Registrar and Collections Manager at Taft Museum of Art – Museum Studies

Job Title: Registrar and Collections Manager

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Salary: $55,000.00 – $75,000.00

The Taft Museum of Art (TMA), located in downtown Cincinnati, is searching for an experienced Registrar & Collections Manager to join our team. This position will be a part of the Curatorial & Collections Team. This position requires a positive, highly organized team player who communicates proactively, is attentive to detail, manages multiple priorities, and has excellent communication and collaborative skills. Enjoy this rare opportunity to join the staff of one of the finest small art museums in the United States.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three references. Please submit only through our online portal at taftmuseum.org/careers. Our team will review your information, and we will get back to you with the next steps. If you have questions, please email Human Resources at HRAdm@taftmuseum.org. No phone calls, please.

POSITION SUMMARY

Initially reporting to the CEO and eventually reporting to the Chief Curator, the Registrar & Collections Manager ‘s primary focus is the overall care and safety of the Museum’s permanent collection and works on loan to the Taft. The Registrar & Collections Manager is responsible for the administration and implementation of policies and procedures regarding the storage, handling, and exhibition of artwork.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Serves as part of the Collections Team and is the point of contact for all collections matters pertaining to the permanent collection, traveling exhibitions, and loans.
Supervises the Associate Registrar and Art Handlers.
Oversees the annual budget for the registration department.
Directs all aspects of registration including, accessioning, disposition, maintenance, documentation, and automation of permanent collections records.
Develops and enforces policies and procedures related to accessioning, disposition, maintenance, and documentation of permanent collection works.
Serves as the primary contact for traveling exhibitions, manages transportation risk, fine arts insurance, storage and handling of the art and artifacts.
Facilitates all loan requests with lenders and forwarding agents, including packing, crating, and shipping arrangements.
Acts as courier to directly supervise the offsite transportation and installation of art and artifacts in addition to assigning other couriers as needed.
Negotiates and maintains fine arts insurance coverage and potential indemnity requests, including processing claims, for all works of art in the museum, or owned by it.
Monitors art handling and storage facilities.
Oversees regular inventories of the collection to ensure the accuracy of the location records.
Manages the intellectual property rights of images and text of collection objects by utilizing rights and reproduction procedures.
Supervises and coordinates the photography of the collection and special exhibitions.
Maintains the collection’s photography files.
Facilitates response to research requests received from scholars and the general public as appropriate.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in Art History or related field required, Master’s degree preferred.
Registrar experience with a demonstrated increase in responsibilities.
Leadership experience in managing a collections team.
Preference given to those with membership in the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists, or similar affiliations.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES & SKILLS

Able to create, plan and proactively deliver on departmental and exhibition budgets.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Expert interpersonal and leadership skills.
Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills, facilitate high-quality communication to the C&C staff, and other critical departments.
Calm and professional demeanor under pressure. Capable of creative and analytical problem-solving quickly and effectively when incidents or issues arise.
Strong technology skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, TEAMS, and collections management software, EmbARK Collections Manager by Gallery Systems.
Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends as requested, in line with the Museum’s business needs.
Ability to sit at a desk and to use a computer for extended periods.

MUSEUM CORE VALUES
All employees of the Museum must strive to:

Embrace the museum’s core values of respect, integrity, excellence, creativity, and collaboration and demonstrate this understanding through words, behaviors, and interactions with our guests, staff members, volunteers, and the public.
Learn and teach every day. Share knowledge freely with colleagues and pursue opportunities to gain new skills to enhance our success as a team.
Appreciate, understand, and value each staff member’s expertise, background, experience, strengths, and unique perspective. Share time, energy, and knowledge with others to ensure everyone has the highest potential to succeed.
Achieve excellence in all tasks and goals.
Demonstrate professionalism on and off the job and always represent the Taft Museum of Art positively and professionally. Speak truthfully and fulfill promises and obligations in all museum dealings.
Be comfortable and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds.
Adhere to all current museum policies, procedures, protocols, and processes.
Create a pleasant work environment by being a positive influence and respectful to every person.

The success of the Taft Museum of Art is driven by our core values of respect, integrity, excellence, creativity, and collaboration, as exemplified by our team members.

Our VIEW:

Valuediversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion as drivers for attracting and retaining a diverse team of board members, staff, and volunteers who feel empowered to deliver excellence.This is also the key to reaching a diverse community and audience.
Include multiple perspectives and believe that differing views strengthen our museumby stretching us to learn, experience, and expand our thinking each day.
Embraceour mission and vision to explore the hidden gems connected to our historic house, the people that lived in it for the first 100 years, and the extensive art collection, bringing all of this to life and making it relevant and unique to each guest.
Worktogether as a board and staff to ensure that our members, partners, and key stakeholders reflect and embrace these core values.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility,and Inclusion Statement (DEAI): Taft Museum of Art desires to reflect the diversity of our community at every entry point—board, staff, exhibition, education programming, and all museum operations. By embedding DEAI into all museum areas, the Taft Museum of Art will be a champion for equitable practices, providing a welcoming and inclusive museum experience, and be accessible to all.

Requirements

Serves as part of the Collections Team and is the point of contact for all collections matters pertaining to the permanent collection, traveling exhibitions, and loans.
Supervises the Associate Registrar and Art Handlers.
Oversees the annual budget for the registration department.
Directs all aspects of registration including, accessioning, disposition, maintenance, documentation, and automation of permanent collections records.
Develops and enforces policies and procedures related to accessioning, disposition, maintenance, and documentation of permanent collection works.
Serves as the primary contact for traveling exhibitions, manages transportation risk, fine arts insurance, storage and handling of the art and artifacts.
Facilitates all loan requests with lenders and forwarding agents, including packing, crating, and shipping arrangements.
Acts as courier to directly supervise the offsite transportation and installation of art and artifacts in addition to assigning other couriers as needed.
Negotiates and maintains fine arts insurance coverage and potential indemnity requests, including processing claims, for all works of art in the museum, or owned by it.
Monitors art handling and storage facilities.
Oversees regular inventories of the collection to ensure the accuracy of the location records.
Manages the intellectual property rights of images and text of collection objects by utilizing rights and reproduction procedures.
Supervises and coordinates the photography of the collection and special exhibitions.
Maintains the collection’s photography files.
Facilitates response to research requests received from scholars and the general public as appropriate.
Able to create, plan and proactively deliver on departmental and exhibition budgets.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Expert interpersonal and leadership skills.
Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills, facilitate high-quality communication to the C&C staff, and other critical departments.
Calm and professional demeanor under pressure. Capable of creative and analytical problem-solving quickly and effectively when incidents or issues arise.
Strong technology skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, TEAMS, and collections management software, EmbARK Collections Manager by Gallery Systems.
Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends as requested, in line with the Museum’s business needs.
Ability to sit at a desk and to use a computer for extended periods.

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