Rights and Reproductions Coordinator

(February 25, 2025)

Position Title - Rights and Reproductions Coordinator

Supervisor Title (All entry and mid-level position supervisors should be qualified, professional archivists.) - Digital Archivist

Position Type - Full-Time, permanent

Benefits - Yes

Salary Range - $56,000 - $65,000

POSTING DATE: February 25, 2025 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 borndigital 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.