Director of Collections

Director of Collections

Richmond, California

About the Eames Institute

The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is a nonprofit public charity dedicated to advancing the dynamic legacy of 20th-century designers Ray and Charles Eames. By sharing the things the Eameses made and loved, along with their joyful and rigorous approach to life and work, we seek to inspire creative problem-solving that positively shapes our world.

With our vast collections, digital and print offerings, an extensive program of events, and the Eames Ranch, we aim to demonstrate the enduring value of the Eameses' philosophy and invite people to explore their curiosity, ask questions, and implement creative solutions to the challenges of today.

About the Role

The Director of Collectionswith "Collections" defined broadly to include archives, libraries, and all other collected assetswill serve as a senior leader within the Collections Team and a key strategic partner to the Chief Curator. This role will help shape and implement the overall collections strategy, including establishing priorities, workflows, protocols, resource planning, and budget considerations related to the care, stewardship, and long-term integration of the Institute's collections across multiple sites.

The Director will oversee collections that exist in varying states of processing and documentation, with a particular focus on developing scalable systems for cataloging, preservation, digitization, and access. A central responsibility of the role is leading the continued unification of the collections within the MuseumPlus platform, ensuring consistency, visibility, and institutional alignment across all holdings. The role will also develop operational projections and planning frameworks that provide leadership with a clear understanding of the logistical, staffing, storage, conservation, and financial requirements associated with acquiring, processing, maintaining, lending, and exhibiting the collections over time.

In addition to stewardship responsibilities, the Director will support the Institute's evolving exhibition and programming model, including loans, traveling exhibitions, pop-ups, and cross-site activations. The ideal candidate brings both institutional rigor and operational fluency, with the ability to build systems that support a dynamic collections program operating at the intersection of cultural stewardship, public engagement, and organizational growth.

As a leader, the Director will help shape the tone, culture, and collaborative practices of the Collections Team, particularly in how it engages with other teams and aligns with institutional policies across the Institute.

This position is encouraged to take a design-driven and systematic approach in pursuit of our founding north star: to safeguard our collections and share them with the world, leveraging the best available technology to do so. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, responsiveness, and communication skills are essential hallmarks of this role, and are expected across the Collections Team as a whole.

In the spirit of the Eameses' guesthost philosophy, members of the Collections Team play a key role in welcoming guests and the public to engage with and learn from our collections. This will be especially important as we re-open the Richmond warehouse for tours and visits in 2026.

Key Responsibilities

Museum Planning

• Alongside the Chief Curator, define collections-related requirements for the new museum, including storage, exhibition, research, and public access.
• Collaborate with architects, designers, and project teams on collections facilities planning, including storage design, environmental controls, workspaces, and back-of-house operations.
• Develop a transition plan from the current facility to the future museum, including risk assessment, logistics, and phased movement strategies.
• Establish scalable systems and policies that support growth across multiple collections.

Team Operating Practices

• Oversee and manage Collections Team members.
• Supervise stewardship and integration of multiple distinct collections (archives, library, object collections, and digital assets), ensuring consistency in standards while respecting the unique needs of each.
• Partner with curatorial leadership to help shape collections development strategy, including acquisitions, deaccessioning, and stewardship priorities aligned with institutional mission.
• Manage overall budget for the Collections Team and any other collections-related operating costs, less capitalized expenditures.
• Refine organizational, processing, and cataloging strategies for the Institute's collections, archives, and libraries.
• Oversee and ensure long-term data management and systems related to all artifacts.
• Monitor and ensure clean, orderly archives, collections, library, and related workspaces at all Institute facilities.
• Guide digitization strategy and digital access initiatives, balancing preservation, access, and rights management.

Conservation & Preservation

• Oversee team monitoring of archives, collections, and libraries on an ongoing basis with regard to conservation issues.
• Identify, interview, enlist, and interface with conservators when necessary.
• Research other appropriate systems and implementation plans as appropriate.
• Coordinate selection, training, and supervision of staff and interns to support implementation of the aforementioned management, conservation, and preservation goals.
• Coordinate activities with Collections Manager & Registrar to ensure excellence across both internal care and external loans.

Collections Access

• Coordinate and lead Collections Team contributions to the Institute's online exhibits, catalogs, and any related programmatic activities.
• Collaborate in conceptualizing and ultimately implementing policies and procedures for collections access by team members and qualified members of the public, including scholars, establishing both physical and remote access and requests.
• Represent the Eames Institute at professional conferences pertaining to the Institute's collections holdings or practices.
• Stay current with professional association memberships so that the Collections Team is operating at the highest level of current professional best practice.
• Interface with other institutions and pertinent institutional databases worldwide, identifying opportunities to create partnerships and linked data, where appropriate.

Organization & Team Culture

• Participate in and add to the Institute's culture of curiosity and learning.
• Contribute and share archives, collections, and library technical knowledge, resources, and enthusiasm to the organization as a whole.
• Build and share knowledge, appreciation and curiosity of the history, contributions, and legacy of Ray and Charles Eames, and desire to manifest this in the Institute's collections practices.
• Serve as a foremost in-house advocate and knowledgeable resource pertaining to the Institute's existing and future collections.
• Cultivate and nurture relationships across teams.

Required Education, Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Deep knowledge of archival and collections processing methodologies
• Working knowledge of collections conservation and environmental monitoring, with the ability to collaborate closely with the collections team, which leads this area of work.
• Familiarity with library and archival standards (e.g., AAT, LCSH, DACS)
• Knowledge of object handling, documentation, and cataloging best practices
• Experience collaborating across departments and with external partners
• Experience planning or contributing to new museum, storage, or cultural facility projects, including familiarity with collections facility design and build-out.
• Experience with risk management, emergency preparedness, and disaster response planning for collections.
• Knowledge of legal, ethical, and compliance considerations related to collections stewardship and access.
• Demonstrated ability to support complex, multi-year projects involving cross-functional teams and external consultants.
• Knowledge of museum-grade storage, environmental standards, and risk mitigation in new construction or renovation contexts.
• 10-15+ years of experience in a museum, archive, or library setting, with increasing responsibility.
• 5-7+ years of management experience, including team leadership, hiring, mentoring, and budgeting.
• Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), with an emphasis in archives or special collections, Museum Studies or equivalent related work experience.
• Policy development for collections access and use.

Essential Functions

• The schedule for this role is 9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. This position is expected to be primarily onsite at the Eames Archives in Richmond, with occasional lite travel to other workspaces in the Bay Area (Eames Ranch and William Stout Architectural Books).
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Frequent use of hands for typing, writing, and handling office equipment.
• Ability to lift and carry office supplies and equipment weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, or reaching within the office environment.
• Regular use of vision abilities including close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.