Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge, Photographs Conservation

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. 

The Conservator in Charge of the Department of Photograph and Time-Based Conservation, one of the museum’s six conservation and science departments (Objects, Paintings, Paper, Textiles, Scientific Research), is responsible for the conservation of the collections of Photographs and Time-Based media in all departments in accordance with the highest standards of the profession and leads a team (currently) of five conservators and an administrator. You have extensive experience in the treatment and technical examination of photographs and a distinguished record in this area of conservation specialization. You will manage an intensive schedule of examinations involving acquisitions, installations, and exhibitions, working in concert with the appropriate curators, and including the installations being prepared for the new Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art (opening 2030). Working with the Department of Photographs, and other relevant curatorial departments, you will advise on the conservation needs of their collections of photographs and time-based media, to establish priorities for treatment, conservation, and the technical study of objects. You will be involved in decisions relating to the Museum environment, both in galleries and storage, that involve photographs and time-based media art.  It is expected that under your guidance, the department will remain a center for teaching and training of the next generation of conservators.

• Lead, mentor and inspire a team of conservators, an administrator, fellows, and interns

• Responsible for future staffing plans, project allocation, professional development, and operating budgets

• Coordinate the examination of photographs and time-based media for the Museum’s extensive loan and exhibition schedule, including installations throughout the permanent collections

• Responsible for the conservation of photographs and time-based media throughout the museum's collections

• Advise on decisions relating to the Museum environment, installations, capital projects, exhibitions, acquisition and storage that involve photographs and time-based media art.

• Undertake treatment and study of works

• Coordinate the examination of photographs and time-based media for the Museum's extensive loan and exhibition schedule

• Organize and oversee the examination of photographs and time-based media artworks that enter the museum through acquisition, gift, and loan, including loan exhibitions. 

• Coordinate and enhance the department's donor programs

• Encourage and support research, publishing and innovative approaches that reflect the latest advances in the field

• Liaise with all other relevant departments, including Conservation & Science, Curatorial, Exhibitions, Registrar, Digital, Buildings, Publications, Education, Design, Development

• Other related duties as assigned.

• Master's degree in conservation, or the equivalent, with an emphasis on the examination and treatment of photographs and time-based media.

• Demonstrated leadership and management skills in an active museum conservation department with wide-ranging responsibilities

• Demonstrated achievements in conservation treatments, independent research, and publications relating to the conservation of objects and the technical history of artist's materials and techniques

• Minimum of ten years’ experience in the conservation of photographs or time-based media including experience with a major museum collection preferred

• Broad understanding of modern conservation practice and its integration with the historical study of objects, proficiency in laboratory methods and familiarity with analytical instrumentation

• Excellent record in conservation ethics, philosophy and practice and the use of analytical instrumentation required

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Broad recognition within the field, including internationally

• Commitment to encouraging diversity in the field and to supporting interns and fellows

• A demonstrated ability in teaching and training emerging professionals

• Pay Range: $210,000.00 - $235,000.00 / 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 [email protected].  

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.