Responsibilities

• Leads day-to-day activities related to stewardship and care of the collections, including creating and maintaining detailed physical and digital object records following professional best practices, researching found-in-collections items, and coordinating photography of collections objects.
• Manages registrar processes for artifact acquisitions, including receipt, accessioning, condition reporting, and cataloging of collections objects.
• Manages incoming and outgoing object loans, including generating and managing loan agreements, executing incoming and outgoing condition reports, filing correspondence and transportation and insurance documentation, tracking physical custody, and confirming loan credit lines and reproduction rights.
• Maintains collections storage spaces and oversees the professional and secure storage and handling of objects in the collections center. Ensures that the artifact collections are safely stored in accordance with best preservation practices, undertakes environmental monitoring, develops and maintains security protocols, and performs light housekeeping duties in collections storage.
• Coordinates artifact deaccessions, including recommending items for deaccession, tracking documentation, and handling logistics for final disposition of artifacts.
• Identifies conservation needs within the collections, performs preventative conservation work as appropriate.
• Trains volunteers on collections care, handling, and preventative conservation as needed.
• Performs routine monitoring and cleaning of collections objects.
• Responds to research requests related to the artifact collections and coordinates in-person researcher appointments to view artifact collections and archives, as needed.
• Develops and maintains collections center handbook documenting policies, procedures, and workflows, including accessioning and deaccessioning workflows, guidelines for proper handling, and local cataloging practices and ensures all activities meet legal and regulatory standards
• Trains and/or supervises collections and library volunteers.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Requirements, Skills, Experience, & Education

• Either a bachelor’s degree in Museum Studies or a related field and/or minimum two years of related experience.
• Ability to work effectively and in a timely manner on a wide variety of projects concurrently, with concern for the tasks assigned and goals of the department.
• Strong problem-solving and project management skills, with an ability to be receptive to changing priorities and to manage multiple work processes and projects simultaneously.
• Maintain a high level of detail and accuracy in management and completion of tasks. Ability to work collaboratively and in a self-directed capacity, with a solutions-oriented focus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in object handling and collections care.
• Previous experience with a Collections Management System (CMS) such as Past perfect.
• Experience monitoring artifact storage and exhibit spaces for temperature/humidity, environmental hazards, safety, and cleanliness.
• Experience leading and supervising a team of 5-10 people.
• An interest in aviation history is a plus.

Shifts

• Minimum of 12 and maximum of 18 hours per week, depending on availability and project load.
• Shifts fall between 8 AM and 5 PM.  The Hiller Aviation Museum is a seven day per week operation and weekend shifts may be permissible.