Job Posting Title:

Director of Photography Collections

----

Hiring Department:

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

----

Position Open To:

All Applicants

----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

----

FLSA Status:

Exempt

----

Earliest Start Date:

Sep 01, 2024

----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

----

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

----

Job Details:

General Notes

The Briscoe Center for American History, an organized research unit of the University of Texas at Austin reporting directly to the university’s Executive Vice President and Provost, seeks a visionary leader to manage its photography collections, which are growing rapidly in volume, caliber, and institutional significance. As a leading history research center, we collect, preserve, and make available archival evidence that encompasses key themes in US history. From its inception, the center has collected photography that provides evidence of the people, places, and events of American history. Recognizing the importance of photography to historical interpretation, in the early 1990s the center began extensive efforts to collect the archives of major American photojournalists. Those efforts soon expanded to include documentary and commercial photography, resulting in a collection that now contains more than 10 million images and spans from 1849 to the present. The center’s photography archives (analog and digital) are among the Briscoe Center’s most frequently accessed materials, popular with researchers for use in documentary films, publications, and exhibitions around the world. Our photography collections also serve as inspiration for many of the center’s own research projects, exhibitions, public programs, and publications.

Purpose

The Director of Photography Collections will assume a key leadership role at the center, working in collaboration with the center’s founding executive director and leadership team to oversee the care, description, cataloging, and promotion of the center’s growing photographic collections. The Director of Photography Collections will have primary responsibility for supervision of the photography archives staff and will facilitate key relationships with the center’s growing network of donors and supporters, including the photographers whose collections are in the center’s care. The ideal candidate for this senior-level position will bring an ability to work proactively and collaboratively, as well as a willingness to perform both high-level and ground-level tasks.

Responsibilities

Oversee the care, description, cataloging, and promotion of the center’s rapidly growing photographic collections. Develop and implement policies and procedures for the acquisition, cataloging, and documentation of the center’s photography collections, including analog and digital formats. Lead the day-to-day operations and programmatic activities of the photography unit, including the inventory, processing, and housing of all current and incoming collections.  Supervise 3 FTE professional staff and student interns, setting clear direction around goals set by the Executive Director.Under the direction of the Executive Director, build and advance relationships with current and potential collection donors, including photographers, collectors, dealers, and other key individuals in the field of photography.Work with Briscoe Center’s archival registrar to document accessions. Work with Briscoe Center’s business office in arranging collection shipments. Oversee storage of collections in collaboration with the center’s Director of Research and Collections.  Coordinate licensing of the center’s photography and coordinate permissions with photographers and donors as required. Oversee policies regarding reproduction and duplication of photographic resources. Collaborate with the Director of Research and Collections on reference services for photo collections, including digitization efforts and reference requests.Enhance collaboration with the University's academic programs, faculty, students, and staff by leveraging the Briscoe Center’s outstanding photography collections to increasing visibility, scholarly activity, and student experience and utilization.Serve on the Briscoe Center’s Administrative Committee. Collaborate with Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Director of Research and Collections, and Director of Exhibits to implement the Briscoe Center’s vision, mission, and goals, including providing clear, consistent, and timely communication to the Center’s internal and external constituencies.In collaboration with Briscoe Center’s communications staff, serve as one of the Briscoe Center’s spokespersons for its photographic holdings and related collections, effectively representing them to all its constituencies to enhance its public and professional visibility and reputation nationally and internationally.Collaborate with and support the center’s exhibitions program and assist Director of Exhibitions as required to select materials for center exhibitions. Collaborate with the head of publications on photography books and the use of photos for other Briscoe Center publications.Collaborate with the Center’s Development Officer to determine fundraising needs and opportunities.Other duties as assigned.

Required QualificationsMaster’s degree with major coursework in American history, American Studies, Information Science, or related fieldsDocumented experience working with and understanding of the use of photographs as historical evidence, particularly news and documentary photography. Knowledge of photographic formats, both analog and digitalSix years of related work experience, including two years of managerial experienceSuperior written and oral communication skillsStrong time management and organizational skillsDemonstrated ability to organize, plan, prioritize, and coordinate multiple projectsDemonstrated ability to work in a collaborative environmentStrong commitment to and enjoyment working with donors, students, faculty and the publicProven ability to manage multiple internal and external relationships

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred QualificationsPh.D. in American History or American StudiesSeveral years of progressively responsible experience in archival or museum leadershipKnowledge of and coursework in the history of photography. Demonstrated proficiency in developing and implementing collections management policies and proceduresExperience or familiarity with the Briscoe Center’s photographic collectionsAbility to conduct research on collection items, provenance, and historical contextCreative thinking skills to explore innovative approaches to collections management, preservation, and accessExperience in curation of photography exhibitionsExperience with processing collections, creating finding aids, and producing other collection management tools and working with digital assets in an archival settingExperience in advancing an organization through external relations and organizational partnershipsHighly professional demeanor

Salary Range

$80,000

Working Conditions

May work around standard office conditions

Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

Use of manual dexterity

Climbing of ladders

Lifting and moving up to 50lbs

Will be exposed to book dust and book mold

Regular travel as needed.

Work Shift

Regular travel as needed

Required Materials

Resume/CV

3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

----

Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

----

Retirement Plan Eligibility:

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.

----

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

----

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

----

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

----

Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

----

E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

----

Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.