Job Opening Title:
Registrar, Exhibitions Program
Name of Employer:
New Jersey State Archives
Job Site Location (City AND State):
Trenton, NJ
Application Deadline:
Minimum Degree Requirement:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Museum Professions such as Museum Studies, Collections Management or Collections Care, American Studies, History, Library and Information Science, or Material Culture, plus two (1) year of fulltime paid experience, or the cumulative equivalent, in a historical repository (e.g., museum, archive, library), historic site, public history agency, or cultural-history-related organization in a position that involved exhibition development and planning.
Years of experience required:
Salary Range:
$35 – $45/hour, commensurate with experience. This equates to $63,700 – $81,900 annually (fulltime).
Job Opening URL:
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Include instructions for how to apply:
Position function:
Supports and assists the State Archives’ Exhibitions Program Manager in the development of exhibitions and their planning, scope, scheduling, and installation; gathers and compiles visitor feedback and conducts surveys and other evaluative processes for exhibitions after they are installed; monitors and maintains exhibitions; works with other units of the State Archives, external organizations, and contractors to help effectuate exhibitions and related programming, as directed by the Exhibitions Program Manager; other related duties as required.
Examples of work:
• Supports the day-to-day operations of the State Archives’ Exhibitions Program.
• Assists the Exhibitions Program Manager with developing the exhibition schedule for the State Archives.
• Assists with the organization and development of exhibition content planning primarily featuring materials from the collections of New Jersey State Archives. This includes, but is not limited to, research, outline and script, project timeline, object checklist, loan negotiation, insurance, installation design and fabrication.
• Conducts exhibit-related research; identifies and recommends items for exhibition in consultation with the Exhibitions Program Manager, management, guest curators, and advisors.
• Assists in collaborations with consultants/contractors/vendors, interns and volunteers as needed, to design, fabricate, install, and deinstall long-term and changing exhibitions; ensures that consultants, contractors, and vendors meet requirements of work orders/contracts.
• In consultation with the Exhibitions Program Manager and appropriate Archives staff and any contracted conservators, recommends installation methods to ensure preservation of artifacts on view.
• Assists with analyzing the scope of projects to be completed, including the type, quality, and quantity of materials and supplies needed to complete projects in agreed-to time frames.
• In a subordinate role, works with Archives staff, staff of other state agencies, and non-governmental organizations, as needed, to: address loan requirements and determine methods of artifact exhibition; and oversee the preparation of loan agreements and insurance documents for borrowed objects.
• Monitors gallery, including but not limited to daily gallery/object checks, reviewing environmental conditions, replacing exhibition lamps, dusting/cleaning exhibition furniture, casework and vitrines, restocking interactive supplies, checking functionality of technology components; reports issues relating to any of the above to the Exhibits Program Manager or other designated staff in an expeditious manner.
• Maintains, orders, and manages inventory of equipment and supplies for Exhibitions Program.
• Assembles information and/or images, including associated use rights, for use in exhibition didactic
materials, gallery guides, educational hand-outs, catalogs, or promotional materials.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative working relationships within the other State Archives’ functional units, with other state agencies (primarily cultural agencies), and non-governmental New-Jersey-history and material-culture-related organizations.
• Prepares budgets, supply/equipment orders, correspondence, timelines and reports related to the duties described herein; maintains paper and electronic files and file directories accordingly, in a logical, organized, and accurate manner on an ongoing basis.
• Is or becomes proficient in the use of guides, indexes, databases, and other resources for research in the State Archives’ and other historical and material culture collections.
• Interacts with historians, collectors, genealogists, reenactors, curators, archivists, interns, volunteers and others as appropriate in relation to the duties described herein.
• Recommends to the Exhibitions Program Manager or other Archives staff as appropriate, new or amended procedures related to the operations of the Exhibitions Program and its ability to collaborate with the Archives’ other functional units and external organizations.
Education and experience:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Museum Professions such as Museum Studies, Collections Management or Collections Care, American Studies, History, Library and Information Science, or Material Culture, plus two (1) year of fulltime paid experience, or the cumulative equivalent, in a historical repository (e.g., museum, archive, library), historic site, public history agency, or cultural-history-related organization in a position that involved exhibition development and planning.
Knowledge and abilities:
Candidates with the following skills and qualifications may be given preference:
• Knowledge of research techniques and methods.
• Knowledge of the methods used to exhibit, handle, pack, transport, and store archival documents and material culture objects.
• Knowledge of the methods used to schedule exhibition loans.
• Knowledge of the objectives, standards, procedures, materials, and resources used in a noncommercial gallery environment.
• Ability to use an exhibition or collections management system.
• Ability to monitor the location, condition, and documentation of objects.
• Ability to monitor the handling, installation/deinstallation, packing, storage, transport, and exhibition of artifacts.
• Ability to prepare accurate and complete exhibition files.
• Ability to provide recommendations for exhibition methods and participate in the planning and evaluation of exhibitions.
• Understanding of document preservation principles.
• Proficiency reading historical English scripts
• Driver’s license
Compensation and terms of employment:
Employment Period, Benefits, and Withholding: This is a ten-month position through an employment service. It does not include health or dental benefits, pension, paid leave, union representation, or civil service protection. Federal and state-required withholdings (Social Security, Disability, Family Leave) will be handled by the employment service, which will issue the employee a W-4.
Wage: $35 – $45/hour, commensurate with experience. This equates to $63,700 – $81,900 annually (fulltime).
Worksite: Employee will be expected to work onsite at 225 West State Street, Trenton, most of the time and will be provided with a workstation, laptop, and State email address. Employee may be required to take training in the use of State-issued equipment and software applications. Employee may be eligible to work from home on a mutually agreed-to schedule, but no more than one (1) day per week. Commuter travel costs will not be reimbursed.
Work Week: The anticipated work week for the position is 35 hours (i.e., full-time), within the parameters below.
a) Employee may not report more than 35 hours/week.
b) Employee cannot report hours worked on weekends or on any of the twelve State holidays (New
Year’s Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).
c) State Archives staff must approve time sheets.
d) Employee will be asked to account for time worked at home.
e) Employee must adhere to an established schedule of work days to the fullest, reasonable extent possible.
f) Less than full-time employment may be considered depending on the candidate.
Termination: Employment contract may be terminated without cause at any time, with two weeks’ notice.
Applicants should contact with a resume and cover letter:
Joseph R. Klett, Executive Director
New Jersey State Archives
Email: joseph.klett@sos.nj.gov