Position at Harry Ransom Center

Associate Director and Head of Preservation and Conservation
    Division
Harry Ransom Center
The University of Texas at Austin

The Harry Ransom Center seeks a national leader in conservation to
provide direction for the Center's conservation initiatives and to
manage the preservation and conservation activities of one of the
finest humanities research libraries and museums in the country. The
Head of the Preservation and Conservation Division has
responsibility for the preservation of approximately 42 million
manuscripts, 1 million rare books, and 5 million photographs, as
well as sound and moving image recordings, paintings, decorative
arts, and textiles, among other material types.

The Head of the Preservation and Conservation Division oversees
three labs dedicated to book, paper, and photograph conservation, as
well as a preservation unit.  He or she will supervise six
conservators, one conservation technician, and one administrative
assistant, as well as interns, student employees, and volunteers.
The Head of the Preservation and Conservation Division will
implement best conservation practices while also being committed to
innovation and to fostering a culture of continuous improvement.  He
or she will serve on the Ransom Center's senior leadership team and
represent the Center within the national and international
conservation community and locally with campus and city
constituencies.  Continuous funding for the Ransom Center's
conservation initiatives is supported by the MacDonald Trust for
Preservation and the Elizabeth Olds Endowment.

The Head of Preservation and Conservation:

    Manages the Center's Preservation and Conservation Division,
    supervising staff, overseeing departmental activities, and
    managing the departmental budget and grant administration

    Consults with the Center's curators, librarians, and archivists
    to establish conservation priorities, balancing institutional
    priorities with the needs of our active exhibition and loan
    programs

    Investigates new strategies and technologies to address
    challenges to long-term preservation and access

    Conceives of and develops funding proposals for project-based
    initiatives that further the Ransom Center's collection care
    goals

    Serves on the Ransom Center's senior leadership team

    Maintains an effective disaster recovery plan and conducts
    periodic training and drills to ensure the Center's preparedness
    for a variety of threats to the collections

    Advises the Ransom Center Director and the Building Manager on
    maintaining an optimum preservation environment for the diverse
    formats of materials housed by the Center.  Represents
    conservation priorities in long-range space planning and capital
    improvement projects

    Cultivates a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
    and fosters the ongoing growth and professional development of
    the Center's highly skilled conservators

    Trains, advises, and educates the Center's staff about the
    proper handling of collection materials

Required Qualifications:

    ALA-accredited MLS or Master's degree in conservation of library
    and archival materials or equivalent experience

    Five or more years of experience leading a conservation lab or
    program with evidence of increasing responsibilities, including
    supervisory experience

    Demonstrated knowledge of conservation principles, practices,
    and procedures and knowledge of standards and systems for the
    recording and management of conservation documentation

    Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with curators,
    librarians, archivists, and other colleagues and excellent
    interpersonal communication skills

    Record of successful service within the national conservation
    community

    Experience giving presentations to diverse, public audiences and
    excellent speaking, writing, and presentation skills

For further information and to apply for the position, please see
job posting number 15-05-04-01-0385

    <URL:https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/hr/jobs/nlogon/150504010385>

Security sensitive; conviction verification will be conducted on
applicant selected.  The retirement plan for this position is
Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) subject to the position
being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
The University of Texas at Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer
with a commitment to diversity at all levels.  All qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability,
or veteran status.

Barbara N. Brown
Head of Photograph Conservation
Harry Ransom Center
The University of Texas at Austin
PO Box 7219
Austin, TX 78713-7219
512-471-8142
Fax: 512-471-7930


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:47
                   Distributed: Sunday, May 10, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-47-018
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