Mary Jaharis Managing Educator, Access

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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. 

About the Department

The Met’s Department of Education—dedicated to making art meaningful and accessible for everyone— is central to the mission of the Museum. The Department is a national and international leader in museum-based education and public programming, pushing boundaries through continuous innovation and experimentation. In-person and virtual programs include high school and college internships that promote career development and diversity; PreK–12 educator programs that train teachers to integrate art into curricula across disciplines; performances, concerts, lectures and symposia that feature preeminent artists and scholarship; daily tours in multiple languages, and so much more.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Reporting to the Educator in Charge, Teaching & Learning, you are an experienced leader to  providing oversight of The Met’s Access programs for visitors with disabilities and other communities that experience or perceive challenges engaging with the Museum.  You seek to understand audiences and the perceived or experienced challenges they face and use this knowledge to develop and implement programs and experiences that help existing and new audiences feel ownership of and belonging to the Museum. You will partners internally and externally to ensure accessibility and inclusive practice in all museum experiences, including, but not limited to programs, exhibitions, festivals, etc.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• In alignment with departmental and institutional vision and goals, oversee development and implementation of annual budget, interdisciplinary pedagogy, programming, and systematic evaluation for all programs and resources for Access audiences.

• Establish and align efficient processes and systems for program development and evaluation. Collaborate with other members of Education staff and with staff throughout the Museum to create high-quality on-site, off-site, and virtual programs that foster engagement with new and existing Access audiences.

• Contribute expertise and skills on institutional initiatives as it relates to reducing experiential or perceived challenges in engaging with the museum. Serve on cross-departmental committees and working groups, as needed.

• Manage a team of two full time staff in a high-paced environment, instilling high performance levels and accountability; provide general oversight to contractual educators/teaching artists, Education Department volunteers, and interns/fellows; ensure appropriate allocation of personnel to programs relative to complexity and impact.

• Establish training for educators and staff in inclusive knowledge and practices that reduce experiential or perceived challenges as it relates to the Museum.

• Work across the Education team and The Met at large to invest in quality partnerships with key external organizations and/or leaders to develop dynamic collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches that include and represent the experiences of people with disabilities. Identify and implement strategies to reach the communities who experience access barriers to broaden audiences and build awareness of the Museum’s programs.

• With the Educator in Charge, Teaching and Learning, develop and manage the area’s annual budget, work closely with the Development Department to secure program support, maintain strong relationships with donors and supporters, write and contribute to annual reports, and prepare presentations to board committees and stakeholders, as needed.

• Actively engage in the wider museum education and disability justice communities by initiating and sharing research, participating in local, national, and global conferences and convenings, and publishing to share best practices with the field.

• Assist other Education teams as needed. Support and staff large programs and festivals, including but not limited to Access programs.

• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• M.A. in Museum Education, Art History, Education, or other related fields, or equivalent experience.

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience developing and managing educational and/or public programming that improve experiences of inclusion and belonging in museum settings.

• Demonstrated leadership in supervising and mentoring diverse teams within a complex institutional environment.

• Administrative and management experience, including developing and managing budgets, supervising staff, and project management from ideation to delivery. Record of collaboration with Development in fundraising initiatives for education programs in a museum context.

• Expertise in one or more key Access communities who may experience challenges to entry and engagement with museums due to disabilities, economic status, gender, incarceration, language, mental health status, race, and/or an intersection of these. Knowledge of accessibility best practices, including familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Standards for Accessibility, current learning theories and pedagogies, and evaluation and audience research methods.

• Proven record of accomplishment of developing, planning, producing, and implementing a demanding schedule of high quality, innovative museum education programs in museum or community settings.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated capacity to effectively and professionally communicate with a wide range of constituencies, verbally and in writing, including: presentational skills, negotiation skills, ability to work collaboratively within and beyond the Museum, ability to tailor speech and writing to a variety of audiences and purposes, and to communicate effectively through a range of print and digital vehicles.

• Excellent organizational skills, follow-through, problem-solving skills, and ability to develop effective systems, program structures and work processes. Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.

• Demonstrated teaching excellence with original works of art in a museum or gallery setting to a variety of audiences.

• Knowledge of New York City organizations and agencies who work with Access audiences, preferred.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)

• Some evening and weekend hours required.

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $115,000.00 - $120,000.00 / Annually

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

Benefits Offerings

The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.

• 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

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact benefits@metmuseum.org.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.