Senior Director, Collections and Exhibitions

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seeks a Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions to join its senior administration team. This role oversees the museum's collections program, including policies and procedures for preventive care, preservation, storage, conservation, and documentation, across three departments: Registration, Collections Management, and Art Prep & Install. The Senior Director works closely with Curatorial and manages the collection across Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. The role also leads the Exhibitions and Planning department, overseeing schedules, budgets, and coordination for all exhibitions, rotating permanent-collection installations, and special and touring shows. The museum is looking for a strategic thinker and empathetic leader who can manage multiple complex, concurrent projects that shape the museum's long-term direction; build and motivate large, dynamic teams; and own division, department, and project budgets. Significant experience in a highly complex environment and a track record of systems leadership and cross-team collaboration are essential. Regular travel between Northern and Southern California teams is required.

Requirements

Master's degree in art/art history, museum studies, or a related field (education, business administration, studio art), preferred
Ten years of progressively responsible experience in art museum registration, collections management, exhibitions management, exhibition design, or arts management, required
Five years managing teams, required
Experience managing complex projects and budgets, required
Experience in a start-up or entrepreneurial environment in a supervisory role, preferred

Nice To Haves

Experience in a start-up or entrepreneurial environment in a supervisory role

Responsibilities

Oversees the Registration, Collections Management, and Art Prep & Install teams, and the museum's collections and institutional projects in both Los Angeles and Northern California
Sets department goals, budgets, and priorities aligned with the museum's near- and long-term plans, ensuring the division supports the preservation, care, documentation, and display of artwork and archives
Oversees Registration's policies for acquisition, management, and disposition of the collection, plus records management and accessioning, inventory, loans, packing, shipping, storage, customs, and insurance arrangements. This includes strategy and heavy involvement in the museum’s DAM system (Netx) and TMS
Oversees Collections Management's work with artwork and storage facilities, including climate monitoring, viewings, preservation, housing, and collection photography
Manages Art Prep & Installation, who are responsible for art and exhibition preparation, installation, and cleaning
Manages institutional conservation projects, vendors, and annual conservation budgets
Partners with museum leadership to plan long-term offsite storage and collection movement, and manages offsite storage vendors and facilities
Works closely with Registration, Finance, and Legal on collection insurance coverage and collection- and exhibition-related agreements
Collaborates with Facilities, Special Events, Development, Security, and Special Projects to uphold collection preservation and security standards
Recruits, mentors, and develops a diverse, high-performing team through a supportive, collaborative approach
Sets strategy for exhibition planning in line with the museum's mission, working with Design, Publications, Revenue & Engagement, Security, and Operations to align with Founders' directives
Owns the multi-year exhibition schedule and budget—planning and implementing all on-site and touring exhibition coordination, setting timeframes and budgets for in-gallery presentations, and holding partners accountable to deadlines
Builds a transparent budgeting process for exhibition planning, managing vendor relationships and presenting the business case and cost-benefit analysis for projects
Partners with Curatorial to develop a traveling exhibition program
Coordinates installations—including permanent-collection reinstallations and gallery upkeep—with internal and external parties
Working with the team, manages external exhibition design and fabrication vendors, representing institutional priorities and timelines
Oversees exhibition design and production, ensuring it supports the curators' intent, and manages vendors for gallery furniture, platforms, casework, lighting, graphics, and reproductions