Conservation Technician
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Full-time
On-site
Denver, Colorado, United States
Description
This position will support all aspects of the deinstallation of the Museum’s North American Indian Cultures Hall (NAICH) through conservation and collections management actions. The NAICH closed to the public in June 2023 after nearly 50 years. Since 2024, DMNS staff from the Avenir Conservation Center, Anthropology Collections, and curators have been working to deinstall the belongings that were part of the exhibit section by section. The position will assist conservation and collections staff to complete the deinstallation, documentation, conservation, and collections care of belongings formerly part of the NAICH exhibit. The hired individual may have the opportunity to carry out a conservation project under the supervision of one or more staff conservators. This is a term position that will last one year from the time of hire.
Job Class: Full Time
Hiring Range: $22.00/hour
Work Schedule: Monday – Friday. Weekends and evenings, as needed
Direct Reports: 0
Hiring Range: $22.00/hour
Work Schedule: Monday – Friday. Weekends and evenings, as needed
Direct Reports: 0
Conservation actions (70% effort)
- Carries out deinstallation, condition assessment, documentation, analysis, and object movement related to the NAICH deinstallation project under the supervision of a conservator.
- Develops treatment proposals for deinstalled objects under the supervision of a conservator.
- Performs surface cleaning of deinstalled objects.
- Follows workflows and procedures developed for documentation and progress tracking.
- Assists with data entry into the Museum database.
- Complies with the American Institute for Conservation Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.
Collections Management activities (25% effort)
- Carries out deinstallation, measurement, and movement of objects from NAICH Anthropology Collections storage areas.
- Prepares materials for box building and 3D mounting of objects.
- Assists in the reorganization of the Ethnography Collection, and the integration of deinstalled objects into permanent storage.
- Assists in contacting and corresponding with Tribal Historical Preservation Officers ahead of planned deinstallations.
- Regularly works with museum volunteers.
Museum Involvement (5% effort)
- Participates in all Museum-wide mandatory trainings.
- Participates in Staff Inflection, Employee Engagement Team, and Inclusion focused events.
- Stays abreast of Museum policies.
Minimum Qualifications/Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience.
- Intermediate experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Bridge, and Photoshop.
Working Conditions
- Conservation lab combines office and workspace.
- Ability to sit and/or stand for up to 8 hours at a time.
- Moderate physical activity required by handling objects up to 20 pounds occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently.
- Safe use of small power tools, hand tools, and various chemicals.
- Safe Handling of materials that may contain arsenic, mercury, and lead.
- Use of analytic equipment that emits radiation.
- Coordinate the safe disposal of chemicals that may include biohazards.
- Working in collections storage areas using light moving equipment.
Application Instructions
Please submit your resume by 6:00 p.m. MT on Friday, November 7th. Applications will not be accepted after this time. DMNS reserves the right to close the position prior to this date. Applications may only be accepted electronically via the Museum's website.
DMNS Core Values
- We love science.
- We are curious, creative, and playful.
- We cultivate relationships with each other, diverse communities, the environment, and for our future.
- We think critically and act with empathy.
Perks of Working at DMNS
Click HERE (https://www.dmns.org/about/careers/benefits//) to learn more about the benefits package offered to DMNS staff.
Dayforce Wallet: Get your pay as soon as you earn it, at no cost to you. Request up to 50% of your net earnings without waiting for the standard pay day, through the Dayforce Wallet mobile app.Due to the high volume of people who apply, we are not able to respond to specific inquiries regarding your application status.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is an equal opportunity employer. The Museum is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff committed to serving the needs of all our visitors, and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds.