What are the responsibilities and job description for the Collections Manager position at State of South Carolina?
JOB
Are you looking to be part of an innovative team of professionals dedicated to telling South Carolina's diverse stories? As the storytellers of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) strives to share the rich natural, technological and cultural diversity of the state through its permanent collections, programs, exhibitions and digital content. The SCSM is the largest museum in South Carolina, stewarding over 1.1 million objects and specimens and welcoming 5 million visitors over its 34-year history. The museum has recently embarked on a renovation of 150,000 square feet of its exhibition, programmatic and collection storage spaces occupying four floors of a historic 1890s textile mill on the National Register of Historic Places. Come be a part of our team reimagining what the South Carolina State Museum can be for our next generation of visitors, students, and scholars, and enjoy living in South Carolina’s capital city, recently ranked the 7th most affordable city in America by the Wallstreet Journal/Realtor.com. The South Carolina State Museum seeks a detail-oriented individual to help manage the physical care of the collections which tell the stories of South Carolina. Reporting to the Director of Collections Management, the Collections Manager will take the lead in improving the storage conditions of the collection, overseeing cleaning of the museum, coordinating with facilities management for environmental monitoring, and assisting with the physical processing of acquisitions and loans. This position also plays a close role in the ongoing full inventory of the museum’s collection in conjunction with the Director of Collections Management and consults on upcoming storage renovations.Responsibilities and Duties: Identifies areas of needed improvement in storage and works to plan for and implement solutions, both as part of the daily workflow as well as for the long-term upgrades in the upcoming Reimagine the Experience (RTE) renovation projectAssists with catalouging collections and loans. Applies numbers to objects, packs and moves objects for storage, and records location in the database.Facilitates access to storage for staff and guests. Coordinates object movement for exhibitions, loans, programs, and contractors.Monitors and ensures compliance with environmental standards for temperature and humidity in the museumOversees the Integrated Pest Management monitoring and reportingCreates and maintains schedule for cleaning exhibition and storage spaces, with occasional use of lifts, scaffolding and/or 14-foot ladders for higher shelving and displaysEnsures compliance with the Collections Management Policy and other policies in areas of storage and collections careAssists with object-handling training and oversight, including exhibit installations both in house and offsiteAssists with object transportation to offsite venues for loans, programs, objects pickups, conservationMaintains and updates as needed policies and procedures related to collections care and cataloguing standardsLeads grant and seasonal part-time employees in inventorying the collections as defined by the Director of Collections Management and grant awardsWorks cross-disciplinarily in a team atmosphere to achieve the museum’s strategic goals.All other duties as assigned.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a focus on history, museum studies or related field.Minimum five (5) years experience in collections management, registration, or other museum collection methodologiesProven knowledge and experience in managing collections storage facilities, object handling, access control, environmental standards for collections, and storage solutions/designKnowledge of best practices in collections handling, care, and preventative conservationAbility to assess, prioritize, and project manage to meet deadlines with minimal supervisionDemonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environmentGood organizational skills and attention to detail, especially in written communicationExperience working with a collections management system; Axiell’s Emu a plusWork Environment and Essential FunctionsHave a valid driver's license and be willing to drive vans and box trucks.Ability to lift 30 lbs and climb on ladders, lifts, and scaffolding with cleaning equipmentAbility to handle collections safely and securely, including manual dexterity and ability to operate pallet jacks and other low-impact equipment for moving objectsComfortable working in tight, dusty, and dirty spaces, and with potentially hazardous materials such as taxidermy, weapons, and historic chemicals using provided PPE and trainingComfortable communicating with lenders, donors, and the public about the functions of collections management
Are you looking to be part of an innovative team of professionals dedicated to telling South Carolina's diverse stories? As the storytellers of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) strives to share the rich natural, technological and cultural diversity of the state through its permanent collections, programs, exhibitions and digital content. The SCSM is the largest museum in South Carolina, stewarding over 1.1 million objects and specimens and welcoming 5 million visitors over its 34-year history. The museum has recently embarked on a renovation of 150,000 square feet of its exhibition, programmatic and collection storage spaces occupying four floors of a historic 1890s textile mill on the National Register of Historic Places. Come be a part of our team reimagining what the South Carolina State Museum can be for our next generation of visitors, students, and scholars, and enjoy living in South Carolina’s capital city, recently ranked the 7th most affordable city in America by the Wallstreet Journal/Realtor.com. The South Carolina State Museum seeks a detail-oriented individual to help manage the physical care of the collections which tell the stories of South Carolina. Reporting to the Director of Collections Management, the Collections Manager will take the lead in improving the storage conditions of the collection, overseeing cleaning of the museum, coordinating with facilities management for environmental monitoring, and assisting with the physical processing of acquisitions and loans. This position also plays a close role in the ongoing full inventory of the museum’s collection in conjunction with the Director of Collections Management and consults on upcoming storage renovations.Responsibilities and Duties: Identifies areas of needed improvement in storage and works to plan for and implement solutions, both as part of the daily workflow as well as for the long-term upgrades in the upcoming Reimagine the Experience (RTE) renovation projectAssists with catalouging collections and loans. Applies numbers to objects, packs and moves objects for storage, and records location in the database.Facilitates access to storage for staff and guests. Coordinates object movement for exhibitions, loans, programs, and contractors.Monitors and ensures compliance with environmental standards for temperature and humidity in the museumOversees the Integrated Pest Management monitoring and reportingCreates and maintains schedule for cleaning exhibition and storage spaces, with occasional use of lifts, scaffolding and/or 14-foot ladders for higher shelving and displaysEnsures compliance with the Collections Management Policy and other policies in areas of storage and collections careAssists with object-handling training and oversight, including exhibit installations both in house and offsiteAssists with object transportation to offsite venues for loans, programs, objects pickups, conservationMaintains and updates as needed policies and procedures related to collections care and cataloguing standardsLeads grant and seasonal part-time employees in inventorying the collections as defined by the Director of Collections Management and grant awardsWorks cross-disciplinarily in a team atmosphere to achieve the museum’s strategic goals.All other duties as assigned.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a focus on history, museum studies or related field.Minimum five (5) years experience in collections management, registration, or other museum collection methodologiesProven knowledge and experience in managing collections storage facilities, object handling, access control, environmental standards for collections, and storage solutions/designKnowledge of best practices in collections handling, care, and preventative conservationAbility to assess, prioritize, and project manage to meet deadlines with minimal supervisionDemonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environmentGood organizational skills and attention to detail, especially in written communicationExperience working with a collections management system; Axiell’s Emu a plusWork Environment and Essential FunctionsHave a valid driver's license and be willing to drive vans and box trucks.Ability to lift 30 lbs and climb on ladders, lifts, and scaffolding with cleaning equipmentAbility to handle collections safely and securely, including manual dexterity and ability to operate pallet jacks and other low-impact equipment for moving objectsComfortable working in tight, dusty, and dirty spaces, and with potentially hazardous materials such as taxidermy, weapons, and historic chemicals using provided PPE and trainingComfortable communicating with lenders, donors, and the public about the functions of collections management
