At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.
Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.
At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.
Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.
Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.
Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.
Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.
Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.
About the Role
The Collections Technician is a member of The Huntington Art Division’s Collections Management team and reports to the Collections Manager. This position is integral in the consistent planning and implementation of The Huntington’s schedule of gallery maintenance and collections care. As the collections grow and our exhibition program expands, in line with The Huntington’s strategic plan, it is necessary to have skilled staff dedicated solely to the care and movement of permanent collection and keep up the gallery spaces that display the artworks. The position’s responsibilities include dusting of artworks on display and in storage, assistance with storage organization and rehousing projects, packing and movement of permanent collection artwork, and Collections support for special projects.
S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.
This is a part-time position, slated for approximately 15-22 hours per week.
Essential Duties
Contribute to the preventive conservation and collections care program for artworks on display and in storage, according to museum standards of care and preservation.
Assist with collections management tasks under the supervision of the Collections Manager.
Provide routine maintenance and care for artworks on display in the galleries and outdoors and assist with collections management tasks under the supervision of the Collections Manager.
Support risk mitigation through routine gallery maintenance and collection care.
Provide preventative conservation for artworks on display and in storage according to museum standards of care and preservation.
Assist with artwork movement of artwork for gallery rotations, conservation assessments, photography, and storage organization projects.
Collaborate with Preservation supporting the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and maintain cleaning logs.
Handle, transport, inventory, and pack artworks. Consult with Preservation department if there are concerns with fragile objects.
Oversee outside vendors working in Collections spaces.
Help organize and maintain storage and collections management tools and supplies.
Works with Registration and Collections Management colleagues to transport art on campus driving Art Department vehicles between collections storage facilities, galleries and other campus departments.
Attend relevant departmental and museum-wide meetings and training sessions.
Maintain professional development in collection care.
May perform other related duties as assigned.
Candidate Requirements and Experience
Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
High School diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree in studio art, art history, or a related field, preferred.
At least two years of experience in one or more of the following areas is desired: museum collection management, art preparation and installation, art conservation, studio art, libraries, archives, art gallery.
Demonstrated knowledge of safe art-handling procedures for two- and three-dimensional objects in a variety of materials, sizes, weights, and condition.
Knowledge of art packing techniques and packing materials.
Experience creating custom boxes and storage mounts for objects is desired.
Good hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and spatial reasoning.
Ability to follow instructions, plan, multi-task, problem-solve and meet deadlines.
Ability to perform tasks that require handling and organizing artworks with attention to detail.
Ability to work independently and within a team.
Ability to manage physical tasks such as lifting and moving objects safely and efficiently.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with museum staff, representatives from other arts institutions, consultants, artists, and vendors. Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Must be able to work Tuesdays.
Maintain consistent and reliable attendance.
Valid CA driver’s license required.
Preferred:
Ability to operate pallet jacks, hand trucks, dollies and other lift equipment
Ability to operate scissor lifts
Experience with Microsoft platform
Experience with TMS collections management software
Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Working Conditions
Gallery, storage, and office settings. Most of the work will be indoors, but there is some outdoor work.
Must be able to twist/bend, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, grasp forcefully, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects frequently in a safe manner.
Must be able to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, sometimes for prolonged periods.
Must be able to lift and/or move up to 40 pounds at times.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
Pay Rate: $26.00/hr.
Medical, Dental, Vision
403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds
The Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.