Organizer Information
The opportunity is offered by Dia Art Foundation, a leading contemporary art institution founded in 1974 in New York. Dia was established to support, commission, and present ambitious works of art from the 1960s onward that may not be realized within traditional museum structures.
Dia operates as a multi-site institution with permanent locations across the United States and Germany, including Dia Beacon (Hudson Valley, NY), Dia Chelsea (New York City), and Dia Bridgehampton (Long Island). Its program is internationally recognized for its commitment to large-scale, long-duration installations and artist-centered presentation models.
The foundation’s name, derived from the Greek word “dia” meaning “through,” reflects its mission of facilitating deep, sustained engagement with contemporary art across time, space, and institutional formats. Dia is widely regarded as one of the most influential institutions in the field of postwar and contemporary art presentation and preservation.
Title & Description
Director of Collection – Dia Art Foundation
Dia Art Foundation is seeking a senior-level cultural leader to serve as Director of Collection, based at Dia Beacon in New York State. This executive curatorial position is responsible for the strategic oversight, development, interpretation, and long-term planning of Dia’s permanent collection and archive.
The role focuses on shaping how Dia’s collection is presented, preserved, expanded, and interpreted across exhibitions and institutional programs. The Director of Collection plays a central role in developing curatorial strategies, overseeing exhibition implementation at Dia Beacon, and coordinating cross-departmental collaboration across curatorial, exhibitions, registration, archives, publications, communications, and development teams.
This position is both conceptual and operational: it involves high-level curatorial decision-making alongside managerial leadership of multiple departments. The Director of Collection contributes to long-term institutional strategy while also directly overseeing exhibition production, collection care, archival development, and public engagement initiatives.
The role is designed for an experienced museum professional capable of shaping global contemporary art discourse while managing complex institutional infrastructures.
The Role Overview
- Position Title: Director of Collection
- Employment Type: Full-time, permanent
- Salary Range: USD $145,000 – $167,000 per year
- Contract Type: Staff employment (executive-level institutional role)
- Reporting To: Deputy Director of Program
- Department: Program / Curatorial Leadership
- Supervises:
- Director of Registration and Collection Management
- Director of Exhibitions
- Archivist
- Curatorial Associate
- Work Location: Dia Beacon (Beacon, NY), with regular travel to Dia Chelsea and other sites
- Institutional Role: Senior leadership within the Program Heads group
This is a high-responsibility leadership position combining curatorial direction, institutional governance, and cross-departmental coordination.
Position & Tasks
- Leading the strategic development of Dia’s permanent collection and curatorial vision
- Overseeing long-term exhibition planning and implementation at Dia Beacon
- Managing relationships with artists, curators, and external institutional partners
- Developing acquisition strategies and contributing to collection expansion policies
- Supervising archival development, conservation strategy, and storage systems
- Coordinating exhibition production, installation, and evaluation processes
- Acting as primary curatorial liaison for Dia Beacon site-specific works
- Leading collection-related research, curatorial writing, and exhibition narratives
- Overseeing touring exhibitions and external institutional collaborations
- Managing internal teams responsible for registration, exhibitions, and archives
- Participating in budgeting, funding strategies, and grant development
- Collaborating with Publications on catalogues and editorial projects
- Supporting public programs, talks, tours, and institutional presentations
- Serving as spokesperson for selected institutional communications
- Ensuring compliance with DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) principles across programming
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Museum Studies
- Contemporary Art
- Collection Management
- Exhibition Design & Production
- Art History
- Institutional Leadership
- Archival Studies
- Public Programming
- Cultural Management
Eligibility
- Minimum 10 years of museum or institutional experience in relevant fields
- Advanced experience in collection management and curatorial leadership
- Minimum 5 years of team management and supervisory experience
- Strong knowledge of international contemporary art practices
- M.A. in Art History or related field preferred (or equivalent experience)
- Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale curatorial and institutional projects
- Experience working with artists, estates, and cultural institutions globally
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
- Ability to work across interdisciplinary teams and institutional departments
- International applicants may be considered (based on work authorization requirements)
Program Benefits
- Annual salary between $145,000 – $167,000 USD
- Full-time senior leadership position in a globally recognized institution
- Comprehensive health insurance with significant employer contribution
- 401(k) retirement plan with 100% employer match up to 4%
- Immediate vesting of retirement contributions
- Paid vacation (3 weeks), sick leave (10 days), and 13 public holidays
- Generous parental leave policy
- Fully covered work-related travel expenses
- Access to the international museum network benefits and professional visibility
- High-level institutional influence in global contemporary art discourse
- Opportunity to shape one of the most significant collections in postwar art
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Updated CV / Resume
- Letter of interest
- Professional references (if requested during the process)
- Evidence of curatorial, collection, or institutional leadership experience
- Portfolio or documentation of relevant curatorial or exhibition work (if applicable)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: Open until filled
- Review Process: Ongoing (rolling recruitment)
- Start Date: To be determined upon selection
Location
Dia Beacon, Beacon, New York, United States
Additional Details
- This is a senior executive curatorial leadership role, not an entry-level or mid-career position.
- Strong emphasis is placed on institutional strategy, long-term collection vision, and cross-departmental leadership.
- The role requires both conceptual curatorial expertise and operational management capacity.
- Candidates must be comfortable working in a high-profile, internationally visible art institution.
- The position involves frequent collaboration with artists, trustees, donors, and external partners.
- Dia strongly encourages applications from diverse and non-traditional career backgrounds and supports inclusive hiring practices.