Senior Curator / Curator / / Prestigious Museum Landmark inAbu Dhabi

BLR WORLD; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Senior Curator to lead strategic initiatives in enhancing the museum's collections and exhibitions. This role involves managing budgets, developing research activities, and collaborating with international museum committees. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in curatorial practices, a strong academic background, and a passion for public engagement. Join a dynamic team dedicated to preserving and showcasing art from the 5th to 16th centuries, while fostering partnerships that elevate the museum's global standing. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence the cultural landscape and contribute to innovative exhibitions.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of post-graduate experience in curatorial roles.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, with teaching experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop long-term strategies for exhibitions and displays.
• Manage the unit's budget and administrative actions.
• Enhance the museum's reputation through research and publications.

Skills

Curatorial Expertise

Public Engagement

Research Skills

Budget Management

Stakeholder Management

Education

PhD in History of Art

Museum Studies

Job description

The Senior Curator is responsible for the strategy, narrative, and collections proposal and implementation of the department. The role holder will manage strategic goals, develop research activities, and content that enhance the museum's reputation, as well as develop collaborative partnerships with national and international museum committees. The role holder will conceptualize new exhibitions related to the department and work across the team to enhance offerings.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Develop medium and long-term proposals for strategies defined by the Director on exhibitions and displays, proposing potential acquisitions and research opportunities related to the 5th to early 16th-century collections.
2. Manage and develop the unit's budget, along with the administrative, legal, and financial actions for the department.
3. Review, advise, and refine the department's project proposals and feasibility reports, supporting the provision of timeframes, funding parameters, and resource allocation.
4. Review the department's progress, analyze reports on visitor activity trends, and provide advice and recommendations for further actions to the Department Director.
5. Support the department's activities in complex, blocked, and unforeseen circumstances impacting daily activities, projects, or implementation.
6. Regularly evaluate and ensure the department's current research, implementation, and maintenance procedures align with internationally recognized standards.
7. Support initiatives across other departments within the Museum, including collections development, acquisition strategy, and content planning in mediation and education policies.
8. Become a subject matter expert in one of the fields related to the 5th to 16th centuries through continuous self-learning to enhance the department's knowledge offerings, understanding, and techniques on current collections and researching artifacts of future interest.
9. Enhance the museum's international reputation through active personal research, publications, conference contributions, and exploring opportunities for loans and development related to the department's collections.
10. Ensure knowledge transfer to team members and provide on-the-job training opportunities.
11. Create and develop content in line with the mediation and education policy related to the department.
12. Ensure operational excellence in achieving KPIs, work towards establishing a sustainable financial model by meeting financial targets, and drive process improvements and efficiency.
13. As a brand ambassador, consider customer perspectives in all projects, understanding and managing stakeholder relationships.
14. As a leader, create learning opportunities through collaboration, knowledge transfer, and employee development to foster engagement and growth across the Museum.

Collaborations Across the Museum

• Local and international art and museum communities
• Academic institutions and communities
• Non-profit institutions and grant agencies
• Contractors and consultants
• Clients

Requirements

• Normal administrative hours required, with occasional work on weekends and/or evenings as directed by the business.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of post-graduate experience
• Experience as a Curator and Head of Section in a museum
• Fluency in English and Arabic
• Experience teaching at the university level
• Experience in public engagement, lectures, and presentations at an international level

Educational Qualifications

• PhD in History of Art, Museology, or Museum Studies
• 5-12 published articles in international reviews