Description

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world.

At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. 

Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always.

Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued.

Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission.

Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity.

Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As Head Registrar, you will lead a team of over thirty staff members who are responsible for the logistical oversight of every work in The Met’s encyclopedic collection of over 1.5 million objects covering five thousand years of global art history, a world-renowned temporary exhibitions program, an active touring exhibitions program, a robust acquisitions program, and an extensive program of outgoing loans, as well as the risk management of all artworks in The Met’s care.  You will oversee the planning and organization of the transfer of artwork from/to all domestic and international lenders, and cultivate and maintain essential relationships with global institutions, including lenders, borrowers, donors, shipping agencies, off-site storage facilities, government administrators, and fine arts insurance providers. You will identify, establish, and maintain best practices and protocols to ensure The Met’s role as standard bearer in areas of collections, exhibitions, acquisitions, loans, and risk management.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Manage and oversee all logistical aspects of the collection and acquisitions program, including gifts, purchases, bequests and departmental loans.
• Lead, manage, coach and mentor a team of 30 staff members that include Exhibitions Registrars, Outgoing Loans and Touring Exhibitions Registrars, Collection Registrars, Packing and Crating, Art Storage, Risk Management, as well as Logistics professionals, and administrators. Oversee departmental planning, structure, budgets, hiring and performance management.
• Recommend and advise on Museum policy regarding issues of import and export regulations, provenance, immunity from seizure, and cultural property,  as well as CITES, Fish and Wildlife, and Foreign Assets regulations.
• Develop and maintain excellent relationships with international peer institutions,  art logistics vendors, insurance providers, and government entities to further the Museum’s goals.
• Represent the Museum’s Registrar function within overall institutional strategic planning in collaboration with various stakeholders across the Museum as well as in external associations
• Oversee all loan administration, budgeting, insurance, and logistical analysis for complex domestic and international exhibitions.
• Review and negotiate exhibition and loan contracts in conjunction with the Exhibitions Office and Counsel's Office.
• Manage Outgoing Loans, which requires assessment of risk in facility reports and insurance policies of borrowers. approval of exceptions, and review and present monthly reporting of loans to the Board of Trustees.
• Oversee insurance/risk management administration in consultation with the Counsel's Office and the Exhibitions office.
• Negotiate annual renewal of insurance coverage with the Museum's insurance broker in collaboration with the Counsel's Office and the Exhibitions Office.
• Edit and review U.S. Indemnity applications and act as primary liaison with U.S. Indemnity team.
• In collaboration with Capital Projects, Collections, and Exhibitions, contribute to the Master Storage Plan development, including continued oversight and expansion of offsite warehouses, supervision of offsite collection relocations, and assessment and implementation of storage requirements for large bequests.
• Oversee archives and records for the permanent collection and special exhibitions, including legal documents and receipts, in accordance with the Museum retention policy.
• Oversee and develop annual department budget in coordination with The Met’s Finance department.
• Actively manage supplier relationships. Evaluate ongoing performance of current suppliers and identify and cultivate long-term supplier relationships. Oversee contracts for special projects/services as needed.
• Conduct short-term and long-range planning across all department functions to balance museum priorities and ensure adequate staffing is assigned to projects, and adequate space is available to pack and unpack art.  Plan, organize, and execute policy and procedures to govern all these functions. Ensure that technology infrastructure is in place to support all functions.
• Promote and lead the Registrar’s Office’s contribution to The Met’s broad, institution-wide sustainability initiatives and the Bizot Group Green Protocol.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree required, with a master’s degree in Museum Studies, Museum Administration, or another relevant field preferred
• 15 years of experience and trusted leadership within a major museum, auction house, or collection, with a complex understanding of the field of art registration, art logistics, and high-volume international exhibition programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing large, diverse teams, high-volume activity, complex projects, and negotiations with key stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of exhibition, loans, and collection management best practices, policies and procedures.
• Deep understanding of international art law as it relates to antiquities legislation, CITES, U.S. Customs, OFAC, and Immunity from Judicial Seizure.
• Superlative communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Strong management and staff development skills with a demonstrated ability to create an environment of cooperation, enthusiasm, empathy and high performance.
• Some domestic or international courier travel may be required
• Candidate must complete Security Threat Assessment application for TSA
• Knowledge of labor relations and union contracts helpful.
• Knowledge of a foreign language is helpful.

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $210,000.00 - $240,000.00 / Annually
• The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

Benefits Offerings

The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
• Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
• Free financial-planning services
• Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
• 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
• A subsidized staff cafeteria
• Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact benefits@metmuseum.org.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.