Collections Registrar

Sharjah Art Foundation; Sharjah; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cultural institution in Sharjah is seeking an experienced Collections Registrar to manage and safeguard its art collection. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience with museum collections and logistics. Responsibilities include overseeing the Collection Management System, ensuring compliance with standards, and liaising with various stakeholders. This full-time role requires excellent organizational skills and proficiency in Arabic and English.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience with museum collections, databases or conservation.
• Strong knowledge of Fine Art mediums and materials.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple workflows.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Collection Management System for the SAF Collection.
• Ensure data accuracy and compliance with institutional standards.
• Liaise with galleries, artists, and stakeholders for documentation.

Skills

Art management

Documentation

Logistics management

Interpersonal skills

Digital literacy

Bilingual (Arabic and English)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Art, Art History, Museum Studies or a related field

Job description

Reports to: Collections and Conservation Manager

The Collections Registrar is responsible for the professional management, documentation, movement, and regulatory compliance of all artworks within the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection. This role requires an experienced, proactive registrar who can operate independently, manage complex workflows, and maintain high professional standards across registration, documentation, logistics, and collections governance. The post-holder will play a critical operational role in safeguarding the Collection and enabling its access, movement, research, and exhibition.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the Collection Management System as the authoritative institutional record for the SAF Collection, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, consistency, structure, and compliance with institutional standards.
• To take ownership of all data related to the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, ensuring factual accuracy, clarity, and communication, internally and externally.
• To work with the team members, to liaise with galleries, artists, estates and stakeholders to gather key documentation and contextual material related to the artists and artworks within the Collection.
• To oversee the physical flow of works in the Collection on-site.
• To oversee the registration of incoming acquisitions into the Collection.
• To ensure that all conservation protocols are adhered to and for Collection.
• To act as a key liaison with the Operations team, regarding the handling, physical movement of artworks in the Collection, which require examination for loan, conservation, documentation, or exhibition.
• To make proposals related to the Registration of the Collection in consultation with the Collections Manager.
• To ensure all movements comply with professional museum standards, insurance requirements, and risk-management protocols.
• To serve as a courier in the UAE and at times, regionally.
• To oversee the safe transport and installation of works from the SAF Collection on loan by accompanying select artworks on loan.
• Any other reasonable duties as required by line manager.

Required Experience, Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Art, Art History, Museum Studies or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of Experience with museum collections, museum databases, archival and preventive conservation practices, or willingness/ability to learn to do so quickly.
• Strong knowledge of Fine Art objects mediums and materials and their care, preferably, modern and contemporary art registration practices.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple workflows, and prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of organizational accuracy, attention to detail, and data integrity.
• Strong digital and computer literacy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Arabic and English is preferred.

Candidate Profile

This role is not suitable for entry-level applicants. The successful candidate must be an experienced, proactive registrar who can operate with minimal supervision, demonstrate initiative, and contribute immediately to the operational strength and professional standards of the Collections Department.

Working Conditions

Working hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Thursday physically based at SAF’s offices in Sharjah. However, this role may require out-of-hours work to accommodate the needs of the role. (Full Time).