Conservation Assistant, Africa/Egypt Exhibit. - Field Museum

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

The Field Museum seeks a Conservation Assistant to work on Egyptian archaeological and African social items as part of the Africa Hall Renovation Project. This is a term position for a period of three years.

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 chemical spot testing. 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 off-site travel may be required.
• Conduct integrated pest management (IPM) monitoring and gallery walk-throughs 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
• Conform to departmental policies on 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.

Academic Qualifications:

• B.A./B.S. degree; major in a field relevant to conservation (i.e. studio art, anthropology, chemistry) is desirable.

Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to work safely in conservation labs and museum galleries.
• Demonstrable good written and spoken communication skills.
• Demonstrable good collaboration with others. Previous experience working collaboratively with communities of origin on the treatment, display, and storage of museum collections would be a plus.
• Previous experience with Egyptian archaeological material, and/or African social history material, is a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of safety precautions to create a safe working environment for self and others; demonstrated ability to work safely with chemicals.
• Demonstrated ability in chemical spot testing.
• Demonstrated ability in, or the ability to learn to work effectively in, the following technologies:

1. Windows operating system.
2. Google Workspace.
3. Dropbox Paper.
4. MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Digital photography experience is a plus. Editing and output to AIC conservation documentation standards will be expected. (refer to the “Guide To Digital Photography & Conservation Documentation” 3rd ed., for typical workflows).
• Searching, data entry, and reporting in at least one Collections Management System; experience with KE-EMu collections management software is preferred. (If you have no experience with KE-EMu, we will provide training.)
• Ability to work as part of multiple teams to meet departmental goals.
• Good visual acuity, fine motor skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively and collegially with different constituencies to achieve departmental goals.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends (time off in lieu will normally be offered).

Supervisory:

May be required to help supervise:

• Interns (up to 2),
• or, Volunteers (up to 2)

The Field Museum is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, embracing diversity, and fostering mutual respect. We value the unique perspectives each team member brings, which empowers our ability to innovate and overcome challenges.

At the Field Museum, we are dedicated to making our career website and recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you encounter any difficulty when using or accessing our online application, or if you need a reasonable accommodation for completing your application, participating in interviews, or any other part of the selection process, please reach out to us at accessibility@fieldmuseum.org.