60 Met Curatorial Assistant Jobs Hiring Near You

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.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:
The Department of Asian Art is one of The Met's most active curatorial departments with a large curatorial and conservation staff responsible for studying, caring for, displaying, and enabling access to the over 36,000 objects in its collection.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
As the Research Associate, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, you will provide research and support for the Curator of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, with a focus on building and strengthening the scholarly and organizational infrastructure for ongoing and upcoming exhibition projects and research topics. Working closely with the Curator, you will contribute to the development of an upcoming exhibition on Chinese portraiture, support research into acquisitions, and advance the scholarly foundation of the collection; you will assist the curatorial, administrative, and exhibitions team during the planning and development of the exhibition. Truth and Image: Portraits in China, 1000-1900 will be the first major exhibition to examine the development of the genre across the span of premodern and early modern Chinese history.
This is a position with an established end-date or time frame. Time frames will begin upon hire: 2 Years
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Conduct in-depth research on objects in preparation for exhibition and publication, including compiling artist biographies, provenance, bibliographies, and exhibition histories
• Assist with research related to recent and prospective acquisitions, including the preparation of acquisition reports and supporting materials
• Draft and edit object texts for exhibition labels, catalogues, and digital platforms
• Develop and maintain object checklists, research files, and internal documentation
• Assist with the study and interpretation of inscriptions in classical Chinese
• Coordinate with cross-departmental colleagues on exhibition planning, timelines, and recordkeeping
• Serve as a liaison with Collections Management to ensure accurate and up-to-date information in the Museum's database
• Source comparative images and organize visual materials for research, exhibition, and publication purposes
• Assist with the composition of interpretive material, including gallery labels, images/captions, digital content, or other assets, and securing rights Assist with the organization of lectures, symposia, and educational programs related to the collection
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in art history or a related field required; PhD in Chinese art history preferred
• Strong background and expertise in Chinese portraiture.
• 1 - 2 years of demonstrated academic research experience, either as an independent researcher or fellow.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, an ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, and proven follow-through
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Chinese
• Ability to conduct research in primary sources in modern and classical Chinese
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel), Microsoft Teams, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Adobe Photoshop; experience with TMS (The Museum System) database preferred.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication and collaboration skills.

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $72,000.00 - $74,000.00 / 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.