Assistant Curator, Egyptian Art

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. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As the Assistant Curator, you will contribute to the study, documentation, presentation, and communication of ancient Egyptian art to the broad public. You will produce original research and insights into works of art in the Museum’s permanent collection of Egyptian art. You will support and create special exhibitions under the discretion of the Curator-in-Charge and senior curators. You will collaborate with Conservators and Scientists and other members of the Museum community as well as function as an allied professional within the wider curatorial field through the publication and presentation of your work in professional forums. You will also be the link between Department of Egyptian Art and the Digital Department and oversee presenting the digital work in Egyptian Art, including TMS, the online Department pages and online publications.

The area of specialization is open, but preference is for expertise in the culture of Egypt’s first millennium, funerary objects, including their inscriptions, and demonstrating a strong interest in and a facility for digital applications to Egyptology.

Application Deadline: May 8, 2026

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Study, document, present, and communicate works of art in the collection to the wider public

• Undertake new research in area of expertise to further knowledge about the permanent collection

• Undertake responsibility for a portion of the Egyptian art collection and work with collections management on the oversight of the assigned galleries

• Share contributions in scholarly publications on area of expertise; participate in professional meetings and give public talks

• Support and develop special exhibitions under the guidance of the Curator in Charge and senior curatorial staff

• Oversee the Department’s use of the Museum database (TMS)

• Develop strategies for improving digital presentations of Department’s work in conjunction with the Digital and Imaging departments

• Write and adapt scholarly information for print or online publication for various audiences, including catalog essays, entries, labels, blogs, and other texts

• Participate in the provenance research of the Department’s collection

• When possible, propose new strategic acquisitions with strong provenance for the permanent collection

• Participate in museum fundraising, grant writing, and the Department’s development of donor relations

• Support the professional development of interns and fellows

• Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in Egyptology or equivalent; specialty in the first millennium preferred but not required

• Demonstrated experience originating research in areas of expertise

• Demonstrated experience working within museum collections and willingness and ability to undertake research on the Department’s collection and archives

• Excellent computer skills, with familiarity with museum databases (TMS preferred), Adobe Suite, and Microsoft Office Suite

• Excellent written and verbal skills in English; excellent interpersonal communication skills

• Demonstrated language skills in ancient Egyptian languages and scri