Senior Production Manager, Publications & Editorial
About The Position
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world. At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always. Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued. Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission. Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity. Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. The Publications and Editorial Department is responsible for shaping, editing, designing, producing, marketing, and supervising distribution of the Museum’s publications. It publishes between 25 and 30 new titles per year to inspire greater engagement with the Museum’s collections and exhibitions. GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES: The Senior Production Manager is essential to the success of the publications program. You will coordinate design, production, manufacturing, and delivery for up to ten titles per year. You will act as a departmental liaison to Museum colleagues, co-publishers, external authors, artists, and artists’ estates and foundations. You will coordinate the activities of myriad Museum vendors and contractors, including graphic designers, editors, typesetters, pre-press companies, and printers. You will work collaboratively in a team setting.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in art history, graphic design, photography, or the history of the book.
- 7-10 of experience in illustrated book production, preferably in a museum setting
- Knowledge of closed bidding processes, project budget development, and project budget reporting
- Demonstrated experience managing external vendors, including selection, performance review and contract details.
- Proven ability to coordinate creation of book designs
- Proficiency in all publishing-related software including InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Markup.
- Excel skills required.
- Excellent project management skills including managing multiple deadlines with competing priorities.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Demonstrated knowledge in the book and color print production field including vendors, best practices and workflows.
Nice To Haves
- NetX and WorkDay skills preferred.
Responsibilities
- Orient new designers, facilitate design briefs, evaluate preliminary designs, propose solutions to design problems, and manage feedback.
- Assist in the preparation of preliminary book budgets, monitor costs, and revise budgets as needed throughout process.
- Develop, maintain, and enforce project schedules.
- Participate in vendor selection based on price, quality, service, technology, capacity, and logistics.
- Evaluate photography from external sources for use in Museum publications.
- Ensure publications conform to budgeted specifications.
- Evaluate and correct color proofs in consultation with curators, artists’ studios, collectors, and by comparing proofs to actual works of art when possible.
- Oversee sheet-fed, web, and digital printing in the U.S. and abroad.
- Coordinate production of maps and diagrams for publications and exhibitions.
Benefits
- The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees.
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
- 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
- Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
- Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
- Free financial-planning services
- Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
- 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
- A subsidized staff cafeteria
- Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
