Head of Collection Management

Museum Catharijneconvent aims to be a place where everyone feels at home and can take the time to appreciate stunning objects and important stories. Every year, we welcome hundreds of thousands of exhibition visitors, schoolchildren, and day-trippers—both inside and outside the museum—and share diverse stories that inspire wonder and contribute to a more understanding society.

Due to a colleague’s upcoming retirement, we are seeking a new Head of Collection Management, effective April 1, 2023.

The Collection Management Department

The museum’s collection comprises more than 70,000 art and cultural-historical objects: ranging from medieval to contemporary art, from everyday objects to digitally born heritage, and from textiles and manuscripts to paintings and sculptures. The Collection Management Department oversees this diverse collection, which serves as the subject of research and a rich source for the museum’s exhibition programming. Objects are carefully registered and documented by the department, protected from damage, responsibly preserved, placed in storage, and presented in exhibitions and the collection display. The department is involved in acquisitions and plays a central role in deaccessioning objects. It is also responsible for the restoration policy. Finally, the department is carrying out work for the upcoming large-scale redesign of the museum.

What are you going to do?

As Head of Collection Management, you will lead a team of four staff members, along with any interns. The team may temporarily expand on a project-by-project basis. Driven by your passion for objects, you will play a leading role in managing our collection.

• You will provide structure to the department’s operations and develop new initiatives;
• You are a member of the management team and are responsible for formulating the collection policy regarding management and preservation;
• You will—in collaboration with department staff and curators—develop restoration plans and formulate a long-term policy in this area, including the related material-technical research;
• You will be closely involved in the upcoming redesign and renovation of the museum;
• You will maintain contact with the Cultural Heritage Inspectorate, museums in the Netherlands and abroad, private lenders, conservators, transport companies, and insurance companies;
• You will assist staff with various tasks related to exhibition design, conservation, registration, storage management, and digitization;
• You will be involved in fundraising related to collection management.

We ask

As Head of Collection Management, you possess an academic level of work and thinking. You are an effective communicator and are skilled at coaching and supporting staff in their professional development. In addition:

• Do you have up-to-date knowledge of the care of (museum) collections;
• Do you have a vision for collection management and are you able to translate that vision into concrete plans for management, preservation, restoration, cataloging, and digitization;
• Do you have a broad perspective and are you good at organizing tasks;
• Do you possess the following skills: strategic insight, a results-oriented mindset, strong communication skills, and the ability to make decisions;
• You have a good command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written.

Museum Catharijneconvent adheres to the Diversity and Inclusion Code and strives to be a museum where everyone feels welcome. We are looking for people from a variety of backgrounds and with diverse experiences to form a strong team together. We therefore warmly encourage anyone who believes they are qualified for this position based on their knowledge and experience to apply, even if you do not meet all the listed criteria.

We offer

• A committed and professional culture, where openness and caring for one another are important;
• A unique museum in a beautiful location in the heart of Utrecht, with a magnificent collection of art and cultural history and a significant social impact;
• A well-structured and effective management team where initiative and new ideas are valued;
• A one-year employment contract for 32 to 36 hours per week, with the possibility of a permanent position;
• This position is classified in pay scale 12 of the Museum Collective Bargaining Agreement (€4,001 – €5,398), based on a 36-hour workweek. The starting salary will depend on the relevant knowledge and experience you bring to the role;
• 8% vacation pay and 3.4% year-end bonus.

Interested or have questions?

Are you interested in this job opening? If so, we invite you to apply by emailing your resume and cover letter no later than January 15, 2023, to info@catharijneconvent.nl, with the subject line “Application for Head of Collection Management.”

Do you have any questions? If you have any questions regarding the job description, please feel free to contact Marieke van Schijndel, Director, at info@catharijneconvent.nl. For questions about the application process, please contact Roxanne Soet, HR Advisor, at r.soet@catharijneconvent.nl. The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday, January 19, 2023, and the second round on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.