JOB TITLE: Director of Curatorial Affairs

INSTITUTION: Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum 

JOB LOCATION: Centerport, NY

INSTITUTION WEBSITE: http://vanderbiltmuseum.orgvanderbiltmuseum.org

About the Institution: 

The Museum was created by William Kissam Vanderbilt II (1878-1944), great-grandson of railroad magnate ‘Commodore’ Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877), who built the New York Central Railroad and Grand Central Terminal in New York City and controlled many of the nation’s railroads between New York and Chicago.

Mr. Vanderbilt purchased 43 acres of waterfront land in Centerport, New York, and built his Eagle’s Nest estate and 24-room waterfront mansion in stages, between 1910 and 1936. The mansion is one of the few great houses that remain of the more than 1,200 Gold Coast mansions built on the North Shore of Long Island from the 1890s through the 1930s. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mr. Vanderbilt created a marine museum, The Hall of Fishes, and opened it to the community on a limited basis in 1922. It was the first stage of what became his larger museum complex. He traveled the world to collect thousands of specimens, including fish, insects, invertebrates, birds, and wild animals, along with cultural artifacts from Africa and the Pacific. The Vanderbilt Museum has the largest collection of privately assembled marine specimens from the pre-atomic era. 

The Mansion – a remarkable museum in itself – preserves and exhibits a rare, privileged way of life from America’s Jazz Age through the Great Depression. The Vanderbilt has been called a “museum of a museum,” and it remains today just as it was when the family lived on the estate, from the 1920s through Rosamond Vanderbilt’s death in 1947.  Mr. Vanderbilt left the Estate and Museum to Suffolk County, New York. It was opened to the public in 1950.

Job Description: 

Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Manage the curatorial department and all aspects of its operations, department policies, procedures, and budget.
• Work in a collegial manner to build trust and respect in a team-centric department and throughout the Museum.
• Develop civic, cultural, and philanthropic relationships to advance curatorial initiatives.
• Represent the Museum by membership and active participation in professional organizations (regional and national) and, when necessary, at meetings and conferences.
• Manage, schedule and coordinate staffing of museum docents (guides and greeters).
• Coordinate training and professional development opportunities for Mansion guides and greeters.
• Coordinate with Site Use Director on events that are held within and around the historic mansion and gardens and establish policies and procedures to ensure the protection and preservation of Mansion, grounds and collections during public and private events.
• Establish tour schedule for the Mansion living quarters.
• Plan and implement holiday decorating and programming within the Mansion.
• Plan, develop, implement or assist with the production of exhibits, outdoor sculpture exhibitions, publications, educational programs, and events relating to original museum artifacts, collections, or thematic disciplines that cover broad areas of marine and natural history. 
• Coordinate yearly training and professional development opportunities for curatorial staff in collections management, taxidermy conservation, and object conservation.
• Establish best practices for handling of art, artifacts, and furnishings and coordinate the implementation of those practices with other departments (especially Site Use, Facilities and Operations, and Development).
• Assist with or prepare documentation and research relative to the Vanderbilt family, its mansion and estate, its original artifacts, and collections.
• Prepare grant applications for departmental projects and exhibitions, manage awarded grants, submit required interim and final reports, and maintain proper documentation for Museum records.
• Attend weekly staff meetings and functions and submit related articles of interest to the weekly newsletter.
• Perform other Museum duties as required.

• Graduate degree required in museum studies, decorative arts, or objects conservation, or related field.
• At least three years of experience in a supervisory role within a museum with experience collaborating with other Museum departments.
• Minimum seven years relevant work experience as a curator with demonstrated success in designing and implementing curatorial strategies.
• An awareness of, and sensitivity to, the prime importance of maintaining the historic integrity of the Museum and all historic buildings.
• Extensive knowledge of museum curatorial principles, practices, and procedures.
• Excellent knowledge of conservation techniques, materials, and equipment.
• Ability to use technology in all aspects to perform successfully within each curatorial function.
• Proficiency with current digital preservation software.
• Superb interpersonal skills, and ability to participate as an integral member of the Museum’s professional staff.
• Ability to represent the Museum in the community and in the wider museum world.
• Ability to communicate effectively – orally and in writing.
• Highly organized, with ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Other Requirements:  Occasional travel.

This Position is: In-Person

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary range: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid time off, Contribution to Retirement Plan

How to Apply: kendra@vanderbiltmuseum.org