Job Information
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN Associate Director for Preservation and Conservation, The Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas
Manage the Ransom Center Preservation and Conservation Division of approximately nine staff comprised of conservators and preservation technicians, strategically plan for and oversee division activities, and manage the departmental budgets and grant administration.Serve on the Ransom Center senior leadership team and other institutional committees as appropriate.Consult with the Ransom Center curators, librarians, and archivists to establish preventive and conservation treatment priorities, balancing institutional priorities with the needs of the active exhibition and loan program of the Center. Consult with Library Technical and Digital Services on a program of digital reformatting of sound and moving image recordings and long-term preservation of born digital content.Cultivate a culture of innovation and continuous improvement and foster the ongoing growth and professional development of the Centers highly skilled conservators and preservation technicians through supervision, coaching, and mentoring.Maintain an effective disaster recovery plan and conduct periodic training and drills to ensure preparedness for a variety of threats to the collections of the Center. Train and educate the staff of the Center on proper handling of collection materials.Investigate new strategies and technologies to address challenges to long-term preservation and access.Working closely with the Centers Director and Chief Development Officer, conceive of and develop funding proposals to advance and sustain the Centers preservation and conservation program, including project-based initiatives that further the collection care goals of the Center.Liaise with UT campus libraries, archives, and museums on various joint initiatives; lead and cultivate the Campus Conservation Initiative and chair the initiatives Steering CommitteeAdvise the Ransom Center Director and the Facilities Management Librarian on maintaining an optimum preservation environment for materials stewarded by the Center. Represent conservation priorities in long-range space planning and capital improvement projects. Act as back-up facilities manager when Facilities Management Librarian is away from the office.