Registrar

The Registrar, as part of the Curatorial and Collection section, is critical to the delivery of the Gallery’s exhibition and acquisition activities. The role works collaboratively with all colleagues in Curatorial and Collection, in particular the broader Registration team, as well as with colleagues across the Gallery to facilitate a dynamic program of exhibition, display and acquisitions.
Working as part of a small, multidisciplinary team, this role supports the Head of Registration to coordinate the workflow of Registration activities throughout the Gallery within a dynamic schedule of priorities. The Registrar ensures that best practice standards are always maintained in relation to the care, storage and movement of artworks.
The Registrar reports to the Head of Registration. The role of Registrar has management responsibilities for three Registration positions. The role requires developed leadership, communication, negotiation, and project management skills combined with initiative and sound judgement. A strong understanding of, and experience with, Australian and international legal and ethical frameworks related to loans, acquisitions and the movement of works of art is imperative for this role. The candidate should be an adaptive problem solver with a focus on continuous improvement in Registration practices.

Specific Tasks
1. Manage the Gallery’s inward and outward loan process to ensure that loaned and borrowed works of art are appropriately documented, protected and meet the Gallery’s legal and ethical best practice requirements.
2. Assume responsibility for all registration components of exhibitions including: the preparation and reporting of budgets; the timely scheduling of arrival and departure of works; the oversight of installation for inward loans; the management of couriers as required; and the preparation of documentation and correspondence governing the movement of cultural objects which meet the Gallery’s legal, procedural and ethical best practice requirements.
3. Assume responsibility for registration requirements for acquisitions including transportation, condition assessments, documentation pertaining to the transfer of legal title and accessioning.
4. Oversee, in consultation with the Head of Registration, the handling, installation, packing and unpacking of works of art to meet Australian and international museum standards, for all works in the custody of the Gallery.
5. Supervise Registration team staff and work as a key member of multi-disciplinary project teams across Gallery departments, ensuring the oversight and application of WH&S principles, procedures and participative management practices.
6. Create and maintain accurate records to facilitate access to, and identification of, loans and acquisitions in the Gallery’s Collection Management System (EMu) and Gallery digital records.
7. Liaise effectively with the curatorial, exhibitions and facilities teams to successfully deliver all registration requirements of our exhibition and acquisitions programs, working collaboratively and adaptively.
8. Uphold all Registration and related policies and procedures, from a perspective of continuous improvement, to ensure the gallery is compliant with national and international regulations and procedures for the movement of cultural objects, including the Gallery’s Approved Arrangements, Known Consignor Scheme status, insurance coverage and indemnification.

Specific Requirements
• The Registrar must have the ability to perform physical duties as required for the movement of works of art. This may include the movement of packed and unpack works of all media types as well as crates and travel frames.
• The Registrar must have the capacity to gain and hold a White Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) for Known Consigner requirements.

Selection Criteria
1. Demonstrated high-level knowledge and experience in the principles, practices and procedures of inward and outward domestic and international loans and proposed acquisitions.
2. Demonstrated high-level knowledge and experience in best practice processes for the safe handling, packing, transportation and storage of works of art and in the co-ordination of transportation arrangements for works of art within a museum or gallery environment.
3. Proven ability to successfully work on several projects simultaneously, with autonomy, to plan, organise, manage and prioritise activities to specified deadlines.
4. Demonstrated skills and experience in the maintenance of accurate records including knowledge and experience with the use of collection management software in museum or gallery environments.
5. Strong evidence of establishing good working relationships with multi-disciplined staff teams, private lenders, public collecting institutions, suppliers and contractors.
6. Strong evidence of effective skills in written and oral communication, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail as well as an understanding of standards and obligations in relation to loan agreements and other contractual documents.
7. Demonstrated knowledge and capacity to apply the APS Values; participative management practices; workplace diversity principles; ability to accept challenges and new opportunities.

Applicant information
In no more than two A4 pages, please tell us how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications make you the best person for this job.
Email your application, a current CV and the application coversheet to hrservices@npg.gov.au by the deadline listed below.

If you need more information, please get in touch with Dr Renée Joyce, Head of Registration, on 02 6102 7040 or by email renee.joyce@npg.gov.au

Applications close midnight Sunday 25 August 2024.