Collections Registration Unit Head JOB

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.