The Met Museum

Special Officer (Licensed Peace Officer)

The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Full time

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:

The Special Officer enforces the Museum’s Security Rules and Regulations. The ideal candidate will be extremely organized and able to balance multiple tasks with competing priorities efficiently, professionally and with minimum supervision; work autonomously as well as part of a team; build strong relationships and trust with colleagues. They will possess the right and duty to make arrests as authorized by the New York Police Department.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

  • Enforce the Museums rules of conduct for visitors to ensure the public, Museum staff and other outside contractors adhere to certain fundamental rules to prevent theft, fire, damage, and personal injury.

  • Report all the daily occurrences for action through the chain of command; execute visitor access control processes and enforce the appropriate “vetting” procedures.

  • Identify, monitor, and control visitor, staff, vendor, volunteers, and contractor access during operating/non-operating hours of the Museum

  • Conduct regular/secondary searches of packages, parcels, and bags to identify anomalous items pursuant to Security Visitor Screening Guidelines

  • Preventing, detecting and identifying items brought into the Museum that may be used to vandalize or damage the collection during the screening process

  • Perform customer service by interacting with internal and external stakeholders with a well-developed level of maturity and professionalism.

  • Report all issues that cannot be resolved to the Frontline Security Supervisors, Associate Chief Security Officer for Frontline Security Operations, Incident Response Managers, and Managers for Frontline Security Operations through the Security Operations Center (SOC) or two-way radio

  • Guard and patrol Museum entrances, Museum perimeter and off-site facilities.

  • Monitor and report safety conditions.

  • Perform vehicle inspections at Museum garage entrances.

  • Provide escort within the Museum on as needed basis.

  • Other related duties.

  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, required

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates who have applied and been selected for the position of Special Officer, but who have not yet received their appointment as a Special Officer by the New York City Police Commissioner, shall be designated a “Special Officer Candidate.”  Special Officer Candidates will continue to perform the duties of a Security Officer/Senior Security Officer (as applicable) and will not be tasked with Special Officer duties, nor will be responsible for responding to incidents as a Special Officer, until they are appointed by the city.  However, Special Officer Candidates may be assigned to shadow existing Special Officers and similar on-the-job training from time to time.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

  • Must pass necessary qualifications to be appointed or be licensed as a Special Officer by the New York City Police Commissioner

  • Must live within the five boroughs of New York City

  • Must successfully complete or have completed the  M.P.T.C. Basic Peace Officer course (currently 162 hours)

  • Must meet Transportation Safety Administration requirements for S.T.A. approval.

  • Exemplary attendance and punctuality.

  • Commendable customer service and communication skills.

  • Good judgment, clear decision making, appropriate initiative and professional conduct.

  • Ability to perform and demonstrate self-control under difficult circumstances.

  • Ability to obtain a gun permit.

  • Must be able to maneuver safely up and down flights of stairs, bend, jump, run and lift 25 pounds.

  •  Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

  • Must be able to stand particularly for sustained periods of time (with legal break times)

KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION:

  • College degree preferred.

  • FDNY F03 Certificate of Fitness preferred.

COMPENSATION RATE:

  • Pay Rate: Without NYPD Peace Officer Appointment: $22.24268 / Hourly

  • Pay Rate: With NYPD Peace Officer Appointment: $24.25879 / Hourly

The advertised starting salary rate reflects the good faith minimum and maximum hourly rate for this role. Starting salary rates are set in accordance with established union rates provided by the economic agreement as established and negotiated by DC 37 and the City of New York, Office of Labor Relations. * Incumbent rates may vary depending on an individual employee’s seniority status, and/or based on terms as provided by the DC 37 Local 1503 and Museum collective bargaining agreement.

Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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.