine-Readable Files, please click on the URL provided: http://transparency-in-coverage.uhc.com/