Senior Director, Collections and Exhibitions

Job Description

Job Description

ABOUT THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to illustrated storytelling.  Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection features works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judith F. Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb; and photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange. The Museum also houses the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career. 

Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with a landscape by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA, the Museum is in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, on an 11-acre campus that includes new green space and a 300,000-square-foot building with galleries, two theaters, a library, restaurant, café, retail store, and community spaces.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seeks a Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions to join its senior administration team. This role oversees the museum's collections program, including policies and procedures for preventive care, preservation, storage, conservation, and documentation, across three departments: Registration, Collections Management, and Art Prep & Install. The Senior Director works closely with Curatorial and manages the collection across Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The role also leads the Exhibitions and Planning department, overseeing schedules, budgets, and coordination for all exhibitions, rotating permanent-collection installations, and special and touring shows.

The museum is looking for a strategic thinker and empathetic leader who can manage multiple complex, concurrent projects that shape the museum's long-term direction; build and motivate large, dynamic teams; and own division, department, and project budgets. Significant experience in a highly complex environment and a track record of systems leadership and cross-team collaboration are essential. Regular travel between Northern and Southern California teams is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Collections

• Oversees the Registration, Collections Management, and Art Prep & Install teams, and the museum's collections and institutional projects in both Los Angeles and Northern California
• Sets department goals, budgets, and priorities aligned with the museum's near- and long-term plans, ensuring the division supports the preservation, care, documentation, and display of artwork and archives
• Oversees Registration's policies for acquisition, management, and disposition of the collection, plus records management and accessioning, inventory, loans, packing, shipping, storage, customs, and insurance arrangements. This includes strategy and heavy involvement in the museum’s DAM system (Netx) and TMS
• Oversees Collections Management's work with artwork and storage facilities, including climate monitoring, viewings, preservation, housing, and collection photography
• Manages Art Prep & Installation, who are responsible for art and exhibition preparation, installation, and cleaning
• Manages institutional conservation projects, vendors, and annual conservation budgets
• Partners with museum leadership to plan long-term offsite storage and collection movement, and manages offsite storage vendors and facilities
• Works closely with Registration, Finance, and Legal on collection insurance coverage and collection- and exhibition-related agreements
• Collaborates with Facilities, Special Events, Development, Security, and Special Projects to uphold collection preservation and security standards
• Recruits, mentors, and develops a diverse, high-performing team through a supportive, collaborative approach

Exhibitions & Planning

• Sets strategy for exhibition planning in line with the museum's mission, working with Design, Publications, Revenue & Engagement, Security, and Operations to align with Founders' directives
• Owns the multi-year exhibition schedule and budget—planning and implementing all on-site and touring exhibition coordination, setting timeframes and budgets for in-gallery presentations, and holding partners accountable to deadlines
• Builds a transparent budgeting process for exhibition planning, managing vendor relationships and presenting the business case and cost-benefit analysis for projects
• Partners with Curatorial to develop a traveling exhibition program
• Coordinates installations—including permanent-collection reinstallations and gallery upkeep—with internal and external parties
• Working with the team, manages external exhibition design and fabrication vendors, representing institutional priorities and timelines
• Oversees exhibition design and production, ensuring it supports the curators' intent, and manages vendors for gallery furniture, platforms, casework, lighting, graphics, and reproductions

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Analytical Rigor: Breaks down complex problems through critical thinking, drawing on multiple perspectives and a clear understanding of root causes to reach the best solution, with an audience-centric lens.
• Courageous Communication: Works well across teams to reach shared goals, valuing diverse input and direct, honest dialogue.
• Collaborative Excellence: Navigates difficult conversations with candor, tailors messages to the audience, listens to understand, and actively seeks and applies feedback.
• Adaptive Resilience: Stays flexible and resourceful in a fast-changing, complex environment, learning from setbacks and bouncing back.
• Inclusive Interaction: Fosters a workplace where everyone feels they belong, are valued for their differences, and can contribute freely.
• Building Trust & Relationship Management: Shares information and the reasoning behind decisions, values others' input, rebuilds trust when it's broken, and connects easily across levels, functions, and cultures.
• Accountable Ownership: Owns outcomes without deflecting blame, recognizes when a blame mindset creeps in, and delivers on commitments on time.
• Strategic Alignment & Execution: Aligns actions with organizational goals, draws on outside perspectives and industry trends, and applies critical thinking to connect the dots.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, up to 8 hours per shift.
• Ability to move throughout multiple Museum locations, including galleries, theaters, outdoor spaces, and other public areas.
• Ability to maintain an active and visible presence while providing exceptional guest service.
• Ability to work in a high-volume, public-facing environment with large groups of guests, including school groups, tours, special events, and peak attendance periods, while maintaining professionalism, situational awareness, and composure.
• Ability to frequently bend, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb stairs as needed.
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 25 pounds, including wheelchairs, stanchions, signage, guest service equipment, and other operational materials.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with guests and colleagues in person, by telephone, and over two-way radio.
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors in varying environmental conditions.
• Ability to maintain awareness of guest activity and surrounding conditions while monitoring galleries, queues, and public spaces.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in art/art history, museum studies, or a related field (education, business administration, studio art), preferred
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in art museum registration, collections management, exhibitions management, exhibition design, or arts management, required
• Five years managing teams, required
• Experience managing complex projects and budgets, required
• Experience in a start-up or entrepreneurial environment in a supervisory role, preferred

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DEAIB

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents and supports a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Lucas Museum fosters a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, whether based on race, national origin, gender, gender expression, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the best qualified people from a diverse candidate pool. Applications from traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.

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MISSION AND VISION

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the art of illustrated stories. Our mission is to inspire and connect people through the exploration of visual stories and their influences in society. 

VALUES

Our internal and external practices are shaped by the following beliefs and behaviors.

People First : We meet people wherever they are (physically, intellectually, emotionally). Our inclusive practice connects who people are and what they find emotional in works of art.

Inspired: We believe that art can move you to feel, think, reflect, and act.

Collaborative: We believe that nimble thinking and working together yield exponential results.  

 

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

 

Narrative Art:

Amplify the social impact of storytelling and illustration. 

Community:

Connect to a broad and diverse public.

Operational Excellence:

Create a healthy and durable institution. 

All staff at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art lead through a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the Museum and with the communities that we serve.

Salary and titles will be assigned commensurate to the successful candidates’ education and experience. An attractive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate(s).