Collections Registration Unit Head JOB

Job Purpose:

To lead and strategically manage all collections registration operations across multiple institutions under DCT’s purview. This includes ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and legal compliance of collections data, documentation standards, and collections-related workflows in alignment with international best practices and national regulations.

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  Provide strategic leadership for collections registration and documentation across all institutional venues.

  
  


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  Oversee alignment of registration practices across various entities under DCT’s scope, ensuring harmonized workflows, data governance, and cultural heritage compliance.

  
  


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  Lead change management processes to modernize legacy systems and introduce scalable, centralized documentation solutions.

  
  

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  Develop, implement, and continuously improve unified policies, procedures, and documentation standards for object registration and collections management.

  
  


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  Ensure compliance with international metadata and documentation frameworks (e.g., SPECTRUM, CIDOC-CRM, Dublin Core).

  
  


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  Monitor and enforce alignment with UAE national heritage laws and international regulations governing loans, acquisitions, and restitution.

  
  

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  Supervise and support registration teams across institutions, ensuring consistency, quality control, and institutional collaboration.

  
  


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  Act as a senior liaison between registration, curatorial, legal, conservation, and logistics teams to facilitate cross-functional workflows and issue resolution.

  
  

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  Oversee the centralized collections management system (e.g., EMu or equivalent), ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and user accountability across all institutions.

  
  


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  Lead efforts related to bulk data migration, data cleaning, and legacy record transformation to meet current standards.

  
  


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  Monitor user permissions, audit trails, and system performance to ensure system resilience and accessibility.

  
  

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  Support and advise on institutional acquisitions, incoming/outgoing loans, inventory controls, and audit preparations.

  
  


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  Ensure legal and procedural due diligence for cross-border object movements and cultural property documentation.

  
  


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  Develop loan agreement templates and coordinate technical and legal review processes for object movement.

  
  

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  Monitor compliance with internal policies and external regulations related to collections ownership, movement, insurance, and documentation.

  
  


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  Manage reporting processes and contribute to institutional audits, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies.

  
  

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  Lead, mentor, and evaluate the performance of the collections registration team.

  
  


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  Identify training needs and design continuous professional development plans to build expertise in documentation, collections care, and digital tools.

  
  

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  Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Cultural Heritage Management, Archival Science, Library Science, or a related field.

  
  


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  Experience: Minimum 8–10 years in collections registration, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role overseeing multi-institutional documentation systems.

  
  


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  Systems Expertise: Deep familiarity with international standards (e.g., SPECTRUM, CIDOC, Dublin Core) and hands-on experience with CMS platforms like EMu or TMS.

  
  


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  Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of UAE heritage laws, cultural property protection, and international museum ethics (e.g., ICOM Code of Ethics).

  
  


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  Certifications (Preferred):

  
  
  
  
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    Collections care or documentation (e.g., NEMO, AAM, ICOM).

    
    
  
  
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    Project management certification (e.g., PMP) is an asset.

    
    
  
  
  
  

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  Strategic thinker with systems-level perspective.

  
  


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  Strong leadership, team-building, and stakeholder engagement skills.

  
  


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  High attention to detail, data quality, and workflow optimization.

  
  


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  Excellent communication, diplomacy, and cross-cultural awareness.

  
  


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  Proactive problem-solver with experience managing complexity.