JOB TITLE: Registrar

INSTITUTION: Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum

JOB LOCATION: Centerport, NY 

INSTITUTION WEBSITE: vanderbiltmuseum.org

About the Institution: 

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Reichert Planetarium is located on the stunning Eagle’s Nest estate, the former summer residence of William K. Vanderbilt II. Few workplaces equal the Vanderbilt Museum in its natural and architectural beauty, providing workers with a unique workplace benefit. This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic team of historians, educators, and museum professionals, all working together to preserve Long Island’s history for the next generation.

Job Description:

The Registrar is responsible for the care, organization, and use of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s permanent collections in accordance with the Museum’s Collections Management Policy.  The Registrar implements established protocols and procedures for the effective stewardship of the collections, and processes material donations to the Museum for research access and exhibition purposes. Occasionally, the Registrar also oversees related archival and collections work performed by interns, fellows, and volunteers. The Registrar is expected to be an effective, team-oriented member of the Curatorial department and reports directly to the Director of Curatorial Affairs.

Principal Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Monitors permanent exhibition space and storage areas in terms of environmental conditions such as humidity, lighting levels, and temperature.
• Performs routine cleaning and rotation of objects on display in coordination with curatorial staff.
• Oversees pest management in collection storage areas.
• Identifies areas in the collections where rehousing and/or reorganization is necessary.
• Creates permanent storage for recent acquisitions.
• Purchases supplies needed for preservation and storage.
• Establishes conservation priorities and provides annual conservation recommendations.
• Manages conservation initiatives and treatments.
• Works with the Director of Curatorial Affairs to create a yearly budget for collections management and conservation.
• Coordinates and facilitates archives access requests by staff, trustees, researchers, and the public.
• Manages reproduction requests, fair use claims, and other intellectual property or copyrighted materials owned by the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
• Prepares documents for loan, acquisition, or deaccession of objects and specimens.
• Supervises the management of the collections database; including data clean-up, staff training, and the creation of user guides and reports; and works with staff to ensure data standardization.
• Identifies digitization priorities and leads initiatives according to FADGI standards.

• Ensures compliance with AAM and government regulations for archives.
• Ensures accurate and up-to-date inventories, finding aids, and catalogues of the collection.
• Prioritizes backlogged collections processing and management.
• Responsible for regular appraisals and condition reports for items in the permanent collection.
• Describes the collection according to recognized archives standards (DACS, EAD, Dublin Core).
• Purchases new archival supplies as necessary.

• Manages and maintains Disaster Preparedness / Emergency Response Plan for the archives and collections.
• Conducts training for staff and volunteers on best practices for object handling and collections care.
• Ensures all new gifts and/or material donations to the Museum follow the Collections Management Policy and are thoroughly documented according to institutional standards and guidelines for donations.
• Advises the Director of Curatorial Affairs on new archival policies for improved collections care and maintenance.

• Assists the Director of Curatorial Affairs in the preparation of proposals, grants, and reports.
• Other duties as assigned.

• M.A. in Museum Studies or related field with professional training in object conservation and/or preservation.
• At least three years of collections management experience in a museum setting.
• Experience in records and archives management, including the use of designated archives management software.
• Supervisory experience.

• Knowledge of collections curation and preservation requirements, storage needs, and registration procedures.
• Understanding of federal regulations concerning copyright restrictions and intellectual property.
• Familiarity with nomenclature for museum cataloging.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, orally and in writing, with staff, trustees, vendors, and others.
• Professional demeanor when interacting with patrons, donors, specialists, and researchers.
• Experience with PastPerfect or alternative collections management software.
• Exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team.
• Must be able to lift heavy containers (50 lbs.) and handle fragile items.
• Visual acuity and ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.

• Occasional travel.

This Position is: In-Person

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary range: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

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

How to Apply: kendra@vanderbiltmuseum.org