Director of Conservation

Salary Range: $87,000 - $91,000 per year

Supervisor: Chief of Curatorial Affairs

The Milwaukee Art Museum is a vibrant, welcoming destination where art, architecture, and community come together. As a cultural cornerstone of Milwaukee and a symbol of civic pride, the Museum connects people of all ages and backgrounds through inspiring exhibitions, engaging programs, and unforgettable experiences.

Conservation is central to the Museum’s mission to preserve, study, and share its collections for present and future generations. The Director of Conservation provides strategic leadership for conservation and collections care, advancing a comprehensive vision aligned with institutional priorities and ensuring the preservation, technical study, and long-term stewardship of the collection in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards.

Reporting to the Chief of Curatorial Affairs, the Director of Conservation serves as a member of the Extended Leadership Team (ELT). This position provides overall leadership and management of the Conservation Department, including responsibility for departmental operations, planning, and strategic direction. The Director supervises a staff of three full-time conservators and technicians, as well as contract staff; manages the departmental budget;

and oversees planning for technical equipment and facilities needs.

The Director of Conservation is responsible for all aspects of conservation practice, including preventive care, examination, technical analysis, documentation, treatment, and research of works in the collection. The position also oversees environmental monitoring and assessment of gallery, storage, and exhibition conditions to support the long-term preservation of the collection. Expertise in paintings or objects conservation is preferred, and the Director is expected to undertake treatment projects as departmental priorities and workload permit.

The Director works in close collaboration with colleagues across the Museum, including exhibitions, curatorial, collection management, registrarial, and facilities teams, to ensure the appropriate care, handling, storage, installation, and transport of works from the permanent collection and incoming loans. The Director contributes to institutional planning and policy development related to collection care and provides expert guidance on facilities operations as they relate to collections preservation.

This position also identifies and advances opportunities for external funding and departmental growth.

The Director of Conservation contributes to institutional and field-wide leadership through scholarship, professional service, public engagement, and collaboration within the broader museum and conservation community. This position serves as the Museum’s senior authority on conservation matters and represents the institution within the broader conservation, museum, and civic sectors.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Conservation Department.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate conservation staff, technicians, fellows, interns, and contract personnel.
• Develop departmental priorities, work plans, and long-range goals aligned with institutional strategic objectives.
• Manage departmental budgets, resources, and planning for professional development, equipment, laboratory infrastructure, and facilities needs.
• Establish departmental policies, procedures, and professional standards.
• Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and safety-conscious working environment.

• Work collaboratively with curatorial, exhibitions, collections management, registrarial, facilities, and…