Collections Management Coordinator

Job Description

The Harvard Art Museums
—the Fogg Museum, Busch‑Reisinger Museum and Arthur M. Sackler Museum—have been dedicated to advancing and supporting learning at Harvard University, in the local community, and around the world. Displayed in galleries that mix not only media but schools of art, the collections at Harvard are celebrated and interrogated within a larger story of artistic expression and historical and contemporary issues. The diverse collection is among the largest in the United States.

Through research, teaching, professional training, and public education, the museums strive to advance the understanding and appreciation of art.

The Collections Management Coordinator is a key position that directly contributes to the smooth and successful operation of one of the country’s premiere art museums. Reporting to the Director of Collections Management, the Collections Management (CM) Coordinator supports division activity; manages special projects both within the art museums and on the Harvard University campus; performs a wide range of administrative duties that may be routine or complex and are often confidential.

Primarily supporting the goals of the division director, the CM Coordinator will communicate with and provide services to a broad selection of internal and external contacts at all organizational levels. A critical success factor is the ability to anticipate and resolve problems.

• Provide administrative support for the division director and division:
  • Manage director’s calendar and coordinate complex schedule of meetings between multiple sites across campus
  • Serve as point person for the Collections Management division, including updating departmental information on the Museums’ website and internal wiki page
  • Sign artwork in and out of all museum buildings, including same‑day art form, art and non‑art release forms as well as the receiving and releasing of fine art shipments as necessary
  • Assist director with compliance screening documentation
  • Gather and maintain statistical data, prepare annual reports
  • Coordinate and serve as point person for departmental onboarding of new staff
  • Create PowerPoint presentations and supporting documents for meetings
  • Attend meetings and records minutes including action items
  • Provide support as needed for budget coordination and tracking, purchasing, invoice processing, and other division financial activities.
  • Assist the Director of Collections Management with the annual budget submission and review of quarterly reports.
  • As needed, provide administrative support across the division, including partnering with the Staff Assistant, Registration.
  • Assist Division Director with the creation and implementation of streamlined workflow systems.
• Provide oversight of Art Incident reporting and tracking:
  • Lead Art Incident quarterly meetings, document and communicate all decisions, implementing where appropriate, with division director approval as needed.
• University and academic project support:
  • Manage Student Opportunities program for Collections Management. Document available internship programs. In consultation with Director of CM and Department Heads (CM), organize information and submit annual requests, coordinate hiring process.
  • Coordinate all campus art program needs:
    • Respond to all inquiries regarding university collections across campus, primarily those managed by the museum, clock, portrait and cultural property collections and the print rental program.
    • Assess and organize all new requests.
    • Create schedule for and manage installation and de‑installation requests, movement of artwork for emergencies, special projects, and building renovations.
    • Coordinate with borrowers, shippers, security departments, and internal staff to ensure the timely completion of all campus art projects.
    • Lead the print rental program each academic year, further automation of the selection process, manage in‑person pick‑ups and returns.
• Working with the Director of Collections Management, and in collaboration with museum and university colleagues, regularly reassesses Campus Art procedures to ensure the program meets the needs of both the University and the…