Registrar

THE OPPORTUNITY 
Located in the heart of San Francisco, the Asian Art Museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art, boasting more than 20,000 inspiring artworks ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and public programs for all ages provide rich art experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future. 

Currently, we are leading a search for a Registrar to join our team. This is an exceptional opportunity to join an organization that values creativity, teamwork, collaboration, and inclusion and where you will be surrounded by a diverse, talented, and enthusiastic group of colleagues. 

The Registrar must have a thorough knowledge of, and experience in, all hands-on aspects of registration work. The Registrar performs a wide variety of professional registration duties, including more complex assignments requiring independent judgment and action. The Registrar has the authority to engage with staff, vendors, colleagues from other museums, donors, and members of the public regarding registration issues in a professional manner. The Museum Systems (TMS) database experience is fundamental to the job functions. The Registrar may direct other registration personnel, vendors and outside contractors, and supervises and administers the department in the absence of the Head of Registration. The incumbent is expected to be able to work independently and as part of a team.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees and coordinates registration functions for exhibitions and coordination of the schedule for the installation team and couriers; generates and/or reviews a variety of documents including loan agreements and condition report forms; assists with Federal Indemnity, CITES and Immunity for Judicial Seizure applications, assists with exhibition contracts, updates and provides facility reports, certificates of insurance, and invoices; arranges logistics for exhibitions including coordination of packers, international and domestic shippers, freight forwarders and customs brokers. Acts as courier when necessary.
• Manages registration details for traveling exhibitions organized by the museum, including developing budgets; administers proper processing/coding for expenses and revenues (loan fees, pro-rated shipping costs, etc.); prepares checklists and any special instructions or display requirements; ensures that artworks are properly prepared for display and installation; organizes packing, crating, shipping, and courier travel; reviews and assists with development of contracts and monitors adherence to contract terms. The Registrar oversees incoming loans and selected gallery rotations; coordinates with curators, conservators, preparators, security and notifies other departments about changes in the galleries; creates object lists in the TMS collections database; generates manual files for each rotation; updates locations for objects and label information in database as needed and arranges logistics for loans and new acquisitions as needed.
• Provides support and assists with ongoing registration and collections management duties, thematic exhibitions, new accessions, object numbering, out-going and in-coming loan logistics and coordinates conservation and preparation needs and other registration duties as assigned; provides cross-training of departmental staff as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Art, Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration or closely related field from an accredited college or university. Graduate level studies in one of these areas is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of Seven (7) or more years of museum registration experience, or an equivalent combination of academic training and experience including managing exhibitions.
• Solid knowledge of current registration practices and principles.
• Previous experience working on large international loan exhibitions. Experience working with contemporary art and new media desirable.
• Excellent computer skills including experience with relational database management programs for museum collections; experience using The Museum System (TMS) is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of art handling techniques and preventive conservation methods; ability to handle delicate and valuable works of art with extreme care.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with museum staff, visitors, volunteers, donors, couriers and representatives from other museums.
• Works well under pressure and with conflicting demands; ability to work on several projects simultaneously and coordinate multiple departments’ and individuals’ schedules.
• Extremely accurate and detail oriented.
• Strong interpersonal, planning and organizational skills; excellent written and oral communication skills; effective problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Most work is done in normal office environment, however physical mobility and manual dexterity/agility is required to work with art objects throughout museum galleries and in art storage area as required. Lifting and handling of art objects often in constrained areas.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds. Occasionally required to operate a pallet jack and ensure the safe transport of heavy crated works of art.
• Involves some travel: locally, off-site storage, other museums and the airport for art pick-up and delivery; act as a courier for domestic and foreign travel of loans and exhibitions as necessary.

COMPENSATION 

The Asian Art Museum is committed to practicing salary transparency. The hourly range for this position is $37.6144 - 45.1759/hr. This FLSA exempt opportunity includes a generous benefits package, including but not limited to:  

• Fully covered medical, dental and vision insurance for employee 
• 12 paid holidays (2025) 
• 15 days of vacation 
• 12 days of sick leave 
• Group retirement plan starting after one year of employment 

This position is represented by Local 1021, Service Employees International Union.    

New hires typically start at the beginning of the wage range.

OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITMENTS  

At the Asian Art Museum, we are dedicated to ideating, building, and holding ourselves accountable for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion in everything we do. We strive to foster a culture of respect, belonging and inclusivity for all employees.
Our mission is to celebrate, preserve, and promote Asian and Asian American art and cultures for local and global audiences. We provide a dynamic forum for exchanging ideas, inviting collaboration, and fueling imagination to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds.  

Diversity of thought and experience is essential to our mission, and we are committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.  

WHAT'S NEXT?  

Apply online at https://about.asianart.org/careers/. Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. Application materials will be screened in relation to the criteria described. Candidates deemed to be the most highly qualified will be invited to participate in the interview process. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete but may fluctuate depending on the role. Appointment is subject to completion of a thorough background check process.  

The Asian Art Museum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories (arrest and criminal histories) consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.

Salary : $38 - $45