Our Mission
The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks to inspire curiosity about, and enjoyment and understanding of, the visual arts by collecting, conserving, exhibiting, and interpreting works of art of outstanding quality and historical importance and is one of four programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust. The Museum operates two sites, the Getty Villa in Malibu, which exhibits its collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, and the Getty Center in Brentwood, which displays its collections of European art: Medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, drawings to 1900, and photography to the present day (including non-European works). The Museum mounts approximately 25 temporary exhibitions a year across its two sites; maintains an annual permanent gallery improvement program and offers wide-ranging and ambitious programming for its visitors.
The Opportunity
The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks a Senior Conservator to guide the department of Paper Conservation, which oversees for the long-term study and care of three collecting areas: European master drawings to 1900, Medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, and Photographs from its origins to today. The Senior Conservator oversees a lively program of study and treatments of works of art, including technical and materials analyses, and participates in an international program of loan exhibitions. The Senior Conservator is a respected member of the profession who represents the institution in the negotiation of joint projects with other institutions while advancing its position at the forefront of conservation matters internationally. They also oversee department staffing, hiring, performance reviews, staff development, and the budget.
The successful candidate will have a Master’s Degree, ten years’ experience as a conservator specializing in works on paper, a record of successful treatments and professional publications, and proven ability as a manager. The Senior Conservator will recommend treatments, assess potential acquisitions, and propose research and collaborative projects and will contribute to researching, developing, and overseeing innovative methodologies for long-term preservation of art in support of the Getty’s leadership role among museums and cultural institutions. The Senior Conservator reports to the Associate Director for Collections and works closely and collaboratively with the Senior Curators of Drawings, Manuscripts, and Photographs, as well as with other Getty Museum conservators (in Antiquities, Paintings, and Decorative Arts & Sculpture) and with colleagues across the Getty campus.
The Senior Conservator supervises a conservation department of four conservators (one specializing in Drawings, one in Manuscripts, and two in Photographs), three mount-makers, and one Senior Staff Assistant. They will encourage staff development and review staff performance as well as setting broad departmental and personal goals. The Senior Conservator is accountable for managing the department’s budget and for ensuring that all safety procedures are followed. They will participate in the activities of two support groups, the Photographs Council and the Disegno Group. The Senior Conservator works collaboratively with Museum curators, scientists and staff of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), colleagues across the two Getty campuses, and internationally to further the programs and mission of the J. Paul Getty Museum under the auspices of the Getty Trust.
Major Job Responsibilities:
Approves all conservation treatments within the department
Discusses and plans treatments with staff, supervises conservation treatments as necessary
Supervises work done by consultants and conservators from other institutions when using Getty facilities or when working on Getty collections
Administers and oversees activities in the department including budgets, staffing, performance planning and review, and staff development
Sets priorities for major conservation and restoration projects within the collection
Develops policies for the department’s conservation practice
In charge of overall preventive conservation of department’s collections as well as art on loan to the museum
Advises the curators on technical issues related to potential acquisitions and de‐accessions
Ensures that projects are completed on schedule and within budget
Performs research, lectures and publishes reports and articles in area of specialization in scholarly journals or periodicals
Travels nationally and internationally to maintain expert knowledge and to develop partnerships with other institutions and professionals
Remains current in conservation practices and initiates research resulting in advancements in the conservation field
Initiates and oversees complex collaborative projects
Qualifications:
MA in conservation or equivalent degree preferred
10+ years experience in conservation
Requirement: All employees must be fully-vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as a condition of employment. Exemptions from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation due to medical contraindication, disability or sincerely held religious belief or practice will be considered. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Excellent conservation experience with works on paper
Recognized ability to collaborate and direct teams across disciplines and to build long‐term relationships
Expert knowledge of chemical and physical properties of art materials, conservation materials and deterioration processes within specialized areas of conservation
Expert hand skills including manual dexterity, color acuity, artistic practice and appreciation for handling objects
Expert knowledge of conservation history, ethics and methodology
Expert knowledge of scientific instrumentation and ability to operate analytical and technical imaging equipment
Expert in art historical, scientific and conservation research and writing
Expert knowledge of collection management and digital asset management tools
Expert knowledge of emergency preparedness and emergency response procedures
Equal Opportunity Employer: We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected status.
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