What are the responsibilities and job description for the Archivist position at Studio Museum in Harlem?
I. Job Summary & Details:
Job Summary (purpose of the role):
The Studio Museum in Harlem Archives consists of the institutional history of the Museum. It contains records of groundbreaking exhibitions, the foundational Artist-in-Residence program, and ongoing programs and relationships with the community of Harlem and beyond. The Archives reflects the emergence and ongoing representation of art by artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Archivist will work under the direction of the Director of Collection and Exhibitions and in consort with the Associate Curator, Permanent Collection; Registrar; and Collections Database Manager to manage and further develop the long-term care and accessibility of the Archives. The Archivist will continue the folder-level organization of historic assets; provide access to materials as requested for research, publications, the website, and collection care preparations in support of the reopening of the Museum; and coordinate established record retention policies. They will manage Archives fellows and interns.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Continue to process a large, multi-format collection of uncatalogued and unidentified assets to the folder level
- Continue establishing descriptive finding aids and container lists to create inventories for all historic materials
- Facilitate research access to assets with mediated supervision
- Establish protocols to distinguish public and non-public materials
- Ensure at-risk items are properly housed and identified
- Evaluate and oversee existing records retention policies
- Continue to selectively digitized the archive and establish a sustainable long-term digitization plan together with the Collections Database Manager
- Manage Archives fellows and students
- Monitor Archives email and respond to external reference requests
Managerial / Supervisory Responsibilities:-
Managerial / supervisory scope (individual contributors should select “N/a” in the below two sections). Number of: 1-2 Archive Fellows and engagement with curatorial interns
- Direct Reports: 1
- Indirect Reports: 1
-
Managerial / supervisory scope (individual contributors should select “N/a” in the below two sections). Number of: 1-2 Archive Fellows and engagement with curatorial interns
- Recruitment – collaborate with the Human Resource Department and Director of Collection and Exhibitions to recruit and select high caliber candidates for positions managed.
- Performance Management – provide clear direction, regular feedback and appropriate support to staff as needed to succeed in their jobs; assure that high performing staff are retained and that staff who are unable to perform are respectfully transitioned out of the organization and replaced.
- Development - provide staff with appropriate career and professional development opportunities.
- Engagement - ensure staff are effectively engaged.
- Culture & Environment - foster in staff behaviors and attitudes consistent with Studio Museum in Harlem’s mission, core values and desired organizational culture.
Key Stakeholders (who this position will interact with regularly):
- Internal (excluding direct chain of command):
- Director and Chief Curator
- General Counsel and Chief Strategy Officer
- Chief Advancement Officer
- Director of Development
- Director of Media, Communications, and Content
- Director of Education
- Director of Public Programs and Community Engagement
- Registrar
- Collections Database Manager
External:
- The Studio Museum in Harlem Board Collection and Program Committee
- Researchers
Travel Requirements: Yes No- Percent travel required:
Physical Demands: Yes No
Lifting heavy boxes (approximately 20lbs)
Climbing short ladders
II. Education/Qualifications & Work Experience:
Required (items listed as “required” MUST be met for a candidate to qualify for this role):
- MS in Library Science with focus on Archives
- BA with an area of concentration in history, particularly African American History and or Mid-Century to Contemporary Art History
- 5 years of experience managing institutional archives, preferably at an art museum
Desirable:
- Management or supervisory experience
- Project management experience with digitization schemes
- Demonstrated interest in furthering the scholarship around artists supported by the Studio Museum’s mission
III. Competencies (Key Behaviors & Essential Abilities)
Required (items listed as “required” MUST be met for a candidate to qualify for this role):
- Commitment (Core Value) to the mission and values of The Studio Museum in Harlem.
- Collaborative (Core Value) with others at all levels of the organization as well as with key external stakeholders
Initiative (Core Value) is demonstrated by taking self-directed, appropriate action to influence outcomes and / or drive progress and positive change.