Associate Conservator/ Conservator of Paintings

JOB DESCRIPTION: Associate Conservator/ Conservator of Paintings

                                    Grade K or M (exempt)

REPORTS TO: Head of Conservation 

SUPERVISES: no one

SPECIFICATIONS:Degree from an accredited conservation program or its equivalent and a minimum of 5 years experience in paintings conservation is required. The applicant should also be familiar with and adhere to the American Institute for Conservation’s (AIC) Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and will have a starting range in the mid-$50,000s (associate conservator) to the low-$70,000s (conservator) yearly with comprehensive benefits.

JOB PURPOSE: The Saint Louis Art Museum seeks a collegial, collaborative, experienced, and energetic paintings conservator to join its dynamic conservation team. SLAM’s encyclopedic paintings collection is comprised of over 1,300 works that span the 14^th – 21^st centuries. An ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years experience (for associate conservator) or 8 years (for conservator) in paintings conservation treatment techniques and be capable of collaborating with other conservation staff to solve unique preservation challenges. A successful candidate will relish in the opportunity to participate in the conservation of masterworks. They will possess a high level of attention to detail in the treatment, documentation, and general preservation that such works require. The candidate will also have a good sense of project management, conscientious observations of deadlines, and excellent communication skills.

MINUMUM OF RANGE: $54,908/annual

DUTIES, WORK PERFORMED:

Examine, appraise the physical condition of, and treat the Museum's permanent collections:

• Assess deterioration and damage, and potential complications involved in treatment.
• Design and carry out conservation treatment of paintings and frames in consultation with specialist Curators.
• Provide written and photographic documentation to record condition of objects, treatments proposed, and   treatments performed according to the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.
• Recommend other Conservators outside his or her field of expertise and review their treatment proposals.
• Advise on preventative maintenance in the Museum as a whole in the areas of environment, handling, storage, and installation.
• Examine paintings prior to acquisition to aid the Curatorial staff in determining their physical and aesthetic condition, as well as their authenticity.
• Examine works requested for loan to determine suitability for travel and to document their condition, and advise the Registration department and others on any special packing and shipping considerations.
• Advise on the installation, storage, and maintenance of paintings in the collection.
• Recommend acquisition of new equipment.
• Monitor and order conservation supplies.

SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: None

The above statements of this job description describe the general duties and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. They do not claim to describe all of the functions of this position. Employees may be assigned other duties and the essential functions may change or be changed from time to time.