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:

As the Assistant for Acquisitions, you will coordinate, organize and assist with processing paperwork for all acquisitions of art, including gifts, promised gifts, bequests, and purchases. You will draft, review, and edit written materials for presentation to the Board, Executive Committee, and Acquisitions Committee. You will work closely with the Director’s Office, Curatorial and Conservation Departments, the Registrar’s Office, Finance, and Development to process acquisitions of art. This position is fully on-site.

Please include a cover letter with application.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Coordinate preparation of written materials to the Acquisitions Committee

• Review, edit, and draft reports for the Board regarding every gift, bequest, and purchase of art

• Coordinate deaccessioning and disposals processes

• Assist in preparation of all Acquisitions Committee meetings including dry run meetings

• Draft correspondence for the Acquisitions Committee including cover letters, emails, and memos

• Assist with gifts-related tasks including maintaining the promised gift database in Excel, coordinating the review and signature of Form 8283s, preparing Schedule M for the 990, and processing abandoned property

• Assist with processing departmental loans

• Assist the attorneys in Counsel’s Office with administration of estates which include bequests of art

• Daily response to emails regarding pending acquisitions

• Assist with compiling acquisitions data to generate reports as needed for attorneys and senior management, and other special projects

• Coordinate the archiving of acquisitions files with the Board Activities team

• Keep analog and digital files current

• Oversee preparation and draft reports using TMS

• Assist with other Board and Committee meetings in-person and via Zoom as needed.

• Notarize documents for attorneys and other Museum staff

• Other Counsel's Office related duties (such as mail, filing, answering phones, and coverage for attorneys when other assistants are out)

• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree, in Arts Administration, Art History, or equivalent experience.

• Previous work experience in an administrative environment required.

• Experience managing and organizing files

• Proficiency with MS Office (including Word/Excel/Outlook/PowerPoint), The Museum System (TMS). Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Zoom

• Strong verbal and written communication skills required

• Highly detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills, required

• Adept at conflict resolution, diplomatic, discreet, required

• Ability to work handle several tasks simultaneously, required

• Able to work as a member of a team as well as independently, required

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $34.00 - $36.00 / Hourly

• 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

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications 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.