Digital Asset Management Coordinator

The Museum has an exciting opportunity for a professional to join the Collection Information Systems team within the Collection Engagement business unit as a Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) Coordinator. This role is responsible for the day-to-day administration and use of the DAMS; works hands-on with the Digital Assets and data; and trains and supports users of the DAMS. The position also has a pivotal role in cohesively integrating use of the DAMS across the Museum’s systems and programs. 

The Collection Engagement Business Unit focuses on current and future processes supporting engagement with the Museum’s collections, including building the Museum’s capacity to manage, store and preserve digital collection material. The Business Unit encompasses the diverse range of activities which make the Museum’s collections discoverable. These include documentation, imaging, and digitisation, administering the Museum’s Collection Management System (currently EMu) and Digital Asset Management System (currently Piction), managing associated intellectual property rights, managing the Library and Archive collections, and providing public access– both online and on-site in the Museum’s collection stores. The Business Unit also includes a First Nations Collections section, which is responsible for repatriation, facilitating First Nations community access to collections, and enhancing the knowledge of the First Nations collections held by the Museum. 

The Collection Engagement Business Unit works closely with the Curatorial team, who set the intellectual framework for collection development; the Collection Care and Management team who are responsible for collection conservation, storage, and related logistics; and the Information Technology team who are responsible for the technical infrastructure and systems.

The Collection Systems (CS) team is the business owner of two critical Museum systems – the collection management system, currently EMu, and Digital Asset Management system, currently Piction. Assets stored in Piction relate to cross-museum functions as well as to collections and collection data is managed across both systems as well as being published online via Piction. As part of the CS team, you will closely collaborate with the Collection Systems Coordinator and the Collection Systems Support Officer to develop, manage, and promote the systems, processes and standards for collection information and Digital Assets. 

As the DAMS Coordinator you will:

-   Ensure the reliable operation of the Museum’s DAMS and resolution of technical issues. 

-   provide day-to-day and long-range administrative oversight of the DAMS, ensuring connectivity and alignment of DAMS software and data with Museum’s content management system, Collection Management System, and integrations with other systems, as required.

-   Work closely with the vendor to investigate and critically analyse system and business processes and identify opportunities for improvement.

-   maintain technical knowledge of DAMS and other relevant systems development to enable effective operation and in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, identify opportunities to improve existing software and processes in line with sector standards and business needs. 

-   develop and keep updated system and related documentation including user guidelines and training material. 

-   Together with the CS Support Officer plan, manage and deliver user training, provide input to projects, and provide helpdesk support to users. 

-   work collaboratively within Collection Engagement to ensure all collection systems are managed and data integrity maintained. This includes providing advice, support and testing activities for any system management or upgrade process.

-   Together with the Manager, Collection Systems and Rights & Permissions:

o   collaboratively work with other key Museum business units to develop and document business requirements, policies, procedures and workflows for the transfer, storage, management and delivery of Digital Assets and associated metadata 

o   collaborate with other key business units to support sustainable practices around the Digital Asset lifecycle and digital preservation to ensure long-term availability and integrity of a wide variety of Digital Assets.

o   undertake system updates, configurations, specify business requirements, modifications, and developments to the DAMs, as required.

-   Support the Manager, Collection Systems and Rights & Permissions with reporting activities and other higher-level tasks as required.

The successful candidate for this position will have:

-   experience and expertise in the management of DAMS, Media Asset Management Systems or similar databases and software systems, including metadata schema, standards and practices, file formats and data migration activities.

-   Demonstrated analytical skills and problem-solving abilities, together with the ability to identify opportunities for software & data systems to better support a cultural organisation’s operations, collections, and overall vision. 

-   Strong communication, negotiation and collaboration skills, including effectively communicating technical issues to non-technical staff and working collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.

Understanding of, and familiarity with, digital preservation standards and practices and digital imaging software would be an advantage.