Collections Management Intern-Documentation (Jenrette)

NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM•Washington, DC

8d•$20 - $20•Onsite

About The Position

The National Building Museum inspires curiosity about the world we design and build. We are a private non-profit institution that transforms understanding of the history and impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and design. The National Building Museum educates, entertains, and engages people about the built environment and challenges them to advocate for a sustainable and equitable future. Position Description The National Building Museum is currently seeking a graduate-level intern to perform a documentation audit of the permanent collection’s accession files. The intern will be trained in accession documentation standards and fully investigate a majority of items owned by the Museum in pursuit of legal and physical compliance with the field’s best practice data standards. This process will include creating digital copies of accession documentation, provenance research, investigation in the institutional archives, and the development of a list of missing or needed documentation (if documentation gaps are discovered). The intern will gain skills in data analysis, structural hierarchy for files, and problem-solving across the institution’s 40+ year history of collecting. This project is in compliance with the Museum’s strategic goal of improving documentation of the permanent collection and serves the important purpose of streamlining physical and digital documentation during an important period of digital infrastructure development at the Museum. The Museum’s 2026 summer internships are made possible thanks to the support of the Jenrette Foundation. Interns will be invited to participate in Jenrette Foundation “enhancement” events throughout the summer.

Requirements

Candidates must be enrolled in or recently graduated from a graduate program.
Knowledge of proper archival and collections management techniques.
Self-starter that can work independently.
Be creative and a problem solver.
Ability to work well in a team environment.
Interns must be available to work onsite 2-3 days each week totaling 240 hours over the internship term.
Hours of position are very flexible but must occur Monday – Thursday; between 9:00am and 4:00pm.
The position will start the week of May 25th, 2026, with a mandatory orientation day the first week, based on intern cohort and staff availability.
The internship will conclude the week of August 17th, 2026.
Interns will be paid $20 per hour for their work on this project including orientation, Jenrette Foundation events, and any required training.
The Museum will also work with the intern’s graduate program to ensure they receive academic credit for their work, if necessary.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with museum collections preferred.

Responsibilities

Undergo training in cataloging and data standards, object handling, digitization, and box-making and rehousing.
Collaborate with the Collections Manager to assess the current state of the permanent collection’s accession documentation and begin bridging the gaps in that documentation, if discovered.
Utilize checklists and legal standards for accession documentation, provided by the Collections Department.
Digitize documentation using flatbed scanner.
Collaborate with the Collections department, as well as select other departments, to locate relevant documentation.
Develop independent skills in legal compliance, accession documentation assessment, niche institutional archive arrangements, and provenance identification.
Attend Jenrette Foundation “enhancement” events, when invited.
Participate in interviews and features on National Building Museum and Jenrette Foundation social media, as requested.
Assist with exhibition installation and deinstallation, as needed.
Other duties as assigned.