Job Title: Assistant Registrar
Department: Curatorial
Reporting to: Registrar
Duration: Full Time with 3 months’ probation period
BACKGROUND
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum which collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits twenty-first-century art from Africa and its diaspora; hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding; and guarantees access for all.
POSITION SUMMARY
Reporting to the Registrar, this role is responsible for a broad range of registration functions of which primary duties include assisting with the care, maintenance, and preservation of the Zeitz MOCAA permanent and temporary artworks. The incumbent supports the performance of the registration functions relative to temporary exhibitions including loan agreements, condition reports, and insurance and transit arrangements. The Assistant Registrar is required to exercise discretion and judgment in actively managing both the museum’s collection and artworks owned by other institutions or individuals that are part of temporary exhibitions or otherwise on loan to the museum. The Assistant Registrar may serve as a supervisor to interns or volunteers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Assist the Registrar with exhibitions and loans in all duties
- Support with the completion of condition reporting for all incoming and outgoing artworks and determine whether damage or deterioration to objects has occurred
- Complete the loan paperwork for the processing of all incoming and outgoing loan requests in consultation with the Registrar
- Perform general administrative duties such as filing, copying, running errands, and general data entry as it relates to temporary exhibitions
- Complete special projects and basic research as assigned
- Handling of artworks on loan and permanent collections
- Prepare and arrange the artwork for packing and shipping and prepare the customs paperwork
- Assist with preparing and executing reproduction contracts and create and manage reproduction contract hardcopy file for temporary exhibitions
- Monitor conditions of the environment and artwork in galleries
- Complete weekly reports, and submit to the Registrar for review
- Maintain artwork in galleries to ensure care is taken and all is in good order
- Coordinate the checklist for the Special Projects, a multi-year exhibition program, in conjunction with the Registrar for exhibitions and loans
- Assist with the annual inventory of the permanent collection and temporary loans
- Assist with logistics of artwork shipments and location tracking for loans
- Keep apprised of approved and current registrational standards as well as basic conservation guidelines for the care and handling of artworks
- Assist with the courier of high value or fragile objects when loaned to other institutions
- Assist with transportation and lodging arrangements for travelling couriers
- Monitoring of artwork handling by the installation crews, Production Assistant, and Assistant Preparator during installation and de-installation
- Assist with the building of a museum storage system, including shelving, drawers, picture racking, object racking, storage mounts, and storage housing for objects in the permanent collection or on long-term loan to the museum
- Maintain collections storage areas to ensure the safety of the art, including cleaning and regular inspection
- Keep workspaces well organized, well supplied, and inform Registrar of any equipment that needs to be procured
- Provides in-house technical support related to the database
- Helps to coordinate related digital collections documents across collections, loans and exhibitions
- Runs database reports for distribution to other museum departments as requested or needed
- Provides troubleshooting for staff users and maintains training materials
REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Completion of an undergraduate degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in art history, museum studies, cultural heritage studies, archaeology, visual culture, or an equivalent qualification
- Minimum of 2 years’ museum registrar assistant experience working within a focus on collections management and/or exhibitions.
- Experience working with a museum database programs, such as TMS or EmbARK or similar.
- Experience in art handling and preparation for a museum, gallery, university, art mover, or similar institution, or equivalent experience.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Strong administration and coordination skills, with a methodical approach and attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
- Excellent research skills
- Ability to work independently and deliver work within the agreed timeframes
- Effective, level of complex problem-solving skills
- Flexible working when required
- Strong computer skills, including the use of Microsoft Office applications, email services and the internet as well as a willingness to learn new computer skills as required
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Trustworthiness & Ethics
- Results orientation
- Ability to work under pressure
- Resilience
- Willingness to Learn
- Interpersonal engagements
- Analytical thinking
- Flexibility
KNOWLEDGE
- Knowledge of principles and procedures of Collections Management filing and record-keeping
- Knowledge of art collections, handling and storage
- Knowledge of data systems
As a cutting-edge equal opportunity institution, Zeitz MOCAA celebrates diversity in all its forms including gender, race, creed, and orientation. Zeitz MOCAA is committed to achieving transformation and particularly welcomes applications from suitably qualified Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDIs) for this position. The Zeitz MOCAA Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.
To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to careers@zeitzmocaa.museum
Closing date 16 August 2019.