Collections & Exhibitions Manager

Position Summary:

The AKC Museum of the Dog seeks a highly organized, collaborative, experienced and intellectually curious Collections & Exhibitions Manager to oversee the care, documentation, movement, and presentation of the Museum’s permanent collection and all objects entrusted to its care.

The Manager will lead all aspects of collections management; administer incoming and outgoing loans, acquisitions, and deaccessions; and manage the physical and logistical execution of exhibitions from early planning through installation and deinstallation. The Manager will also be an active thought partner in shaping exhibition concepts, selecting and interpreting objects, developing labels and other gallery content, and ensuring that exhibitions are both rigorous and engaging.

Primary Job Duties:

- Oversee the Museum’s permanent collection, ensuring its stewardship, documentation, security, accessibility, preservation, and physical care meet professional and ethical standards.

- Manage collections records and databases, including cataloging, provenance, ownership, condition, location, valuation, imaging, digitization, and related legal and administrative documentation.

- Lead collections care and risk management, including inventories, environmental monitoring, conservation, storage and handling standards, emergency preparedness, and long-term collections-care planning.

- Manage acquisitions, deaccessions, and dispositions, including research, due diligence, condition assessment, accessioning, donor communications, institutional approvals, and compliance with policies and ethical standards.

- Administer incoming and outgoing loans, coordinating agreements, insurance, condition reporting, valuations, shipping, customs, couriers, deadlines, and relationships with lenders and vendors.

- Lead exhibition and installation logistics, managing object selection and movement, schedules, budgets, condition checks, mounting, installation, deinstallation, and coordination with staff, contractors, lenders, and designers.

- Contribute to exhibition development and interpretation, including object research, exhibition concepts, narratives, labels, checklists, credits, photography, reproduction rights, and archival documentation.

- Conduct research and support public and institutional engagement, providing accurate collection and exhibition content for education, marketing, development, publications, programs, donors, scholars, and the public.

- Develop and manage collections and exhibition operations, including budgets, workflows, policies, calendars, reporting, audits, grants, insurance, facility planning, and resource allocation.

- Provide leadership and collaboration across the Museum, advising senior leadership on collections priorities and risks, supervising staff and contractors, maintaining professional standards, and representing the Museum with external partners and the public.

Required Skills, Specialized Knowledge and Competency Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, art history, decorative arts, history, conservation, or a related field required; advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and substantial professional experience preferred.
• At least four years of progressively responsible experience in museum collections management, registration, or a closely related area, including direct responsibility for art objects and exhibition installations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of professional standards and ethical practices governing acquisitions, accessioning, deaccessioning, loans, provenance, documentation, storage, handling, conservation, and risk management.
• Strong experience with collections-management databases and digital recordkeeping; familiarity with Veevart/Salesforce preferred.
• Proven ability to prepare and review loan agreements, condition reports, insurance and shipping documentation, facility reports, object lists, and installation plans.
• Excellent project-management skills and the ability to manage multiple exhibitions, loans, and collections priorities simultaneously with accuracy and calm.

The salary range in New York City for this position is $85,000 - $89,000/year; however, salary offered may vary depending on skill, experience, job-related knowledge and location.

Weekend and overnight travel may be required.