Senior Registrar, Government Art Collection

The Government Art Collection promotes British art and contributes to cultural diplomacy. Founded in 1899, the Collection is today a unique resource with over 15,000 British works of art spanning six centuries in a range of media. About 60% of the Collection is on display in 125 British Government buildings around the world, making it the most widely distributed collection of British art in the world. For further information on the Collection, see: artcollection.culture.gov.uk.

The Government Art Collection team is part of the Cultural Diplomacy, Loans and Visitor Economy Directorate within DCMS. It consists of three teams: Curatorial, Collection Care and Collection Information.

Senior Registrar

Reporting to the Head of Collection Care, this is a new role created at an exciting time for the Collection as we respond to a General Election and celebrate our 125th year.

Leading a team of three registrars, the Senior Registrar role will be responsible for all art movements, tracking, auditing and loans programmes for the Collections objects across 400 locations worldwide. You will be working at the GACs central London headquarters, based at the Old Admiralty Building in Whitehall.

The Senior Registrar will work collegially across the small, dedicated and friendly Collection team to deliver and care for art displays in museum and non-museum environments, on and off the UK government estate, worldwide. They will help review and develop policy, systems and procedures to continually improve Collection standards, responsivity and offer. The role will have responsibility for the registrarial teams impact on the GACs delivery to major stakeholders, and will work closely with colleagues to deliver for the Collection through the display and public engagement programmes.

See the Candidate Information Pack attached at the bottom of the webpage for further information on the responsibilities of the role.

The ideal candidate would have the following skills and experience:

Essential requirements:

• Extensive experience in registration, collections and exhibition management gained in museum, gallery or equivalent environment; knowledge and application of best sector practices and procedures for documentation, loans, acquisition, disposal and international art logistics;

• Experience of auditing and inventory control; developed knowledge of collections management databases usage, general office software programmes including spreadsheets, and excellent digital literacy around handling and usage of data;

• Extensive project management experience including budgeting and finance control, ability to plan long-term with agility to respond rapidly to external change; resilience and calm under pressure amidst shifting priorities while managing multiple work programmes simultaneously;

• Strong line-management experience; proven ability to set and accomplish personal and team objectives, meeting deadlines by prioritising effectively for themselves and their reportees; commitment to cultivating and demonstrating a kind, collaborative and inclusive working environment at the Government Art Collection;

• Track record of identifying, developing and implementing improvements to systems and procedures to raise service levels and productivity; problem-solving through applying clear analytical thinking to evidence;

Desirable skills:

• Knowledge and application of best practices and procedures for handling, installation, storage, condition checking and basic conservation principles;
• An interest in visual culture;
• An interest in the work of government;

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing