Assistant Conservator-africa/egypt Exhibit - Chicago, United States - Field Museum

Field Museum

Verified Company

Chicago, United States

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Mark Lane

beBee recruiter

Description

Our Mission:

Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, our organization has aimed to connect people to the natural environment and human history.

This is a fixed-term position in the Anthropology Department of the Field Museum, reporting to the Senior Conservator.

The successful applicant will be an Objects Conservator and will form part of a small team (currently two Assistant Conservators, ultimately expanding to three Assistant Conservators and two Conservation Technicians) who will provide conservation services for: 1) Deinstalling two of the museum's existing permanent exhibits (Ancient Egypt, African Halls); and 2) the installation of new permanent exhibit on Africa.

This is a term position ending on
September 30, 2027.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Conduct condition assessment, documentation, and treatment of archaeological and social history collection items and loans. Assessment and documentation will require written and photographic documentation, and may also involve heavy metal testing and more advanced imaging and analytical techniques including multiband photography, photogrammetry, structured light scanning, digital xradiography, pXRF, and/or CT scanning. Some collections condition survey work is anticipated. Applicants should note that the work will involve handling, documenting, and treating human remains and sacred items
Collaborate with African community representatives to understand materials and methods of manufacture, the cultural significance of specific collections, and to determine appropriate and acceptable practices for those collections' care
Where advice from communities of origin conflicts with established museum practice, seek to privilege the advice from the community of origin and incorporate it into museum practice
Ensure documentation, images, analyses, and collaborative discussions are archived both as hard copies and as digital copies in the Collections Management System (EMu)
Assist with specifying and constructing display and storage equipment and environmental control measures, as needed.
Assist with performing Oddy tests of proposed exhibition materials.
Assist in supervising volunteers, interns, and conservation assistants as needed
Assist with incoming and outgoing loans, as assigned. Some offsite travel may be required
Conduct integrated pest management (IPM) monitoring and gallery walkthroughs of assigned areas
Share skills, outcomes, problems, and solutions with others through discussion, short classes, and presentations, as assigned
Demonstrate working practices that are safe for yourself, those around you, and for collections items. Show informed adherence to all appropriate regulations regarding hazardous materials and the appropriate handling of, and access to, sacred or culturally sensitive materials and ancestral remains
Participate in maintaining the conservation laboratories: researching, specifying, procuring, maintaining, and ensuring the safe storage and handling of collections, equipment, and supplies.
Assist in keeping collection storage, workspace, equipment, and supplies clean and well organized
Participate in weekly and monthly departmental and project meetings
Contribute to a positive work environment by demonstrating collegiality and inclusiveness in interactions with colleagues, external partners, and the public

Qualifications:

A Master's degree in conservation specializing in objects from an accredited graduate conservation program, or an undergraduate degree in conservation together with two year's postgraduation experience, is required
Previous experience with any combination of wood, painted surfaces, têxtiles, stone, human remains, and rigging and supporting heavy objects would be a plus
Demonstrable safe working practices in conservation labs and museum galleries
Demonstrable good written and spoken communication skills.
Demonstrable good collaboration with other conservators, collections staff, and museum colleagues. Previous experience working collaboratively with communities of origin on the treatment, display, and storage of museum collections would be a plus.
Previous experience treating Egyptian archaeological material, and/or African social history material, is a plus
Extended use of one or more of the more advanced techniques mentioned in the first paragraph of the duties and responsibilities statement would be a plus (but we will train you in most of these techniques if you don't already know how, and if you already know how you will get even more experience.)
Familiarity with Google Workspace, and the KE-EMu collections management system are both desirable. (Again, we will train you in these tools if you don't already have experience; if you already know how you, then will get even more experience.)
Demonstrated knowledge of safety precautions to create a safe working environment for self and others; demonstrated ability to work safely with ch