Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs

Yale Center for British Art; Monein; Sur place; EUR 80 000 - 120 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The Yale Center for British Art is seeking a Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs to lead and enhance its notable collections. This senior position requires a strategic thinker who will manage curatorial teams, engage with the academic community, and uphold the museum's mission of public access and scholarship.

Qualifications

• 8 years of progressively responsible curatorial and administrative experience.
• Significant scholarly achievements with a record of exhibitions and publications.
• Proven ability to mentor staff and manage complex projects.

Responsabilités

• Directs curatorial and conservation teams, ensuring high standards of scholarship.
• Cultivates relationships with arts community for collections visibility.
• Leads the curatorial program and manages complex multi-disciplinary projects.

Connaissances

Curatorial leadership

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Formation

Bachelor’s Degree in related field

PhD in history of British art (preferred)

Description du poste

28-May-2025

Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs

Yale Center for British Art - Director's Office

94995BR

University Job Title

Director 4

Bargaining Unit

None - Not included in the union (Yale Union Group)

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Regular

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Leader (29)

Wage Ranges

Click here to see our Wage Ranges

Searchable Job Family

Administration

Total # of hours to be worked:

37.5

Work Week

Standard (M-F equal number of hours per day)

Work Location

Central Campus

Worksite Address

1080 Chapel Street

New Haven, CT 06510

Work Model

On-site

Position Focus

The Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) seeks a distinguished curator, strategic thinker, and collaborative leader as Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs (Chief Curator). Reporting to the Paul Mellon Director of the YCBA, this senior role will be a key member of the YCBA's Executive Leadership Team (ELT), bringing passion, ambition, and vision to one of the country's preeminent collections. The Chief Curator will amplify the reach and impact of YCBA's curatorial and publishing programs, while upholding the museum's artistic vision and direction. A deep appreciation for YCBA's renowned collections-and a commitment to interpreting, activating, and expanding their relevance for today's audiences-will be essential.

The Chief Curator will be a leader knowledgeable about institutional stewardship and development, working in close partnership with the Director to build and cultivate excellent relationships with the museum's supporters, advisors, and faculty partners. The successful candidate will be deeply committed to the educational mission of the YCBA, helping to position the museum as a vital teaching and research resource across the university. As well as a dynamic curatorial approach, the Chief Curator will bring intellectual rigor and a proven ability to mentor staff, support student learning and engagement, cultivate a collaborative team, and manage complex teams and projects.

This role will provide leadership for the curatorial, registration, installation, and conservation departments, the collections website and imaging departments, and the publications department, promoting a culture of collaboration, creativity, and professionalism. The Chief Curator will mentor staff, post-docs, and students. The Chief Curator will work closely with the Director to develop and execute the institution's creative direction, ensuring curatorial activities align with and advance the museum's strategic goals.

Institutional and Academic Leadership: Strategic partner to the Director, shaping and advancing institutional priorities and goals for the Curatorial Department. Participate actively with the ELT in museum-wide planning and decision-making. Advance the museum's mission of public access, scholarship, teaching, and innovation. Build and maintain strong relationships with faculty, participate in faculty meetings and foster cross-disciplinary collaborations to expand academic use and visibility of the collections. Cultivate relationships with artists, scholars, collectors, donors, and institutional partners to advance the museum's reputation, support, financial resources, and ability to attract meaningful donations. Represent the museum in professional, academic, and public contexts as an articulate and compelling ambassador.

Curatorial, Collections, and Program Leadership: Lead the curatorial and conservation teams, ensuring the highest standards of scholarship, preservation, interpretation, and public engagement. Champion the collections, provide curatorial leadership across historical and contemporary fields, and shape the curatorial program in collaboration with the Director. Support continued growth, care, and visibility of the collection through strategic acquisitions, stewardship planning, and adherence to best practices in collections management. Develop and maintain policies for the display, care, provenance, and ethical stewardship of the collections. Provide leadership and support for execution of exhibitions and programs, ensuring projects are delivered with scholarly rigor, creativity, and operational excellence.

Publications Leadership: Work collaboratively with the Head of Publications on the development and direction of the publishing program. Uphold the museum's commitment to producing publications of scholarly and artistic excellence. Advocate for publications as an essential part of the museum's mission.

Dept/Section URL

https://britishart.yale.edu

Essential Duties

• Directs one or more functional areas within an administrative department of the University and ensure compliance with University policies and procedures. 2. Directs analytic and research support for educational policies and planning and develops and approves administrative policies affecting assigned functional areas of the University. 3. Directs and establishes parameters for major projects for the department and University. 4. Interprets federal policies and regulations and educates staff and administration about regulations, restrictions, and the legal responsibilities of the University. 5. Directs and implements policy and program modifications and develops standards to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. 6. Develops and administers an operating budget for the assigned department consistent with University policies and procedures. 7. Develops cost savings objectives and goals; authorizes major purchases and negotiates contracts that range from routine to complex in nature. 8. Establishes and implements long- and short-range goals for the functional area consistent with University goals and objectives. 9. Directs the development of related automated systems to support the function; determines office policies and procedures for use of automated systems. 10. Directs the evaluation and selection of vendors and negotiates contract details including work steps and pricing with the vendors on behalf of the assigned functional area. 11. Works with internal and external contacts to solve problems that range from routine to complex in nature. 12. Represents the University in discussions and negotiations with various governmental agencies. 13. Directs a staff of exempt and nonexempt employees. 14. May perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Required Education And Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in related field. Eight years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Skill/Ability 1

8 years of progressively responsible curatorial and administrative experience, including leadership of multidisciplinary teams.

Required Skill/Ability 2

Significant scholarly achievements, strong record of exhibitions, publications, and acquisitions.

Required Skill/Ability 3

Substantial experience and demonstrated success in planning, organizing, and managing complex original projects, budgets, and operations.

Required Skill/Ability 4

Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a collaborative and highly effective team.

Required Skill/Ability 5

Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Education, Experience And Skills

PhD in history of British art or relevant related field. Proven experience working with patrons, donors.

Weekend Hours Required?

Occasional

Evening Hours Required?

Occasional

Drug Screen

No

Health Screening

No

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.

EEO Statement

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus

Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs | Yale University