The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter, and are aligned with our values.
Inclusive: We know we make the greatest impact when a full range of voices is represented.
Passionate: We believe art and the creative process can open our minds to help us build a better world.
Brave: We nurture a responsive, action-oriented atmosphere fueled by curiosity and innovation.
Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution, and forge authentic relationships with our community.
SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose-where difference is seen as a strength, and everyone is appreciated for their whole self.
Schedule: Full Time, 35 hours/week, Temporary (4 months)
Reporting to the Collections Information Manager, the Collections Information Systems Specialist has a key role in the administration and advancement of the museum’s collections management system (CMS) and its integration with the museum’s greater information ecosystem. The position supports generous access to information related to artworks, artists, and museum programs, in ways that are in alignment with the museum’s strategic priorities and goals of the Collections Information and Access (CIA) department and the Collections, Exhibitions and Design (CED) division.
The Collections Information Systems Specialist expands utility of the CMS by creating complex data queries, designing reports for users’ daily work and special projects, and creating user-facing documentation. The Specialist promotes the system’s use through advocacy and support for staff at all locations, by implementing policies and processes for using the system and its contents, troubleshooting and documenting system functionality, and by performing general system administration tasks. They work hands-on with the CMS’s contents by directly contributing, reviewing, organizing, and disseminating data in the system. Working collaboratively with colleagues across CED, Curatorial, Information Technology, Marketing + Communications, Education and Community Engagement, and Visitor Experience, the Collections Information Systems Specialist assists in realizing museum-wide use, continued development, and stewardship of the CMS and its contents.
Responsibilities & Duties
- Team Participation
- Encourages and contributes to an inclusive, rewarding, and inspiring workplace, where innovation, discovery, and constant learning cultivate a deep sense of belonging and shared responsibility within the CIA team.
- Shares in fostering a culture of safety, inclusivity, and equity.
- Works in a healthy and flexible style, and models empathy and understanding.
- Participates in nurturing collaboration and partnership across teams with fluid communication and respect for diverse expertise essential to an art museum.
- Demonstrates a commitment to the museum’s strategic focus of making programming that engages visitors and inspires individuals to return and recommend the museum to their family and friends.
- Represents the museum at the local, national, and international levels.
- Participates in professional networks, workshops, and programs to stay current with relevant practices, methods, and technologies, as well adding new skills to share with the department.
- System Management and Information Use
- Creates and executes complex queries using MySQL to produce results not available to users via the user interface.
- Designs reports using complex scripting to join tables and select data related to artworks, artists, and museum programs.
- Troubleshoots application and database issues reported by users.
- Researches and contributes data to the CMS, and reviews contributions made by staff, interns, and volunteers, by applying good practices in data management and in response to user needs.
- With direction from the Collections Information Manager, provides general system administration for the CMS, which includes liaising with users, the departments of Information Technology and Digital Experience, and the digital asset management team, as well as with the system vendor on upgrades, testing, documentation, and problem resolution.
- Compiles and disseminates statistics related to the museum’s collections and programs, including but not limited to artist identity information and the Director’s Office annual dashboard related to accessions and exhibitions.
- Works collaboratively with departments such as Library, Archives and Art Resources, Interpretive Media, and Education and Community Engagement to integrate other information resources into the CMS.
- Identifies, evaluates, and contributes art and artist data for works in the museum’s collection to digital resources such as Artsy, ArtStor, and Wikidata.
- User Support
- Works collaboratively with the Collections Information Manager to maintain and promote the collections management system, expand and refine its museum-wide use, and support users at all levels and in all locations of the museum.
- Maintains primary responsibility for user support and training for the CMS, which shall include advocacy with the system vendor on behalf of users; hosting regular drop-in clinics with users; identifying user trends and needs; creating and maintaining user-facing documentation in written, visual, and video formats.
- Works collaboratively to implement policies and processes for description, access, use, and preservation of digital assets and their data.
- Provides expertise and consults with staff on data standards and best practices, including metadata schemas, data modeling, thesauri, and taxonomies.
- Administration
- Remains current on latest technologies and relevant software, such as linked data, wikis, and emerging trends in the field.
- Oversees the activities of collections information interns and volunteers.
Qualifications & Skills
- Degree in Information Studies, Museum Studies, Art, or a related field
- Minimum three years experience working with collections management systems or equivalent.
- Experience with best practices in information management, use, and inclusive practices in museums. Experience with Qi CMS a plus.
- Knowledge of modern and contemporary art and museum purposes, organization, and programs.
- Knowledge of collections and exhibitions management methods and conservation practices preferred.
- Experience with published vocabularies, standards, and linked data tools such as the AAT, TGN, ULAN, LCNAF, and Wikidata.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work well independently, collaboratively, and proactively with staff at all levels, software vendors, and outside entities.
- Ability to maintain high levels of care, accuracy, and organization in a busy environment with challenging and often simultaneous deadlines.
- Strong initiative and follow-through skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft applications (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Asana or other project management software platforms.
- Knowledge of SQL desired.
- Ability to quickly master new tools and platforms as technologies evolve.
- Demonstrated commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts sector.
$33.15 – $33.15 an hour
$33.15/hour (starting)
This is a union position subject to the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Job posting open date: 8/3/23
All jobs posted will remain open for at least five business days.
We encourage both internal and external candidates to apply within the initial open posting period as the application close date may or may not be extended beyond that initial period.
Location: San Francisco, 151 3rd Street.
COVID-19 Environmental Factors: In keeping with city, county, and state regulations regarding large gatherings, and to contain the spread of coronavirus, the museum is following the city of San Francisco guidelines. As a part of our commitment to health and safety, COVID-19 vaccination is required for all current and newly hired employees and contractors.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, genetic information, ancestry/national origin, marital status, disability, medical condition, HIV status, sexual orientation, veteran/military status, and any other category protected by federal of state law. If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or with providing additional information asked in the job posting. You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at talent@sfmoma.org.