What are the responsibilities and job description for the Department Coordinator, Contemporary position at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston?
Reporting into the Beal Family Chair of Contemporary Art, the Department Coordinator provides essential administrative knowledge, planning, and implementation for the Department of Contemporary Art.
About the Department :
The Department of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presents, collects and fosters access to and understanding of contemporary art, loosely defined here as work made after 1955 in painting, sculpture, time-based media, installation, and performance. The Department advocates for the importance of contemporary voices in the context of a global and transhistorical museum, continually exploring opportunities to hear the voice of artists. With an eye on local, national, and international artists and communities, the Department creates a varied program for a range of audiences, working closely with colleagues from across the institution. The quickly evolving collection increasingly represents contemporary art in all of its iterations, transcending traditional boundaries and hierarchies of media, movements, and chronology.
Key Responsibilities :
Leads the key administrative initiatives for the department, following museum practices and policies.
Ensures compliance in all paperwork for all acquisitions, loans, and deaccessioning by the Collections Committee, working closely with departmental colleagues, the Manager of Collections Documentation, registrars, gifts of art office, and external contacts to process, ship, and register acquisitions, loans, and deaccessions.
Coordinates all departmental art-registration requests, including data entry on works of art, ship in / ship out requests, exhibition checklists and loan agreements, installation and conservation requests, photography, and the unpacking of small works of art.
Supervises the annual audit of the department’s collection, ensuring all locations and labeling are accurate and up-to-date.
Works closely with the department Chair on the oversight of the departmental budget and maintaining the budget throughout the year (revenue and expense); tasks include submitting fiscal year budgets, quarterly forecasts, transfers, requests for payments, reconciliations, expense reports, and general record keeping.
Works with department Chair on planning and running the department’s Development initiatives and donor relations, including Curators Circles groups (including publishing the regular newsletter and drafting event invitations, tracking RSVPS, and coordinating logistics for on-site events and off-site trips and collection visits).
Arranges internal meetings with the Steering Committee of Curators Circles, colleagues and external contacts, providing general communications and requests for Facilities, Media Services, Restaurant Associates, and other set-ups.
May handle first contact with the general public, dealers, collectors, artists, and donors regarding works of art in the collection and proposed donations and purchases.
Manage internship program with the Museum’s Volunteer and Intern Program Manager.
Oversees the general maintenance of the departmental intranet site; general TMS database updates and corrections.
Collects and organizes data to serve as metrics for departmental reports, as requested by the departmental Chair and the Museum’s Senior Manager, Planning and Operations.
Perform other duties as needed or requested specific to the Department of Contemporary Art, including but not limited to : coordinating and recording object study visits; assisting in coordination of departmental rotations throughout the museum; assessing requests for Rights and Licensing regarding use of images for publication; fielding questions from donors, dealers, and artists about the collection.
Skills :
Must be energetic and able to work in a fast-paced environment without compromising high standards
Detail-oriented, organized, used to multi-tasking, and poised with strong oral and written skills
Independent and self-directed, with the ability to execute projects from start to finish and possessed of strong follow-through skills
Able to work on individual projects while also contributing to or lead team projects
Qualifications :
BA or BS, preferably in Art History, Museum Studies, Management, or a comparable field
At least two year’s experience, preferably in a complex arts organization / museum / cultural or other related office environment
Demonstrated experience with budgets and project management
Familiarity with TMS (The Museum System) database is a plus
Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office programs
A commitment to support the Museum’s values of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.
Salary Range
Full-time Salary, 35 hours per week
Starting Salary : $48,000 - $50,000
This position is affiliated with the UAW union
The MFA is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, the MFA does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex / gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.
Salary : $48,000 - $50,000
