Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance
The Registrar serves as the primary steward of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum’s permanent collection and loan activity, ensuring the physical safety, legal integrity, and intellectual control of all objects in the Museum’s care. Working in close partnership with the Chief Curator and curatorial staff, this position oversees all aspects of collections documentation, movement, and risk management within a National Historic Landmark, a historic museum environment.
The Registrar plays a critical role in upholding the professional, ethical, and interpretive standards of the Flagler Museum, stewarding a collection that includes Gilded Age decorative arts, furniture, fine and applied arts, archival materials, and historically significant objects related to Henry Flagler, the Florida East Coast Railway, and turn-of-the-century American life.
This is a hands-on, detail-driven role suited to a collections professional who takes stewardship personally and is comfortable balancing administrative rigor with careful, physical collections work in a historic structure.
Duties & Responsibilities
Collections Management & Documentation
Maintain the permanent collection database (Collector Systems) with accuracy, consistency, and adherence to current museum data standards
Execute and oversee accessioning, deaccessioning, and cataloging of collection objects
Create, maintain, and audit object records including provenance, ownership history, donor restrictions, bibliographic references, rights and reproduction status, and location data
Conduct regular physical inventories and reconcile object locations within galleries, storage, and exhibition spaces
Maintain organized digital and physical collections files in compliance with museum policy
Loans – Incoming & Outgoing
Manage all aspects of loan administration for incoming and outgoing loans, including drafting, negotiating, and executing loan agreements
Serve as the primary point of contact for institutional lenders and borrowers
Coordinate facilities reports, packing specifications, fine art shipping, courier arrangements, and installation/deinstallation schedules
Track loan deadlines, renewals, and return requirements through a comprehensive loans calendar
Ensure appropriate insurance coverage for all loaned objects from point of departure to return
Insurance & Risk Management
Manage the Museum’s fine arts insurance program in coordination with leadership and insurance brokers
Prepare and maintain accurate insurance values for the permanent collection and incoming loans
Initiate and manage periodic reappraisals when required
File and manage insurance claims; coordinate with insurers, conservators, and legal counsel as needed
Assess and mitigate risk related to transportation, exhibition, storage, and the constraints of a historic building
Condition Reporting & Conservation Coordination
Conduct condition checks and prepare detailed condition reports for all objects entering or leaving Museum custody
Coordinate with contract and consulting conservators on assessments, treatments, and preventive care initiatives
Maintain conservation documentation and treatment histories within the CMS
Monitor environmental conditions in galleries and storage spaces in coordination with facilities staff
Advise staff and contractors on safe handling, packing, and movement of historic objects
Collections Care & Historic House Stewardship
Oversee the physical care and organization of collections storage areas
Develop and implement collections care protocols appropriate to a Gilded Age historic house museum
Monitor for pest activity, environmental fluctuation, and physical hazards
Advise on safe display, rotation, and maintenance of historic interiors and original furnishings
Participate in emergency preparedness planning and serve as a key responder for collections emergencies
Exhibitions & Installations
Coordinate registrar responsibilities for all exhibitions and rotations, including object lists, condition reporting, insurance scheduling, and installation oversight
Collaborate closely with curatorial and exhibitions staff during planning to integrate collections care considerations
Manage packing, crating, and transport in coordination with approved fine art shippers
Rights, Reproduction & Access
Manage rights and reproduction requests for collections objects and archival materials
Maintain accurate intellectual property and permissions records
Respond to research inquiries and coordinate scholarly access in accordance with institutional policy
Support digitization and online access initiatives through accurate records and image documentation in the CMS.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Art History, History, Museum Studies, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred
Minimum of 3–5 years of museum registration or collections management experience
Proficiency with Collectors Systems or a comparable collections management system
Demonstrated experience with loans, insurance coordination, condition reporting, and object handling
Thorough knowledge of AAM standards, NAGPRA compliance, museum ethics, and collections stewardship best practices
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting and negotiating loan agreements
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small, highly professional team
Preferred
Experience with Gilded Age, decorative arts, furniture, or historic house museum collections
Familiarity with objects related to American industrial, social, or architectural history
Experience supporting temporary exhibitions in a historic interior setting
Physical Requirements
This position involves regular movement of and around museum objects. The Registrar must be able to lift up to 30 pounds with appropriate equipment, work in collections storage and historic interiors, and navigate varying environmental conditions, including climate-controlled spaces.