ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM

The Walters Art Museum is among Americas most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Located in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museums campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects.

Today, the Walters serves Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educator and storyteller, using the collection as a vehicle of knowledge and cultural expression to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. The museum is committed to public education, offering essential programs that help people to connect art to their lives. The Walters Visitor Promise aligns staff and volunteers across the museum to preserve and share the works in our care for future generations, partner with communities, and create welcoming, accessible experiences for visitors. The museum offers challenging and creative work opportunities by promoting collaboration, teamwork, and a culture that celebrates the diversity and inclusion of all. In December 2020, the museum finalized a set of multiyear diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) goals in alignment with the museums Strategic Plan and grounded in the following commitments: expand the histories the museum examines and share; partner with our communities; and center equity, inclusion, and accountability in our culture and decision-making.

Overview

We are looking to fill the position of Conservation Scientist to join a dynamic team of conservators and collections staff in their work of bringing art and people together. As a member of the Department of Conservation, Collections, and Technical Research with a shared focus on the preservation, study, and installation of the Walters Collection, the Conservation Scientist reports directly to the Director of Conservation, Collections and Technical Research. Under that supervision, the Conservation Scientist has oversight of the science laboratory, and conducts analyses on Walters collections across all curatorial and conservation areas of specialty. They carry out in-depth technical studies and conduct other research related to the museum collections and their preservation and support the work of the full department to include a focus on preventative conservation and collections management. The Scientist contributes to meaningful and new interpretation of, and insights into the Walters collection, and shares that knowledge and information through scholarly publication, presentations, public outreach, and exhibition content. This position includes $5,000 annually to support research, travel and professional development.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with curators and other conservators, coordinates, discusses and creates action plan for requested scientific analysis and technical study projects.
• Clearly communicates and discusses results with conservators and curators in a timely manner.
• In discussion with the Director of Conservation, Collections and Technical Research, reviews priorities and establishes workload capacities.
• Prepares samples for specific analyses and guides or actively participates in sample taking in consultation with conservators. Performs analyses, interprets data, writes lab reports in conservation and collections database, Conservation Studio. Links additional images to database records.
• Carries out analyses and investigations using X-ray fluorescence, FORS, FTIR, Raman and Optical spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.
• Participates in substantive research on the Museums collections that will result in publication.
• Contributes scholarly content to Journal of the Walters Art Museum; participates on editorial board as appropriate.
• Assists and mentors interns and fellows within the department
• Works with museums learning and community engagement and visitors experience departments to create and support programs that incorporate science as applied to cultural heritage.
• In conversation with Director of Conservation, Collections and Technical Research, creates and tracks annual operating budget, plans for needed replacement, upgrade or additions to analytical equipment.
• Maintains in-house analytical equipment and keeps abreast of needed updates of both hardware and software to keep lab running smoothly.
• Acts as key staff collaborator with Baltimore SCIART, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-supported Summer Research Program in Baltimore at the Interface between Science and Art
• Cultivates collaborations at neighboring institutions to create connections that expand Walters analytical capabilities, and share our expertise.
• Gives tours to guest scholars, museum constituents and other visitors.
• Participates in museum-sponsored outreach including the Conservation window, which affords direct connection with diverse audiences.
• Performs other duties as responsibilities as necessary.

Qualifications and Skills:

• MS or PhD in a scientific field of study, or cultural heritage science, plus 3 years of experience directly related to cultural heritage science and analysis.
• Familiarity with analytical procedures including X-ray fluorescence, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and hyper-spectral imaging.
• Must be a strongly collaborative worker and have excellent communication skills.
• Should have a demonstrated record of materials studies -related publications in recognized scientific journals.

Please submit a cover letter, CV, a writing example, and two references.