Associate Curator of Costume

Company Description:

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), part of the State University of New York and an internationally renowned college of art, design, business and technology with a strong emphasis on liberal arts, invites nominations and applications for an Associate Curator of Costume.

Job Description:

The Associate Curator of Costume works closely with other museum staff on developing, researching and organizing exhibitions. In addition to work on exhibitions in the museum's History Gallery and Special Exhibitions gallery, they collaborate with faculty in FIT's School of Graduate Studies, helping to plan an annual exhibition with graduate students. Other tasks include assisting with gallery tours and classroom visits, research and writing for museum publications and grants, and building and maintaining the museum's costume collection.

Essential Functions:

Exhibition Development & Curatorial Research

• Work closely with the Director/Chief Curator, Senior Curator of Costume, Curator of Costume, and Museum staff to develop, research, organize, curate, and co-curate exhibitions for the Fashion and Textile History Gallery and Special Exhibitions Gallery.
• Perform extensive research on exhibition themes; conceptualize exhibitions using the Museum's permanent collections of costumes and accessories; select objects for exhibition, press, and publication; and maintain exhibition checklists in The Museum System.
• Write exhibition-related content, including proposals, press releases, brochures, didactics, label copy, web content, video scripts, and books as needed.

Graduate Studies Exhibition Collaboration

• Collaborate with faculty in FIT's School of Graduate Studies to plan the annual graduate student exhibition, including assisting with exhibition topics, related coursework, student assignments, and project deadlines.
• Review and refine preliminary curatorial content, including object checklists, exhibition text, research, design plans, and educational programming suggestions.
• Guide students and faculty in presenting exhibition decisions to Museum and Graduate Studies staff for advisement and approval.

Educational Programs, Tours & Classroom Support

• Lead exhibition tours and history of fashion tours for visitors and students.
• Assist with classroom visits and support educational use of the Museum's costume study collection.
• Coordinate with the Education and Collections Assistant to inventory, update, maintain, and supervise the use and condition of the costume study collection.

Museum Publications, Grants & Scholarly Support

• Write for Museum publications as needed.
• Perform photo research and assist in obtaining rights and reproductions for publications.
• Research and apply for institutional grants and awards under the supervision of the Senior Curator of Costume to support exhibition projects.

Collections Management & Costume Collection Maintenance

• Collaborate with the Senior Registrar to perform regular costume collections maintenance.
• Assign object locations in The Museum System for new acquisitions; reorganize objects to support future collection growth; inventory objects; and update locations not listed in The Museum System.
• Research new acquisitions for cataloging and valuation.

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Fashion or Design History.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of appropriate museum experience, including curating or co-curating exhibitions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of appropriate museum experience, including curating or co-curating exhibitions.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of fashion and design history.
• In-depth understanding of how to analyze fashion.
• Understanding of accredited museum policies and procedures.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to meet multiple simultaneous deadlines.
• Cultivating and maintaining professional relationships and working as part of a team.
• Experience curating or co-curating museum exhibitions.
• Experience with handling of museum fashion objects in a conservationally-sound manner.
• Skills in researching, writing, and publishing about fashion (peer-reviewed articles and/or books).
• Background in writing and delivering conference papers and lectures.
• Experience working with The Museum System.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills; detail-oriented.
• Must be a self-starter with the ability to work both independently and in a team.
• Ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor with high-level interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

Additional Information:

Please note all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.

Salary

Salary: $76,915.17 per year

The UCE-FIT Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dictates the compensation, benefits, and conditions of employment. Hiring Salary: $76,915.17 per year with step increments per Salary Schedule 93, after one year of service and annually thereafter.

Work Schedule

Days/Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm, in person; work schedule subject to change based on needs of the department.

Benefits

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal, Sick and Holidays)
• 4-day Summer Workweek
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage .

Pay Equity by State Employers

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at [email protected] .

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people from a range of backgrounds. FIT is firmly committed to creating a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability. The FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, uniformed service, height, weight, any lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence or as a victim of sex offenses or stalking, whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person or conviction or arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Chief Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212.217.3360.

Annual Security Report

The safety and well-being of FIT's students, faculty, staff, and visitors is of paramount importance. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, FIT publishes an annual report containing crime statistics and statements of security policy, accessible here: . A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request by contacting Public Safety's administrative office number at (212) 217-4999.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The working conditions for this position may be any combination of an office space and/or museum. The physical requirement for this position will require frequent sitting, frequent standing, occasional bending, frequent walking, frequent climbing, occasional pulling, pushing, or reaching, frequent repetitive motions, frequent use of hands to handle objects and occasionally lifting 20-50 lbs.

Application Instructions:

In order to be considered for this position, please submit the following documents online:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Unofficial Transcript
• A list of three references with telephone numbers and email addresses

Returning Applicants - Login to your FITNYC Careers Account to check your submitted application material.

Review of applications will begin immediately until the position is filled.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to contact each applicant individually.

Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: .