Collections Manager

Overview

Shangri La is a vibrant compound situated on a spectacular, 5-acre, oceanside property in Honolulu. It integrates a 14,000-square-foot house with multiple outbuildings, comprising interlocking spaces indoors and out: rooms, courtyards, lanais, terraces, gardens and numerous water features. The property includes spaces for reflection and for gatherings.

Historically operated exclusively as a museum to showcase a collection of 4,500 objects from diverse Islamic cultures, Shangri La is in the midst of a strategic transformation that envisions the institution as a global center for personal and societal transformation.

Shangri La is owned and operated by the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF), whose mission is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. We work across three areas: arts & culture, nature, and health & well-being. In addition to Shangri La, DDF operates five national programs as well as Duke Farms, a New Jersey-based center for applied conservation and sustainability.

Headquartered in New York City, DDF’s activities are guided by the will of Doris Duke, who endowed the foundation with financial assets that currently total over $2 billion. To learn more, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• The Collections Manager leads and supervises a small cross-functional collections team and related contractors focused on stewarding the collection, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, standards and timelines. Responsible for the care, organization, documentation and activation of the museum’s collections, this role is the primary steward of the museum’s collection including objects, archives and associated records.
• The Collections Manager ensures that collections are preserved according to professional standards while also remaining accessible, usable and meaningfully integrated into exhibitions, programs, tours, research and digital initiatives.
• In collaboration with curatorial, conservation, engagement and operations teams, the Collections Manager develops and maintains systems that support both long-term stewardship and dynamic public engagement.
• The position requires strong organizational skills, sound judgment, adaptability and comfort working across traditional collections, archives and digital environments in a distinctive setting.
• As the Collections Manager at Shangri La, you will steward the integrity and accessibility of the museum’s collections, oversee the day-to-day care, storage, handling and movement of collection items in alignment with professional museum standards.
• Maintain detailed and accurate records through thoughtful documentation and robust systems.
• Activate the collection as a living resource for learning, engagement and community connection. Collaborate across departments to integrate objects and archives into exhibitions, tours, programs and research initiatives.
• Support internal and external access to collections, including scholars, artists, staff and community partners.
• Advance continuous improvement in collection care and documentation. Lead ongoing inventory, storage optimization and data quality initiatives.
• Work closely with other members of the conservation team and in partnership with curatorial and operations teams to ensure environmental monitoring, preventive care and emergency preparedness.
• Strengthen institutional systems that support collaboration and cross-functional success. Facilitate communication across departments to ensure that shared timelines and goals are met for installations and conservation work.
• Support digital initiatives that expand public access and elevate the profile of the museum’s collections.

• Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, art history, history, archival studies, library and information science or a related field required; advanced degree preferred or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience.
• Progressively responsible experience in museum collections management, ideally in a small or midsize institution where adaptability and hands-on work are essential.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff, fellows, contractors or interns, including setting work plans,…