Lead Preparator

About the role

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. The Huntington Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences. The Culture Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do - from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity. Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture. Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community. Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community. Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection. Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles. Job Description The Lead Preparator is a senior member of The Huntington's Preparation team, under Registration and Collections Management. This position is integral in the consistent planning and implementation of the institution's schedule of special exhibitions, permanent collection rotations, and collections care. The Lead Preparator's primary responsibility is to prepare for and execute installations of Library, Art and Botanical exhibitions and outgoing loans, with a small team of preparators. They are responsible for handling, packing, transporting and storing artworks according to museum standards and training junior staff in these procedures. Reports to Head of Preparations. Essential Duties Leads the installation/de-installation of exhibitions, gallery rotations, collections rehousing projects and all related work, in collaboration with Registration, Exhibitions, Preservation and Curatorial colleagues. Duties will include, but are not limited to: Receiving, unpacking and packing artwork Placement and hanging of artwork Exhibition lighting Creating or modifying mounts and case buildups Retrofitting crate interiors Wall and case repair Independently maintains their schedule of tasks and coordinates with Head of Preparations, registrars, conservators, and exhibition coordinators to plan out and execute the annual exhibition program Delegates tasks to and supervises a small team of preparators Maintains quality control in all operations Provides guidance to Broad DAP apprentices during their placements at The Huntington Plans and executes outgoing loan preparations Provides support in the installation of A/V components Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of gallery spaces, exhibition lighting and A/V elements Attends planning meetings and object review sessions Oversees frame buildouts for historic paintings Designs and implements training program in Huntington object prep procedures Maintains clean, well-organized and safe work and storage spaces Works with Registration and Collections Management colleagues to transport art between collections storage facilities and galleries, and to off-site locations for framing, photography, loan return/pickup, etc. Ensures adherence to SOPs and safety protocols in all operations (ladders, truck liftgate, scissor lift, forklift, order picker, etc.) Collaborates with colleagues in Registration, Preservation, Security, and Facilities to maintain Emergency Preparedness Plan for collections and loan material Procures materials and processes payments Provides status updates on ongoing projects Participates in HVAC monitoring Candidate Requirements and Experience Bachelor's degree in studio art, art history, or equivalent experience At least six years of experience