JOB POSTING: Collections Manager
SFU GALLERIES | February 19, 2023
Union/Affiliation: Administrative and Professional Staff (APSA)
Pay range: $64,973 to $77,589 Annually
SFU Department Descr: SFU Galleries
Position Grade: 8
# of openings: 1
Biweekly Hours: 72
Closing Date: February 19, 2023
Position Summary
Reporting to the Director, SFU Galleries, the Collections Manager oversees all aspects of collection management for the works art in the university's collection. The incumbent of the position manages the university's collection (both in storage and on private/private display) by developing and implementing plans, policies, and procedures for the inventory, inspection, and conservation of all works in the collection and by overseeing the administration of loans; acquisition and donation documentation; transportation; conservation; insurance assessment of works of art; and collection registration processes. The Collection Manager also develops plans for collection management; manages the collections budget; makes and implements collections management policy recommendations; and ensures adherence to international museological standards. The Collection Manager oversees the work of staff and contract workers responsible for performing collections inventory; document processing; recordkeeping; and conservation work.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Oversees all aspects of collections management for the works of art in the university’s collection. Implementing collection management plans, policies and procedures for the inventory, inspection, and conservation of all works in the collection. Continually conducts research into collections management policies and best practices making recommendations to the Director regarding changes to existing policies and practices.
- Oversees the administration and documentation of loans; acquisition; deaccessions; transportation; insurance; and collections registration processes for all works of art in the university’s collection.
- Develops and implements collection records systems and maintains the collections database management system.
- Develops and implements plans for the security of incoming and outgoing works of art on loan for exhibitions and the collection, condition reporting, and preparing the required documentation for insurance for the University’s Safety and Risk Services.
- Develops budgets, timelines and staffing requirements. Oversees contract workers who provide professional service including appraisers, conservators, art handlers and photographers. Supervises work study students, interns, and temporary Collections Assistant staff.
Impact of Decision Making:
- Overseeing all aspects of collections management including the development and implementation of collection management plans, best practices, policies, and procedures for the inventory, inspection, and conservation of all works in the collection.
- Administrating the collections budget including loans; acquisition and donation documentation; transportation; security; insurance assessment; and collection registration processes for all art works in the university’s collection.
- Recruiting and overseeing the work of staff and contract workers (CUPE temp, work study students, conservators, etc.) providing administrative and technical support in the inventory, inspection, and conservation of the works of art in the university collection.
- Assessing the condition of works of art works and determining appropriate care.
- Recruiting and overseeing the work of staff contract workers providing administrative and technical support in the inventory, inspection, and conservation of the works of art in the university collection.
- The Collections Manager follows established procedures and processes and policies to arrive at decisions
- The Collections Manager’s decisions have a major impact on the custodianship of the SFU Art Collection, and could impact relationships between units and collaborators at SFU.
Problem Solving and Level of Supervision:
The Collections Manager is self-directed and exercises initiative and independent decision making in the management, assessment, and care of SFU Art Collection. The incumbent of the position works closely with the Director, SFU Galleries, in both informal and formal meetings and, on an ongoing basis, provides written summary reports. Most times the Collections Manager will have the expertise to solve problems that arise, but occasionally solutions may be unknown. In these cases, the Collections Manager may need to draw on colleagues and research outside their current knowledge base to develop best solutions for the problem at hand. The Collections Manager will in these cases always converse with the Galleries Director to ensure the decision path is the right one to take.
The Collections Manager works collaboratively with the Director, SFU Galleries, as well as staff in Facilities Services and University Advancement. The Director supports the Collections Manager in arriving at the right solution for the following:
- Problems with significant financial, legal or ethical implications;
- Issues potentially leading to controversy or conflict that could affect the public reputation of the SFU Galleries or the university;
- Final approval of grant proposal submissions;
- The installation of a major new commission of public artwork on campus.
Qualifications
Master degree in Art History, Fine Arts, or Visual Arts, with two years of related experience in gallery or museum collection management, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Excellent knowledge of gallery/collection protocols and standards; art handling techniques; condition monitoring; conservation; and cataloguing systems.
- Excellent knowledge of contemporary art locally, nationally and internationally.
- Excellent communication skills (oral and written communication).
- Excellent interpersonal and client relations skills.
- Excellent research, analytical, and problem solving skills.
- Excellent leadership skills with the ability to oversee the work of work study students and externally contracted professional staff.
There are three distinct galleries operating under the umbrella identity of SFU Galleries, with a single website and coordinated staff: SFU Gallery on Burnaby mountain (established 1970), Teck Gallery at Harbour Centre, Vancouver (established 1989) and Audain Gallery at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancouver (established 2010). The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum will join this suite of presentation and programming spaces in mid 2024. Reporting to the Department of External Relations rather than an academic faculty, SFU Galleries is charged with advancing engagement between the university and the public through art. SFU Galleries occupies the unceded territories of xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaɬ, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Nations. Acknowledging that our activities unfold on colonized Indigenous land is both a recognition that settler colonialism is an ongoing paradigm and a commitment to support the capacity of art to unsettle these conditions.
Our mission is to present, study and collect art that engages, challenges, strengthens, and enriches local, national and international communities and art audiences. We explore current art practices and ideas, including crucial considerations of this region and nation; activate them through exhibitions, publications and events; and care for the SFU Art Collection of over 5,600 works predominantly by regional and national artists of the last century.
Our approach to accessibility follows the Justice model: access beyond accommodation. We understand disability to be unevenly distributed, primarily affecting low income communities, queer and trans communities, Indigenous communities and communities of colour. Calls to diversify, decolonize and dismantle white supremacy are both keenly felt and desperately needed in the cultural sector: at SFU Galleries we believe accessibility is a powerful tool that cultural organizations can engage to dismantle systems of oppression and create more inclusive spaces for our artists, our staff and our audiences.
We acknowledge the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, on whose lands the SFU campuses reside.
Simon Fraser University is committed to the principle of Employment Equity. SFU Galleries is dedicated to building a diverse staff and advancing the rights and inclusion of equity-deserving groups and communities, including, Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI people. We are interested in candidates with a commitment to equity, social justice, Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation, diversity and inclusion. Equity-deserving people are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please include your cover letter and resume in one attachment.
