Chief Exhibitions and Collections Officer

National Museum of Wildlife Art; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 210,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health program

Retirement benefits

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

The Saint Louis Art Museum is seeking a Chief Exhibitions and Collections Officer (CECO) to lead its exhibitions and collections operations. The CECO will oversee planning and preservation of the collections while integrating them into the museum's strategic mission.

This role requires a collaborative leader with a strong background in museum operations and project management, guiding exhibition projects from conception to execution.

Salary range is $210,000 to $240,000, with comprehensive benefits offered.

Qualifications

• 10 years of significant, progressively responsible experience in an encyclopedic art museum or large cultural institution.
• Experience with capital projects, gallery renovations, or major reinstallation initiatives.
• Familiarity with international lenders and government indemnity programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and integrate SLAM's exhibitions and collections operations.
• Oversee planning, logistics, care, movement, installation, and preservation of collections.
• Serve as primary operational partner to the Deputy Director and Chief Curator.

Skills

Project Management

Strategic Planning

Leadership

Communication

Education

Advanced degree in museum studies or related field

Job description

The Saint Louis Art Museum is a world-renowned fine arts institution located in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, dedicated to collecting, presenting, and preserving works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures. Founded in 1879, the Museum has evolved into one of the leading encyclopedic art museums in the United States, with a mission to educate, inspire discovery, and elevate the human spirit while engaging and representing the full diversity of the St. Louis community.

SLAM stewards a comprehensive collection of more than 37,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of global history and culture, encompassing a wide range of artistic traditions and genres. Recognized for both the breadth and quality of its holdings, the collection includes works from six continents and continues to grow through ongoing acquisitions, research, and conservation efforts. Admission to SLAM's galleries is always free, reinforcing its longstanding commitment to public access and civic engagement.

Located within the cultural landscape of Forest Park, SLAM presents a dynamic program of rotating exhibitions, installations, and interpretive experiences that highlight both historical and contemporary art. Through exhibitions, public programs, research initiatives, and digital content, SLAM connects audiences with art in meaningful and evolving ways, fostering scholarship and encouraging dialogue across cultures and communities.

SLAM serves as a vital cultural resource for the region and beyond, welcoming visitors from around the world and offering inclusive opportunities for learning and engagement. Through its commitment to excellence, access, and community relevance, the Museum continues to play a central role in enriching lives and strengthening the cultural fabric of St. Louis and the global arts landscape.

SLAM has a 13-member board of commissioners led by President Bradford K. Werner, a 64-member board of trustees led by President Jeana B. Reisinger, and a 46-member friends board led by President Brooke Ray. The CECO reports to the Emily Rauh Pulitzer chief Curator and Deputy Director, and has four direct reports, including the Director of Registration, Director of Exhibitions, Director of Art Preparation & Installation, and the Director of Conservation. SLAM is part of the Art Museum Subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District of the City of St. Louis and County of St. Louis (ZMD), a political subdivision of the State of Missouri. The ZMD provides approximately 2/3 of the museum’s $48.7 million operating budget. SLAM is supported by a $320 million endowment.

Situated along the Mississippi River in the heart of the Midwest, St. Louis, Missouri, is a historic and dynamic city with a population of more than 300,000 residents and a metropolitan area of nearly three million people. As a major cultural and economic hub, St. Louis is known for its diverse economy spanning healthcare, education, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, alongside a strong tradition of civic engagement and public investment. The city offers a compelling quality of life, with distinct neighborhoods, accessible amenities, and a deep sense of community identity.

St. Louis blends rich history with ongoing revitalization, featuring vibrant districts such as Downtown, the Central West End, and the Delmar Loop, where restaurants, cultural venues, and local businesses contribute to an active urban environment. Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States and home to SLAM, serves as a central gathering place, offering expansive green space alongside major cultural institutions. The city’s infrastructure, public resources, and central location support both connectivity and livability for residents and visitors alike.

Arts and culture are central to St. Louis’s civic life. The city is home to a robust network of cultural institutions, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, which offers free admission and serves as a leading destination for global art and community engagement. Through exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, the Museum plays a key role in connecting people to art and ideas. Across the city, cultural organizations, public art initiatives, and community programs, supported by municipal leadership and local partnerships, create opportunities for participation, learning, and creative expression.

Position Summary

The Chief Exhibitions and Collections Officer (CECO) of The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) will lead and integrate SLAM's exhibitions and collections operations. The CECO will oversee the planning, logistics, care, movement, installation, and preservation of SLAM's collections and exhibitions, ensuring the highest professional standards across all related functions.

The CECO will serve as the primary operational partner to the Deputy Director and Chief Curator, translating curatorial vision into executable plans that are financially responsible, logistically sound, and aligned with institutional priorities. The CECO will enable ambitious exhibition programs, complex international and domestic loans, long-term and rotating permanent collection installations, and capital projects affecting galleries and collection storage.

Roles and Responsibilities

Executive Leadership and Strategy

• Provide vision, strategic direction, and integrated leadership for the divisions of Registration, Exhibitions, Art Preparation & Installation, and Conservation.
• Serve as a principal advisor to the Deputy Director and Chief Curator on exhibition feasibility, collections logistics, risk assessment, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Guide each exhibition project from concept to kickoff to opening and deinstall, with check‑ins at concept, design development, pre‑fabrication, and pre‑installation, ensuring schedule and budget alignment.
• Use clear, consistent processes that reflect museum and exhibition‑industry best practices.
• Participate actively in strategic planning, institutional goal setting, and budgeting initiatives.
• Align exhibitions and collections operations with SLAM’s mission, strategic plan, and curatorial priorities.
• Contribute to long‑range planning for exhibitions, gallery rotations, collection care initiatives, and capital projects.
• Communicate directly with the Director and others on the Leadership Team, keeping them informed of issues relevant to their areas of responsibility.
• Coordinate meetings with the Museum Director, Chief Curator, Deputy Director, and Controller for scope, schedule, and budget changes.
• Embrace other executive leadership and strategy responsibilities as needed.

Exhibitions Leadership

• Oversee the operational planning and execution of all special exhibitions, permanent collection installations, and gallery rotations.
• Ensure exhibitions are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with institutional standards for quality, safety, and scholarship.
• Work closely with the Controller to secure and document appropriate fine arts insurance coverage, ensuring that all artworks on loan for exhibitions are fully and accurately insured in accordance with lender requirements, institutional policies, and industry best practices.
• Review and recommend for the Deputy Director and Director’s approval all exhibition designs, including layouts, wall colors, casework, and enforce compliance with exhibition agreements.
• Collaborate with the Chief Design Officer to establish guidelines for all museum‑generated exhibition and installation design projects to ensure brand consistency and high‑quality visual standards.
• Establish and maintain exhibition management frameworks, timelines, and cross‑departmental workflows.
• Foster close collaboration among curatorial, design, learning and engagement, communications, development, facilities, and security teams.
• Conduct weekly production and stakeholder meetings to make decisions and clear any roadblocks.
• Build and maintain traveling exhibition program. Maintain venue relationships, negotiate schedules, fees, and contracts, and establish and report on measurable outcomes.
• Partner with Development on grant planning, budgeting, and reporting for exhibitions and collections care; provide timely exhibition overviews, budgets, and compelling narratives to support fundraising efforts, including sponsorships, grants, gifts, and memberships, and inform donor conversations; and collaborate on donor recognition and stewardship plans by helping coordinate cultivation events, previews, and behind‑the‑scenes access aligned with key project milestones.
• Embrace other exhibitions leadership responsibilities as needed.

Registration and Collections Management

• Provide strategic oversight of all registration functions, including incoming and outgoing loans, insurance, indemnity, shipping, customs, couriers, and lender compliance.
• Ensure adherence to national and international standards, legal requirements, and lender agreements.
• Oversee collections movement, documentation, inventory control, and location tracking.
• Develop, implement, and regularly review policies and procedures related to collections stewardship and risk management.
• Work with the Controller to obtain fine arts insurance coverage to ensure the collection is properly insured.
• Embrace other registration and collections management responsibilities as needed.

Art Preparation & Installation

• Oversee art handling, packing, mount‑making, installation, and deinstallation activities for exhibitions and permanent collection galleries.
• Ensure best practices in object handling, display methods, and gallery preparation across all media and materials.
• Maintain conservation, safety, and accessibility standards.
• Coordinate closely with conservation, design, and curatorial staff on display requirements and object‑specific needs.
• Embrace other art preparation & installation responsibilities as needed.

Conservation

• Provide administrative and strategic leadership for conservation across all collecting areas.
• Safeguard SLAM's collection by working with staff to establish and maintain policies and procedures that uphold the highest standards of collections care.
• Ensure conservation priorities support exhibitions, loans, preventive care, and long‑term preservation goals.
• Supervise the development of a long‑range plan for collection storage needs.
• Advocate for appropriate environmental controls, monitoring, and preventive conservation strategies.
• Support conservation research, documentation, and treatment planning in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Embrace other conservation responsibilities as needed.

Budgeting

• Develop and oversee departmental budgets for exhibitions and collections operations, including shipping, conservation treatments, fabrication, and installation.
• Create detailed exhibition budgets and forward‑looking financial models in partnership with the Deputy Director and Chief Curator, and the Deputy Director and Controller, track commitments, and ensure rolling forecast and projections are updated and accurate.
• Track, review, and approve all expenditures; resolve budget variances; and ensure staff compliance with established purchasing guidelines.
• Monitor expenditures, forecast costs, and identify efficiencies without compromising professional standards.
• Oversee contracts, vendor relationships, and external service providers; track and monitor exhibition shared costs.
• Embrace other budgeting responsibilities as needed.

Management

• Maintain a single, accurate master calendar that integrates phased reinstallations, gallery closures and openings, facility shutdowns, venue rentals, and capital projects to ensure seamless institutional planning.
• Oversee a comprehensive multi‑year exhibition plan aligned with institutional priorities and strategic goals, supported by a detailed rolling month‑by‑month and year‑by‑year schedule to guide cross‑departmental coordination, resource allocation, and timely execution across departments.
• Provide direct supervision, mentorship, and performance management for four divisional directors, fostering accountability, clarity of roles, and strong leadership across teams.
• Cultivate and sustain a high‑performing, service‑oriented departmental culture grounded in collaboration, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.
• Approve and oversee all employment‑related activities within the division, including hiring, evaluations, timesheets, PTO and sick time, disciplinary actions, succession planning, and professional development initiatives to support staff retention and growth.
• Promote cross‑functional communication, shared problem‑solving, and transparency across departments to strengthen institutional effectiveness.
• Represent exhibitions and collections operations in senior leadership discussions and cross‑departmental committees, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.
• Embrace other management responsibilities as needed.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with museum policies, ethical standards, and professional guidelines governing exhibitions, collections stewardship, and institutional operations.
• Oversee emergency preparedness and response planning related to collections and exhibitions, safeguarding objects, staff, and facilities.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with object movement, display, loans, and facilities or capital projects.
• Secure and steward relationships with partner institutions, venues, and external collaborators; negotiate and execute contracts, including fees, schedules, and deliverables, in coordination with legal counsel and the Controller.
• Prepare and review all internal and legal documentation related to exhibitions and collections, including traveling exhibition agreements, contractor agreements, and acquisition or deaccession agreements, ensuring compliance with legal and institutional requirements.
• Communicate effectively with external stakeholders, including lenders, partner institutions, artists, donors, and collaborators, serving as a senior institutional representative.
• Maintain SLAM’s active professional presence through participation in national and international peer associations and represent SLAM in professional forums as appropriate.
• Embrace other risk management and compliance responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The Chief Exhibitions and Collections Officer will be a collaborative and people‑oriented leader who excels in building strong relationships across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, contributing meaningfully in a supportive, team‑driven environment. Analytical and structured in their approach, they will be adept at compiling, organizing, and interpreting complex information while relying on proven methods and systems to guide decision‑making and operations. Resourceful and results‑driven, they will focus on achieving practical outcomes, maximizing the effective use of time, talent, and institutional resources to advance SLAM's exhibitions and collections strategies. Assertive and competitive when needed, they will demonstrate a clear will to win in navigating high‑stakes opportunities and positioning SLAM for continued excellence and relevance. Highly organized and methodical, they establish and maintain clear systems, priorities, and workflows that support efficiency, accountability, and a productive working environment. Balancing rigor with adaptability, they will foster a dynamic, mission‑driven environment that supports innovation, stewardship, and meaningful public engagement.

Other key competencies

• Project Management – The capability to identify and oversee all resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results.
• Time and Priority Management – The organizational acumen to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
• Personal Accountability and Teamwork – The capacity to be answerable for personal actions while cooperating with others to meet objectives.
• Planning and Organizing – The aptitude to establish courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.
• Problem Solving and Goal Orientation – The ability to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution while setting, pursuing, and attaining goals, regardless of obstacles or circumstances.

Qualifications

An advanced degree in museum studies, art history, conservation, or a related field is preferred, along with 10 years of significant, progressively responsible experience in an encyclopedic art museum or large cultural institution. The CECO will bring demonstrated experience with capital projects, gallery renovations, or major reinstallation initiatives, as well as familiarity with international lenders and government indemnity programs, and a proven ability to manage large operational budgets. Strategic and systems‑level thinking, strong project management skills, and the ability to lead cross‑departmental teams with diplomacy and collaborative leadership are necessary. The CECO will demonstrate operational rigor, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities and high‑stakes projects, alongside a deep commitment to the highest standards of professional ethics, stewardship, accountability, and transparency in all aspects of exhibitions and collections management.

Compensation and Benefits

SLAM provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary range between $210,000 and $240,000. Benefits include a comprehensive health program offering multiple medical plan options through Cigna, with access to in‑network and out‑of‑network coverage, preventive care, and prescription benefits. Dental coverage is provided through Sun Life, including a fully employer‑paid basic plan and an enhanced buy‑up option, alongside voluntary vision coverage through EyeMed. SLAM provides employer‑paid benefits such as short‑term and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance (two times annual salary), and accidental death and dismemberment coverage, with additional voluntary options including supplemental life, AD&D, accident, and critical illness insurance. Employees have access to tax‑advantaged Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Dependent Care FSAs, and Health Savings Accounts (HSA), as well as a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program offering confidential counseling and support services. Retirement benefits include participation in the City of St. Louis defined benefit pension plan and access to 403(b) retirement savings plans through TIAA and Fidelity.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/the-saint-louis-art-museum-seeks-chief-exhibitions-and-collections-officer/

SLAM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience, without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.