JOB TITLE: Rights and Reproductions Coordinator
LOCATION: 130 Livingston St, Brooklyn, NY
SALARY: $63,000 - $70,000 per year
HOURS OF WORK: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday (37.5 hours/week)
SUMMARY:
The New York Transit Museum is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Rights and Reproductions
Coordinator to join the Museum’s Collections Department. The Coordinator will oversee the
Department’s reproduction request process by fulfilling requests and managing licensing contracts of
archival reproductions. This position also plays a critical role in promoting and providing access to the
Museum's extensive collection related to New York's public transit history.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Rights-related reference services: Answer inquiries from internal and external userbase on all
parts of the permissions and reproductions process; Provide proper image caption/credit lines
for all shared images.
• Determine rights statuses: Conduct research to determine intellectual property rights status,
including copyright and third-party rights for works in the collection; Secure image rights for use
in publications, exhibitions, and website, as well as for public relations, marketing, and
commercial use.
• Digitization: Digitize selected archival and artifactual objects, with special attention to requests
made by Curatorial for publication, exhibitions, and related initiatives.
• Cataloging: Item-level cataloging of (largely) visual materials that have been recently digitized.
• Manage licensing contracts: Manage and update licensing agreements for items currently in the
Museum’s collection, including terms of use, credit lines, fees, and restrictions; Assist Registrar
with licensing agreements for new acquisitions.
• Manage payments: Collect and process payment for fee-based requests using Altru payment
management system.
• Record keeping: Manage/update collections database records of copyright information in
PastPerfect.
• Policy development: Develop and update intellectual property best practices for a museum
environment; Maintain Rights and Reproductions Fee Schedule; Guide Museum staff on
copyright basics.
• Intra-departmental collaboration: Liaise with other Museum departments as needed for
clearing image use permissions.
• Outreach: Lead outreach strategy development to promote awareness and accessibility of the
Museum’s digital collections.
• Data management and digital preservation: Assist with ongoing initiatives to organize born-
digital records and enhance metadata and associated descriptions.
• Other duties as assigned: Participate in collections processing, exhibition development, social
media content creation, public programs, and special events as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Master’s degree in Library & Information Science preferred; or Bachelor’s degree in a relevant
area of study with substantial experience in rights management, digital project management, or
contracts negotiation, preferably in a museum, archive, or library setting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, Adobe Photoshop, and experience with
scanning equipment and digital capture software.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
• Ability to respect and exemplify the mission, vision, and values of the New York Transit Museum
in all interactions with colleagues, staff, volunteers, and the public; Ability to represent the
Museum in a professional manner at all times.
• Adherence to all prescribed organizational and Departmental policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to innovate and adapt to change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong time management skills.
• Highly accurate, detail-oriented, and organized; demonstrated focus on follow-up.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with strong collaboration skills.
• Capable of working with minimum supervision.
• Ability to shift priorities as Departmental requirements arise; infrequent schedule modifications
for special events may be required.
PREFERRED SKILLS:
• Experience with licensing and copyright.
• Experience using Altru, PastPerfect, and Zendesk.
• Appreciation, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the history of New York and mass transportation
systems.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be
met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to remain in a stationary
position, operate/use equipment, communicate, detect/distinguish, and reach. The employee is
frequently required to move about, ascend/descend, and position oneself. Specific vision abilities
required by this job include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability
to distinguish color and adjust focus.
Qualified individuals interested in this position must apply via e-mail, with the subject: “Rights and
Reproductions Coordinator”
Please send resume and a cover letter (as a PDF or .doc) to: lisahr@nytransitmuseum.org
Due to the high volume of applicants, only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM:
Founded in 1976, the New York Transit Museum is dedicated to telling and preserving the stories of mass transportation—from the people who developed, operate, and ride it, to the city and region it has helped shape. The mission of the New York Transit Museum is to collect, exhibit, interpret and preserve
the structural, sociological, and technological history of land-based public transportation systems in the
New York metropolitan region, past and present, and to conduct research and educational programs that
make its extensive collection accessible and meaningful to the broadest possible audience.
The Rights and Reproductions Coordinator position is employed by the Museum’s nonprofit affiliate,
Friends of the New York Transit Museum. Friends of the New York Transit Museum is fully committed to equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital/familial/partnership/caregiver status, status as a victim of domestic violence or stalking and/or sex offenses, or any legally protected basis. Friends of the New York Transit Museum welcomes and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply
