Assistant Manager/ Manager (Collections Management)

National Gallery Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 36,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

National Gallery Singapore is seeking a Collections Support professional to assist the Collections Management team at HCC with planning for Gallery projects and exhibitions. You will help document new acquisitions, manage loans, and contribute to accessioning, inventories, and access to the National Collection.

You will collaborate with Conservation, Curatorial and Registry teams, supporting stocktakes, archival records, and storage safeguards while performing secretariat duties as needed.

Qualifications

• Preferably at least 1 year working experience in collections management or related field.
• Degree or discipline relevant to collections management (e.g., Museum Studies, Preventive Conservation, Information Science, Arts Management).
• Meticulous, organised, independent and willing to learn.
• Strong project and stakeholder management skills with multi-tasking ability.
• Positive attitude, good teamwork, and strong writing/communication skills.
• Proficient in MS Office and quick to adapt to new technologies.
• Keen interest in arts, heritage and culture.

Responsibilities

• Assists Collections Management leads with operational and resource planning for Gallery projects and exhibitions.
• Supports documentation of acquisitions, including agreements and receipts; converts loans to acquisitions as needed.
• Performs collection accessioning duties: condition checks, data recording and visual documentation.
• Provides exhibition support for Gallery and NHB exhibitions, including rotations and loans; coordinates with teams to provide access to collections.
• Manages storage repositories and safeguards the collection per policies and conservation practices.
• Maintains collections information in databases and collections management systems.
• Reviews and updates procedures related to collections management as needed.
• Assists with stakeholder management by providing access to collections for tours and visits.
• Performs annual stocktake of the National Collection and assists with audits.
• Performs secretariat duties: coordinating meetings, agendas, and minutes when required.
• Undertakes additional administrative duties and projects as assigned.

Skills

Attention to detail

Project management

Stakeholder management

Teamwork & communication

MS Office proficiency

Adaptability to new technologies

Interest in arts & heritage

Education

Museum Studies or related discipline

Tools

MS Office

Job description

• Assists Collections Management team leads at HCC with operational and resource planning for Gallery's projects and exhibitions.

• Supports the administering of proper documentation of new acquisitions including sales and purchase agreements, donation deeds, copyright agreements, acquisition approvals, receipts and other relevant documents. Works closely with Artwork and Exhibition Management and Collections Development on conversion of loans to acquisitions.

• Performs collection accessioning duties, e.g. condition checking, information recording, and visual documentation.

• Provides exhibition support for both Gallery's and NHB exhibitions, rotations, outgoing loans and acquisitions, including managing artwork lists, coordinating with Conservation, Artwork and Exhibition Management and Curatorial to provide access to the collections, retrieving artefacts for conservation, receiving new acquisitions, and packing and transportation of artefacts.

• Manages storage repositories and safeguarding the collection in accordance with established policies, SOPs, guidelines, and preventive conservation practices.

• Manages and maintains collections information and location records in databases and collections management systems.

• Reviews, updates and develops procedures, instructions and guidelines on collections management at HCC and Gallery as needed.

• Assists with Gallery's stakeholder management activities by providing access to the collections for tours and visits to HCC.

• Performs annual stocktake of the National Collection and assists with audits to maintain accountability of the collection

• Performs secretariat roles including coordinating meetings, preparing agenda items and recording minutes whenever necessary.

• Undertakes any other administrative duties and projects assigned.

*This position will be stationed at the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC). HCC, an institution under the National Heritage Board, plays a leading role in heritage conservation in Singapore. It is also the repository and conservation facility for the management and preservation of Singapore's National Collection (NC).

The Collections Management Department in HCC carries out HCC's mission of caring for and facilitating access to the NC through supporting collecting institutions in exhibitions and research, as well as through carrying out preventive conservation. In this role, you will be part of a dynamic and motivated team that is passionate about art and heritage preservation. You will also be exposed to and accumulate varied specialised knowledge and experiences in collections care and management that are essential for the role.

Qualifications

• Preferably at least 1 year working experience with degree or discipline relevant to collections management work, such as Museum Studies, Preventive Conservation, Information Science, Business/Arts Management, or a combination of related training and experience.

• Meticulous, organised, independent, and willing to learn.

• Possess good project management and stakeholder management skills, able to multi-task and handle multiple concurrent projects.

• Has a positive attitude and good teamwork, communication and writing skills.

• Competent in MS Office and able to adapt swiftly to new technologies and knowledge.

• Has a keen interest in the arts, heritage and culture.