Collections Registration Unit Head JOB

Job Purpose:

To lead and strategically manage all collections registration operations across multiple institutions under DCT’s purview. This includes ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and legal compliance of collections data, documentation standards, and collections-related workflows in alignment with international best practices and national regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Oversight & Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for collections registration and documentation across all institutional venues.

• Oversee alignment of registration practices across various entities under DCT’s scope, ensuring harmonized workflows, data governance, and cultural heritage compliance.

• Lead change management processes to modernize legacy systems and introduce scalable, centralized documentation solutions.

Policy Development & Standards Implementation

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve unified policies, procedures, and documentation standards for object registration and collections management.

• Ensure compliance with international metadata and documentation frameworks (e.g., SPECTRUM, CIDOC-CRM, Dublin Core).

• Monitor and enforce alignment with UAE national heritage laws and international regulations governing loans, acquisitions, and restitution.

Cross-Institutional Coordination

• Supervise and support registration teams across institutions, ensuring consistency, quality control, and institutional collaboration.

• Act as a senior liaison between registration, curatorial, legal, conservation, and logistics teams to facilitate cross-functional workflows and issue resolution.

Collections Data & Database Management

• Oversee the centralized collections management system (e.g., EMu or equivalent), ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and user accountability across all institutions.

• Lead efforts related to bulk data migration, data cleaning, and legacy record transformation to meet current standards.

• Monitor user permissions, audit trails, and system performance to ensure system resilience and accessibility.

Acquisitions, Loans & Inventory

• Support and advise on institutional acquisitions, incoming/outgoing loans, inventory controls, and audit preparations.

• Ensure legal and procedural due diligence for cross-border object movements and cultural property documentation.

• Develop loan agreement templates and coordinate technical and legal review processes for object movement.

Audit, Risk & Compliance

• Monitor compliance with internal policies and external regulations related to collections ownership, movement, insurance, and documentation.

• Manage reporting processes and contribute to institutional audits, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, mentor, and evaluate the performance of the collections registration team.

• Identify training needs and design continuous professional development plans to build expertise in documentation, collections care, and digital tools.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Cultural Heritage Management, Archival Science, Library Science, or a related field.

• Experience: Minimum 8–10 years in collections registration, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role overseeing multi-institutional documentation systems.

• Systems Expertise: Deep familiarity with international standards (e.g., SPECTRUM, CIDOC, Dublin Core) and hands-on experience with CMS platforms like EMu or TMS.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of UAE heritage laws, cultural property protection, and international museum ethics (e.g., ICOM Code of Ethics).

• Certifications (Preferred):

  • Collections care or documentation (e.g., NEMO, AAM, ICOM).

  • Project management certification (e.g., PMP) is an asset.

Key Competencies & Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with systems-level perspective.

• Strong leadership, team-building, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• High attention to detail, data quality, and workflow optimization.

• Excellent communication, diplomacy, and cross-cultural awareness.

• Proactive problem-solver with experience managing complexity.