Chief Collections Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 internationa