Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Asset Manager

DEPARTMENT: Collections                         
REPORTS TO: Head of Collections Management
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt
SALARY: $105,000/year
DATE: March 2024

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Head of Collections Management, the Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Asset Manager is a key member of the project team implementing the Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives Initiative at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The initiative’s primary objective is to establish an institution-wide digital asset management system (DAMS) that will incorporate both born digital and digitized institutional archives and museum objects.

The Digital Asset Manager will lead the effort to select, purchase and implement a DAMS and establish and implement policies governing the organization, management, and care of digital materials. The Digital Asset Manager will maintain the DAMS and oversee all policies and procedures associated with it. This is a full-time, at will employment position. Currently, funding for this position is established for a period of three years, with the possibility for renewal after those three years.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s permanent collection is an unparalleled repository consisting of material evidence, first-person testimony, and historical records of the response to the February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and their ongoing repercussions. To date, the Museum has acquired more than 74,000 tangible and digital objects that document the experiences of 9/11 victims, survivors, and responders. The Museum also collects paper-based and digital archives and has begun to assemble an institutional archive documenting the organization’s history.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage the day-to-day project activities and generate deliverables specific to selecting, purchasing, and implementing an institution-wide digital asset management system.
• Identify and survey DAMS stakeholders across departments to understand the Museum’s digital and operational landscape; current digital asset management methods and tools; and documentation, management, and preservation and access needs.
• Work with DAMS stakeholders across departments to conduct a high-level digital asset inventory and identify high-priority content for ingestion into the DAMS.
• Identify required DAMS functionalities to meet the needs of all users (e.g., digital preservation, version control, access, rights management) and establish a corresponding DAMS metadata scheme.
• Generate a DAMS RFP and evaluate proposals. Lead the process to select and purchase a system employing a decision rubric that balances user comfort and organizational needs. Work with IT counterparts to evaluate technology platforms and its integration into 9/11MM data sources.
• Work with the IT department to implement the DAMS, integrating with other systems as necessary. Plan and execute DAMS customizations and testing.
  • Develop policies, procedures and workflows for the ingest, organization, description, storage and safeguarding of materials stored in the DAMS, working in concert with the IT team regarding technology best practices and cyber security concerns.
  • Establish the means and procedures for providing public and staff access to materials stored in the DAMS; collaborate with staff and other stakeholders to strategize and create a public access portal.
  • Develop and provide ongoing DAMS user training to promote adoption and widespread and continued use of the system; create and maintain training materials and usage and workflow documents. Field all DAMS-related questions from staff across the Museum.
  • Serve as the DAMS administrator with support from the IT department. Provide day-to-day and long-range administrative and strategic oversight of the DAMS: troubleshoot technical issues and remain up to date with software updates and bug fixes and while managing projects that leverage the DAM to its full potential. Manage vendor and developer communications.
  • Participate in the DAMS vendor user group and community of digital asset managers and digital archivists at other cultural institutions and in ongoing research and developments in the fields of digital asset management, digital archiving, and digital preservation.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS REQUIREMENT

• A graduate degree in information sciences, library science, archival studies or a field with demonstrated knowledge of digital asset management, digital archives, or equivalent professional experience. Rutgers University Digital Asset Management Certificate a plus.
• A minimum of 5-7 years’ experience maintaining a digital asset management system as an application administrator, preferably in a museum, library, or other non-for-profit setting; experience working with born-digital and digitized museum objects and archives preferred.
• Familiarity with leading commercially available digital asset management systems successfully in use at analogous organizations.
• Strong technical skills, including system integration, an understanding of network operating systems, SQL and Web tools and applications.
• Experience conducting or overseeing a digital asset inventory using related tools.
• Extensive knowledge of digital formats (image, audio, video, object, text) and best practices for their documentation and care.
• Demonstrated understanding of digital preservation standards and best practices, experience implementing the National Digital Stewardship Alliance’s Levels of Digital Preservation.  
• Familiarity with the DAM Capability Model and Digital Asset Lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding of database administration and experience with relational collections management systems (CollectiveAccess preferred) as well as archiving and digital preservation systems.
• Excellent project management and organizational, follow-through and communication skills, including proven ability to multitask, make decisions, and adhere to project timelines.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work across organizational boundaries with a focus on rapport-building, listening and questioning skills, and an ability to interact well with both technical and non-technical colleagues and general users; experience liaising with software vendors on implementation and problem solving.

REQUIRED SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EVENTS

• Participate in the annual 5K fundraiser and 9/11 commemoration, as assigned.
• Assist with other special projects and events in support of 9/11 Memorial & Museum, as assigned.

HOW TO APPLY

• Include position you are seeking in the email subject field
• State the location where job posting was seen
• Send resume to: 911mmcollectionsjobs@911memorial.org

____

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum (9/11 Memorial & Museum) is an equal opportunity employer.  Applicants who meet the qualification requirements of the role will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (9/11 Memorial & Museum) is committed to an organizational culture that supports and reinforces our values regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). We seek to build a collaborative, open, and equitable space where staff want to be, knowing that their contributions, professional expertise, and distinct voices are valued and respected. We encourage and celebrate an inclusive environment where candor and participation, when it comes to sharing ideas and collaborative problem-solving, are welcomed regardless of one’s role at the Museum or background.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified candidates, during the interview process, to enable individuals with disabilities an opportunity to interview.