Title: Assistant Collections Manager for Works on Paper
State Role Title: VMFA Assistant/91692
Hiring Range: $52,000.00
Pay Band: UG
Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Recruitment Type: General Public - G
Department: Collections Management – Raysor Center for Works on Paper
This role is a faculty appointment exempt from the Virginia Personnel Act.
About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.
Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.
Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.
VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.
About The Raysor Center for Works on Paper:
The Raysor Center for Works on Paper is responsible for the physical and intellectual stewardship and management of the museum’s works on paper and photographs collections, which number more than 30,000 objects. The Raysor Center facilitates access to its collections for a wide range of purposes, included study, exhibitions and loans. The Raysor Center additionally maintains a study room that welcomes students, researchers, staff and members of the public who wish to view the museum’s collections of works on paper and photographs.
Role Information:
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts invites applications for the position of Assistant Collections Manager for Works on Paper. This is a dynamic opportunity for an innovative, detail-oriented, and collaborative professional interested in working directly with photography and works on paper collections in a fast-paced, rapidly growing institution. This new position comes at an exciting time for the Raysor Center for Works on Paper. VMFA is currently preparing for a major expansion project that includes a new 12,500-square-foot Raysor Center for Works on Paper, a state-of-the-art facility for conservation, research, public accessibility, and storage of photographs and works on paper, as well as the establishment of dedicated photography galleries.
To support this expanded footprint, VMFA seeks an Assistant Collections Manager to assist with many aspects of managing the museum’s extensive collections of works on paper and photographs, including cataloguing, organization, rehousing, and inventorying the collections.
Responsibilities:
1. Management and care of the museum’s collections of works on paper and photographs, including cataloging, rehousing, collection organization, tracking, and inventory
2. Under supervision of Collection Manager and curators, research and catalog incoming acquisitions of photographs and works on paper and update existing collection records in the museum database
3. Coordinate and support art movement, storage, housing, and preparation for acquisitions, gallery rotations, reinstallations, and exhibitions
4. Organize and maintain collection storage areas; assist with major inventory, unpacking, and rehousing projects
5. Collaborate with curators, registrars, conservators, installation crew, facilities, and security to pull, track, move, photograph, and prepare works for study, display, and storage
6. Prepare and return objects requested for curatorial review, conservation, or exhibition
7. Assist with the care, conservation support and permanent storage of works
8. Monitor environmental and cleanliness conditions in galleries and storage areas
9. Coordinate object movement and location tracking using the museum database and Asana
Minimum Qualifications:
10. Knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies typically obtained through the completion of a master’s level academic curriculum in art history, conservation, cultural heritage, museum studies or related field or commensurate professional experience.
11. Knowledge of art and art history, preferably with ability to identify types of photographs and/or works on paper.
12. Experience cataloguing and/or managing collections in an art museum, library or similar institution, preferably with works on paper and/or photographs.
13. Knowledge of best practices for handling, housing, and caring for works on paper.
14. Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects.
15. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
16. Experience using collections management software, including museum cataloging and project management software.
17. Physical requirements: Ability to lift boxes weighing up to 20 pounds Reach above shoulders Stoop, kneel, and ascend stepladder Move through museum while pushing a cart Color vision
Additional Considerations:
None
Benefits:
The Commonwealth of Virginia offers a comprehensive total compensation package that includes health benefits, paid leave, and flexible work schedules. The following benefits are available to classified employees:
18. Vacation and Other Leave
19. 12 Paid Holidays
20. Health Benefits
21. Sickness and Disability Program
22. Deferred Compensation with Cash Match
23. Group, Optional Life, and Long-term Care Insurance
24. Employee Assistance Program
25. Wellness Program
26. Retirement Plans
27. State Employee Resources
28. Agency-specific benefits such as complementary exhibition tickets and discounts on VMFA memberships, dining, shopping, classes & programs, and more.
Additional information relating to the benefits available to eligible state employees can be found online at:
Special Instructions:
Please provide three (3) professional references, including their full name, phone number, and email address. References should be able to speak to your qualifications for the position and may be included in your resume or cover letter or attached separately in the portal’s "other" field.
You will be provided with confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
Contact Information
For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.
Name: VMFA Human Resources Department
Email: for recruitment-related questions.
Phone: We do not provide application status updates via phone.
All applicants must submit an online application. This position will close at 11:55 pm ET on the designated closing date listed at the top of this posting on Jobs.Virginia.gov. Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted.
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.