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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 building on to more than 36,000 objects in its collection.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

You have demonstrated abilities as a scholar and connoisseur in both South Asian and Himalayan art. You will work in close collaboration with the Curator in the Department to care for, research, display, and publish works in the South Asian and Himalayan section of the Department of Asian Art with special focus on works from the permanent collection that encompass Tibetan art and Indian court painting from the Sultanate to colonial periods. You will plan and execute on thematic installations and programs focused on the Museum’s extensive collection; working collaboratively with other members of the curatorial staff to facilitate complementary displays of relevant objects, such as cross-cultural displays of Buddhist imagery and Global Asia. You will make acquisitions of outstanding artworks through purchase or gift. You will present, document, study and communicate works of art in the collection to the wider public.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

+ Organize regular rotations in the Indian Special Exhibition Gallery in collaboration with your curatorial colleagues

+ Consult with the Museum’s conservation specialists as well as conservators in other relevant areas on the care of the collection and documentation of the condition of works

+ Assist in reviewing and updating object records in the database (TMS), including undertaking research in partnership with provenance researchers

+ Research, catalogue, and publish the collection of art from the Indian subcontinent with a special focus on Indian painting and Tibetan art in print, in our database and on the Museum’s website

+ Help to grow and refine the collection of art from the Indian subcontinent with a special focus on Tibetan art and Indian painting, including recommendations for acquisitions including undertaking relevant provenance research, and by working with dealers and collectors

+ Propose and organize special exhibitions and accompanying publications in collaboration with curatorial colleagues

+ Review outgoing loan requests and advise the Department Chair and Registrar’s Office

+ Contribute to the teaching mission of the Museum through public lectures and tours, docent training, and mentorship of interns and fellows

+ Cultivate and steward donors and collectors for acquisitions and fundraising

+ Contribute ideas to and participate in the Friends of Asian Art donor group and the Visiting Committee (advisory board) events

+ Answer correspondence relating to the collection and assist the public and visiting scholars

+ Foster and maintain meaningful working relationships with colleagues from other institutions in the U.S. and abroad including scholars, dealers, collectors, and other individuals involved with the interests of the Museum, while preserving personal and institutional independence

+ Lead with communications, whether written or spoken, that accommodate a variety of audiences depending on situation and need

+ Work independently and in collaboration/coordination with administration, collections management, conservation, curatorial, advancement, education, publication, digital, and other Met staff

+ Attend Museum events and make collection visits out of hours as necessary

+ Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

+ Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. coursework in South Asian Art History

+ 5 years of experience in the curatorial or academic field with a focus on South Asian pre-modern art history

+ Demonstrated scholarly achievement reflecting a deep understanding of relevant artworks through new research, publications, and engaging scholarly lectures and public presentations to a range of audiences

+ Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, an ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, and proven follow-through

+ Ability to conduct research in primary sources in Sanskrit, Hindi and preferably Tibetan.

+ Working knowledge of an Indian and European language (preferred)

+ Experience cultivating donors and collectors and the capacity to serve as an effective advocate for the Museum

+ Demonstrated competence in The Met’s core capabilities: (a) quality of work, (b) collaboration, (c) communication, and (d) adaptability to change.

+ The Museum may recommend that a new hire be awarded credit for time worked in the same or similar role with comparable responsibilities as outlined in the Regulations for Curatorial, Education, Library, Conservation, and Scientific Research employees.

COMPENSATION RANGE:

+ Pay Range: $95,000.00 - $110,000.00 / 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.