Museum Registrar, IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

IU MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ANT (BL-MAA-IUBLA)

The IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA) is Indiana University's newest museum. The IUMAA takes aspects of the former museum and the Laboratory of Archaeology and combines them into 1 cohesive experience. With an impactful long-term vision focusing on purposeful storytelling, stewarding collections, and bringing these items to communities, the IUMAA thoughtfully houses and displays over 5 million artifacts that span across a broad range of the human experience. The IUMAA is accessible for research as well as teaching and is culturally connected to our broader community through partnerships with Indigenous communities, advisory boards, and other IUMAA community members.

The Museum Registrar position at the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA) plays a crucial role within the Collections and Curatorial team. Their commitment to ethical practices supports collections care, research, data management, and Indigenous stewardship.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Oversees policies, procedures, and loans for all collections.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external colleagues regarding loan procedures, insurance, contracts, and lender negotiations.
• Fosters relationships within the museum field, IU campus, and the broader community.
• Prioritizes collaboration.
• Collaborates with collections team to prepare and forecast budgets.
• Manages documentation and legal paperwork for IUMAA's collection; attains legal custody and copyright of collections donated, purchased, or transferred to the IUMAA.
• Oversees the creation of all associated documents, files, and electronic records.
• Collaborates with NAGPRA and Indigenous communities.
• Manages potential risks to IUMAA, including legal issues, insurance, environmental concerns, and physical housing of artifacts.
• Ensures that the museum staff is aware of and adheres to laws and regulations affecting the collections and temporary holdings while mitigating potential risks.
• Interfaces with insurance office to mitigate risks.
• Oversees packing, shipping, processing, generation of contracts, tracking, documentation of condition, insurance, and care of all artifact loans to and from the IUMAA.
• Manages documentation for loans and insurance, ensuring compliance with descendant community/Indigenous stewardship protocols.
• Develops documentation improvement plans to enhance museum operations.
• Improves collections management policies, including shared-stewardship models through audit of databases and documentation systems as well as overseeing continuous inventory of collections.
• Maintains detailed records for outreach and repatriation processes.
• Establishes procedures to uphold ethical standards.
• Adheres to museum policies on external communications, facilitation of access requests.
• Participates in grant applications for collections support.
• Serves on committees and working groups.
• Updates conservation records with conservation treatment reports provided by independent conservators.
• Attends professional training/conference as needed to stay current in registration best practices.
• Trains database users.
• Coordinates with moving and setups and other collections handlers to ensure the safe transportation of artwork, artifacts, and collections.
• May provide guidance and delegate administrative tasks to other museum services staff.
• May make process recommendations for improved operational efficiency.
• Manages Preparators.
  
  

General Responsibilities

• Creates and manages the database for collection records which includes processing, photographing, cataloging, and locating all incoming exhibits in the museum system.
• Generates reports depending on the need and information entered. These reports are needed to list object locations for inventory purposes, to provide the object's information for gift documentation, to provide collection and statistical data, and financial information as requested by the budgetary team.
• Oversees arrangements and documentation for new acquisitions and registration aspects of incoming and outgoing artwork, artifacts, and collections loans, including working with donors and lenders and preparing outgoing and incoming loan documentation and receipts. Provides rights and reproductions documentation when requested and coordinates with photographers for high-resolution images. Manages paper and digital files and creates forms as needed to ensure efficient workflow.
• Assists with budget and strategic planning.
• Coordinates with IT to ensure collections database and multimedia servers are maintained and ensures staff technology requirements are satisfied. Oversees collections storage security by monitoring humidity and temperature fluctuations and ensuring a secure environment for collections and staff, pest management, HVAC and cleaning personnel.
• Inventories collections, manages student workers, maintains statistical data, updates conservation records with conservation treatment reports provided by independent conservators, attend training, and trains users. Coordinates with moving and setups and other collections handlers to ensure the safe transportation of artwork, artifacts, and collections.
• May provide guidance and delegate administrative tasks to other museum services staff.
• May make process recommendations for improved operational efficiency.
  
  

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in museum services or other related fields
  
  

Preferred

• Master's degree in museum studies, anthropology, history, or other related fields
  
  

Required

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 2 years in museum services or other related field
  
  

Preferred

• 4 years experience in museum registration, legal documentation review, repatriation, and management practices
• 3 years experience in a museum, library, archive, cultural center, or similar organization with a focus on collections management/stewardship
  
  

Skills

Required

• Proficient communication skills
• Experience using and managing database software
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty
• Highly thorough and dependable
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure
  
  

Preferred

• Possesses a deep understanding of the museums' colonial legacy
• Knowledge of U.S. domestic and international law related to museums, repatriation, and Indigenous sovereignty
  
  

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Bloomington, Indiana

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
  
  

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Career Level: Career

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Educational Resources & Tech

Job Family: Museum Services

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This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

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