Job Details

Under the direct supervision of the Director of Registration and Collections Management, the Museum Registrar coordinates crating, shipping, (de)installation, and courier arrangements for a very active exhibition program across two museums. They prepare and update detailed crating and shipping estimates, arrange crating and shipping, prepare and update exhibition loan forms, records, files, and correspond with registrars at partner institutions, lenders, etc. The Registrar reports on the status of and maintains the exhibition transport budget, including submission of purchase order requests, invoice review, processing, and analysis. Always ensures safe handling and storage of artworks. The application deadline is Tuesday, November 11, 9 PM (PST).

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for arranging and overseeing all aspects of the packing and transport of loans to and from the museums for exhibition, maintaining and tracking conditions of incoming loans through documentation, including coordination and scheduling of safe packing, shipping, handling of artwork to and from borrowers; obtains estimates for these arrangements and monitors expenditure to ensure they stay within budget; maintains related billing and other financial documentation; generates receipts and maintains records;
• Negotiates financially optimal arrangements with lenders, vendors, packers, freight forwarding agents, and shippers while maintaining the highest museum standard;
• Arranges and oversees all aspects of the (de)installation of artwork in exhibitions. Works with conservators and technicians in planning and executing the safe movement of works of art; tracks the location of objects both during and after exhibition, and records location changes.
• Conducts and documents condition reports on a wide range of object types, coordinating condition reports with conservators and providing copies to partner institutions; may measure or label objects;
• Under direction, prepares detailed packing and shipping narrative for US Government Indemnity application; secures and provides to lenders insurance certificates for incoming and outgoing loans; maintains insurance coverage and obtains premium estimates;
• Prepares spreadsheets tracking insurance, conditions of loan, or any non-standard agreement or contract;
• Reviews and advises on exhibition agreements with partner institutions and artists;
• Occasionally acts as an art courier;
• Provides collaborative support as needed. Document, evaluate, and report on all work activity. May support work to complete and improve collection documentation and activities, labeling, and housing; creates and maintains both manual and digital records relating to objects, exhibitions, and loans;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in art, art history, museum studies, arts administration, or a closely related field.
• Work Experience: Minimum four years of art museum registration experience, preferably with an emphasis on working on major international loan exhibitions.

Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of and diversified experience with museum registration methods and techniques.
• Thorough knowledge of and efficient mastery of software and databases, including applications such as Microsoft Office and collections management database systems.
• Familiarity with customs restrictions, US Government Indemnity, repatriation issues, judicial seizures, TSA regulations and practices, and pertinent fine arts insurance practices.
• Familiarity with basic conservation concepts, procedures, and terms. Skill and awareness in regard to the sensitive handling of works of art, including current best practices in packing, crating, and transportation of objects.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and knowledge of pertinent office and administrative procedures including: basic accounting (A/P, A/R, POs); rigorous collections documentation practices; receipting; organizing and maintaining digital and hard-copy records.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to make accurate arithmetic calculations.
• Extremely high level of accuracy and attention to detail; commitment to efficiency and effectiveness of systems and schedules.
• Ability to work well under pressure and with conflicting demands.
• Ability to efficiently and effectively work on a variety of projects concurrently, with attention to the goals and priorities of the department and the Museums.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with colleagues, volunteers, interns, and effectively represent the Museum to outside professionals, lenders, donors, and members of the artistic community.

Additional:

Schedule: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. Hybrid schedules are a minimum of 4 days a week onsite, with the understanding that schedules may change based on operational needs. The workweek is Monday - Friday, 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week.

This is a union position eligible for the Museums' benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance and a generous time off package.

There is a 7-step union pay scale for this position: Step 1 (starting rate) is $38.12 per hour, Step 7 (max rate) is $51.09. Generally, new employees start at the beginning of the pay scale.

Application Deadline: November, 11, 2025 (9 pm PST). We aim to launch the interview process in December.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources @ famsf.org.

COFAM is the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums and is the privately funded non-profit corporation which supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.

COFAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all phases of employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States. The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of over 4,000 years of ancient and European art including Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge.