Collections & Inventory Associate - Fine Art, Antiques & Jewelry

Description

Join a Team That Cares for Extraordinary Things.

For more than 100 years, M.S. Rau has built a worldwide reputation for offering museum-quality fine art, antiques, jewelry, and historical treasures. Behind every acquisition, exhibition, client sale, and shipment is an exceptional Operations team that ensures these remarkable objects are accurately documented, carefully handled, securely stored, and moved with precision.

We're looking for a detail-driven Collections & Inventory Associate - Fine Art, Antiques & Jewelry to support the physical and digital care of M.S. Rau's inventory. This role blends shipping and receiving, jewelry inventory and shipping processing, museum-style collections cataloging, condition review, and coordination of inventory movement throughout our gallery and storage operations. This is a hands-on role for someone who is equally comfortable handling valuable objects, maintaining detailed records, coordinating multiple movement requests, and working across departments to keep inventory accurate and moving efficiently.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At M.S. Rau, you'll become part of a close-knit team dedicated to preserving, documenting, and presenting some of the world's finest works of art, antiques, jewelry, and historical objects. Every day is different - from preparing and shipping a piece of jewelry to cataloging collection objects and coordinating the movement of extraordinary inventory throughout our operations.

What You'll Do

• Safely handle, transport, and display fine art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, and other high-value inventory throughout the gallery and storage areas.
• Coordinate condition review, packing, and shipping of delicate and valuable objects, including jewelry, working closely with internal teams, carriers, and vendors.
• Process jewelry through inventory and shipping workflows, ensuring secure handling, accurate documentation, appropriate packaging, and tracking.
• Support museum-style collections cataloging by creating and maintaining accurate object records, locations, condition information, status, and movement history.
• Coordinate inventory movements between the gallery, warehouse, departments, exhibitions, vendors, and other locations; prioritize requests and ensure movements are completed and recorded accurately.
• Use shipping software to prepare labels, finalize shipping details, obtain shipping quotes, and maintain shipment documentation.
• Organize outbound inventory queues and help ensure items move through the shipping process accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain inventory accuracy by updating merchandise movement, storage locations, and related records in gallery software and performing regular inventory checks.
• Review condition reports and identify repair, maintenance, or handling needs.
• Work collaboratively with Art Handlers, Restoration Technicians, Sales, Jewelry, and other departments to support shipping, inventory, and collections needs.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree or some college in museum studies, art history, collections management, logistics, business operations, or a related field.
• 1+ year of shipping and/or inventory experience, including hands-on experience processing, packing, and shipping jewelry or other small, high-value, or fragile objects.
• Experience with museum-style collections cataloging in a museum, gallery, auction house, private collection, or similar object-based environment, including accurate object and location records.
• Experience coordinating inventory or object movements and maintaining accurate status and movement records.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and comfort learning inventory, collections, and shipping systems.
• Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record, plus strong organization, attention to detail, communication skills, sound judgment, and discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Knowledge of fine art, antiques, jewelry, or museum/gallery collections practices; experience with Salesforce, Quip, collections management databases, or other business-specific software is a plus.
• Experience with packing, crating, carpentry, furniture restoration, or related object-handling work.

What to Expect

This position works primarily in a controlled gallery and storage environment, with occasional outdoor work and travel between the gallery and warehouse. It is an active, hands-on role requiring the ability to safely lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds; frequently walk, bend, stoop, kneel, crawl, and climb; sit or stand for extended periods; and use manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination when handling valuable objects. The role may also require operating company vehicles and following established safety procedures.

Compensation, Work Schedule & Travel

• Compensation will be a competitive hourly rate commensurate with experience.
• This is a full-time, non-exempt position. The normal schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Saturdays, overtime and occasional evening work may be required based on business needs.
• This position may require travel between the gallery and warehouse and other local locations as needed to support inventory, shipping, and collections activities.

Benefits

M.S. Rau offers a comprehensive and flexible benefits package that fits you and your family's needs. Benefits are focused on the health and wellness, financial well-being, and work-life balance of our employees. We offer:

• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Life Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Flexible and Commuter Spending Accounts
• Lifestyle Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness Program
• Special Employee Pricing on Mobile Lines
• Access to Discounted Travel Services
• 401(k) with Company Match
• On-site Gym

Other Duties

The preceding functions have been provided as examples of the types of work performed by employees assigned to this job classification. The omission of specific statements or duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind work assignments and to make reasonable accommodations so qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the position.

EEO Statement

M.S. Rau provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age (40 or older), national origin, marital status, handicap or disability (including pregnancy), perception or history of handicap or disability, ancestry, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training. EEO is the Law links in English and Spanish.