Collections Database Administrator

COFAM- Corporation Of the Fine Arts Museums•San Francisco, CA

3h•$38 - $51•Hybrid

About The Position

Under direction and collaboration with the Collections Information Manager, the Collection Database Administrator administers the museum’s ecosystem of collection databases in The Museum System (TMS), TMS Collections and Conservation Studio, and supports the administration of the Digital Asset Management System (DAMS), Media Studio. This position plays a key role in ensuring the access and integrity of data in TMS, and works closely with the Collections Information Manager in the ongoing implementation of customization, data standards, reporting, and workflows. Ongoing primary responsibilities include managing securities, permissions, and database configuration, data integrity and schema development, data cleaning, providing museum-wide TMS support, training and assisting users, developing customized reports and forms, and maintaining/enforcing protocols and guidelines. This is a 2-year fixed-term position, May 2026 - May 2028. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 9 PM PST.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university, preferably in information science or the humanities; graduate work in information science or museum studies preferred.
Minimum three years of TMS administration and experience with Crystal Reports, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Previous experience in museum registration or collections management preferred.
Strong knowledge of SQL as used in MS SQL Server, XML, and Crystal Reports.
Excellent computer skills and demonstrative experience with relational database administration for museum collections management.
Knowledge of data management standards and best practices, and collections management and registration best practices.
Experience and proficiency with structured project management and its related software tools, including Asana, G Suite, and Microsoft Excel.
Highest level of communication acumen, placing value on openness, transparency, and trust-building.
Extremely high level of accuracy and attention to detail; commitment to efficiency and effectiveness of systems and schedules.
Ability to work well under pressure with conflicting demands; thrives in a deadline-driven environment.
Ability to efficiently and effectively work on a variety of projects concurrently, with attention to the goals and priorities of the department and the Museums.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with colleagues and volunteers, and effectively represent the Museum to outside professionals.
Experience working in a distributed team, working remotely yet collaboratively as an independent contributor.
Ability to make accurate arithmetic calculations.
Comfortably sitting in front of a computer for extended periods of time.

Nice To Haves

graduate work in information science or museum studies preferred.
Previous experience in museum registration or collections management preferred.

Responsibilities

In consultation with the Collections Information Manager and in collaboration with other Collections Information and Digital Assets (CIDA) team members, manage the database architecture, including developing and refining data schemas and taxonomies to support cataloging, record keeping, and museum activities/workflows.
Manage and configure security settings, permissions, and user accounts for TMS Collections, Conservation Studio, and Media Studio, working in consultation with supervisors and stakeholders to determine user security needs.
Maintain and ensure the health and functionality of the collections ecosystem software, including managing system updates, monitoring remote server storage, SQL Server maintenance, and backups.
Write, edit, design, and troubleshoot Crystal Reports and SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) reports.
Configuring the TMS Ecosystem to support users and workflows, including custom dataviews and listviews.
Work with the Collections Information Manager, stakeholders, and working groups on implementing logical data entry standards to support the growth of a sustainable collections information system; facilitate cross-departmental meetings and working groups as needed. In some cases, actually leading particular implementations.
Identify and raise projects furthering the technical development and efficiency of the TMS Ecosystem, using formal project management to communicate progress and goals to leadership, and following ideas and projects through to completion.
Maintain Attributes and thesaurus development and integrity.
Act as primary liaison with Gallery Systems for user concerns; document and report system-wide issues and bugs, escalate support requests as needed.
Write SQL scripts to make bulk changes to data; assist users with complex queries.
Create and update manuals, guidelines, and documentation for system administrators, users, and data-entry personnel.
Coordinate with colleagues to integrate workflows and configurations within the TMS Ecosystem.
Assist with special projects as assigned.