Collections Manager, Museum

Denison University•Granville, OH

5d•$58,400 - $65,400•Onsite

About The Position

The Collections Manager is responsible for stewardship, management, documentation, and ongoing development of the Denison Museum Permanent Collection, comprising approximately 8,000 objects from Asia, Europe, and North and Central America in media including stone, wood, paper, lacquer, metal, textiles, and painted surfaces. Working closely with the Museum Director and Curator, the Collections Manager leads day-to-day collection management and long-term care, and develops and implements projects to strengthen documentation, research, preservation, access, teaching, and exhibition use. The role supports the Museum’s collections priorities and American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation efforts. Near-term priorities include improving collection documentation and database records, supporting accreditation, facilitating external research and collaboration, strengthening storage, preservation, and risk management, and overseeing acquisitions and deaccessioning. The position also advances the collection as a resource for Denison students, faculty, and visiting scholars. The Collections Manager oversees collection stewardship and preservation; the collections management system and public-facing collection information; object research and documentation; acquisitions, loans, and deaccessioning; and collection preparation for exhibitions, teaching, and public programs. The role trains and supervises student employees and interns, coordinates collection-related facilities, security, emergency preparedness, and accreditation activities, and contributes to budgets, grants, Museum planning, and institutional relationships. The position reports to the Museum Director and Curator and supervises student employees and interns. It may also coordinate external collections specialists as needed.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Art History, Library/Information Science, Conservation, or a related field, plus at least three years of professional experience in museum collections management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Professional experience handling, storing, preserving, documenting, and managing two- and three-dimensional objects.
Experience using a museum collections management system and maintaining accurate collection records.
Knowledge of museum standards and professional practices related to registration, collection stewardship, preservation, storage, environmental monitoring, security, risk management, and legal and ethical collection issues.
Experience with acquisitions, loans, and/or deaccessioning of fine art and cultural materials.
Strong research, writing, organizational, and project-management skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with colleagues, students, faculty, scholars, donors, and external museum professionals.
Ability to train, mentor, and supervise student employees or interns.
Ability to safely handle and move museum objects and equipment.
Experience mounting, hanging, packing, and installing two- and three-dimensional artwork.
Ability to climb ladders and safely perform physical tasks associated with collection care, storage, and exhibition installation.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with the Museum Director, Curator, and University colleagues.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Collector Systems.
Five to seven years of professional experience in museum collections management.
Experience working in a small or teaching museum environment.
Experience with AAM accreditation or collections-related standards and processes.
Previous experience managing acquisitions and deaccessioning of fine art and cultural materials.
Experience with provenance research, object identification, valuation, or collection research.
Experience developing and supervising student or intern research and collection projects.
Experience with digitization, collection photography, or online collections platforms.
Experience with grant writing or grant-supported collections projects.
Experience working with external scholars, conservators, lenders, and other museum professionals.

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day care, stewardship, and documentation of the Permanent Collection and develop collection-care priorities and project workflows with the Museum Director and Curator.
Monitor storage and environmental conditions, integrated pest management, security, and other preservation and risk-management practices.
Coordinate conservation assessments and treatments with qualified conservators and other outside specialists.
Develop and maintain procedures for safe handling, movement, storage, installation, packing, and transportation of objects.
Identify collection-care needs and develop short- and long-term projects to address them; maintain collections policies, procedures, and documentation in line with professional standards.
Manage the collections management system and maintain accurate, consistent, and complete collection records and public-facing online collection information.
Conduct and facilitate object and provenance research, identification, attribution, bibliography, and related documentation; respond to research, publication, and image-use requests.
Work with external scholars, faculty, students, and researchers on collection research and reference inquiries.
Coordinate photography, imaging, digitization, and other documentation projects; support object research, documentation, assessment, identification, and valuation projects.
Manage operational processes for acquisitions, incoming and outgoing loans, and deaccessioning; prepare and maintain deeds of gift, loan agreements, condition reports, insurance schedules, shipping documents, and other records.
Coordinate safe receipt, packing, transportation, installation, and return of artwork and cultural materials.
Work with the Museum Director and Curator on acquisitions and deaccessioning, providing collection, condition, documentation, and logistical information; assist with due diligence, provenance research, valuation, and legal and ethical considerations.
Maintain accurate records of legal ownership and status of collection objects.
Work with the Museum Director and Curator to select, research, prepare, install, and deinstall objects for exhibitions, curricular use, and public programming.
Collaborate with faculty to identify objects for teaching and object-based learning; prepare collection materials for classroom visits, exhibitions, public programs, and other educational uses.
Advise on object handling, condition, installation, display, and collections care; assist with exhibition planning and related logistics.
Facilitate appropriate student access to and engagement with the Permanent Collection as a teaching museum.
Develop student and intern research, writing, documentation, and project opportunities with the Museum Director and Curator.
Design and oversee student projects in collection research, object documentation, cataloging, provenance research, exhibitions, digitization, rehousing, and other collection initiatives.
Train and supervise student employees and interns in museum practices, object handling, documentation, research methods, collection care, and ethical standards; provide guidance and feedback on their work.
Coordinate student project workflows and ensure work is documented and incorporated into Museum records and ongoing projects.
Direct collection-related facilities management, security, emergency preparedness, and risk-management procedures in coordination with the Museum Director and University personnel; participate in collection emergency planning and response.
Maintain collection records and procedures needed to meet professional museum standards and institutional requirements.
Work with the Museum Director on AAM accreditation, including policy and procedure review, documentation, review materials, site-visit logistics, and implementation of recommendations and required changes.
Partner with the Museum Director to assess and strengthen Museum policies, procedures, documentation, and collection practices to meet professional standards and AAM requirements.
Participate in development of the annual collections-related budget and monitor expenditures in assigned areas.
Assist with grant proposals and reports related to collection care, research, conservation, digitization, and related projects.
Participate in Museum planning, staff meetings, events, and other activities as appropriate.
Communicate with donors, faculty, students, University colleagues, scholars, lenders, conservators, and other Museum partners; represent the Museum professionally to external colleagues and museum professionals.
May coordinate external conservators, registrars, scholars, photographers, preparators, or other collections specialists.