The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a private institution whose main purpose is to improve people’s quality of life through art, charity, science, and education. The Foundation carries out its activities from its headquarters in Lisbon, and from its branches in Paris and London.

The Centro de Arte Moderna (CAM) is a leading centre for art and culture, home to the largest collection of modern and contemporary Portuguese art to date. With a newly renovated building and an expanded Garden, CAM’s mission is to harness the transformative power of art to inspire both social and individual change.

We are looking for a Collections Manager to join CAM’s team, which will responsible for the management and care of the collections, including loans, storage, movement of works for exhibitions, documentation, cataloguing, and research. Working closely with the Diffusion team, the Colections Manager will also maintain the collections database and manage copyright permissions.

Contract type: Fixed-term contract (9 months, January–September 2026)

Main responsibilities

• Oversee access to works for study, exhibition, and research, ensuring their conservation and preservation, and managing or coordinating conservation treatments. Define and implement appropriate preparation methods to guarantee preservation and adherence to museum standards.
• Manage and negotiate copyright permissions for publications, archives, marketing and communication materials, catalogues, websites, digital content, and other uses related to the collections.
• Lead the development of the collections database, including system security, image digitisation, software updates and migrations, metadata development, and search functionalities.
• Work collaboratively with curators and other CAM professionals, and liaise with national and international academic and museum communities, responding to requests for loans, research, and publications relating to the collections.
• Assess loan requests in consultation with colleagues, CAM Directors, and curators.
• Coordinate loans and touring exhibitions, including documentation, logistics, transport, packing, condition reporting, and the security of objects — both for CAM’s exhibitions and for loans to other institutions.
• Contribute to developing a research strategy for the collections, in collaboration with CAM’s management team.
• Ensure that collections management policies reflect principles of sustainability and support research into improved conservation and handling practices.
• Represent CAM in professional forums and at events such as conferences and workshops.
• Work with the CAM management team to develop new exhibition strategies and innovative approaches to presenting the collections — both at CAM and in external venues.
• Contribute to the planning and supervision of the collections budget, including monitoring the acquisitions budget.

Required skills and qualifications

• Bachelor degree.
• Fluency in English.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in a similar role.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders in a diverse environment.
• Strong understanding of budgeting, cost estimation, and financial management principles, with the ability to prepare financial plans and manage resources effectively.

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The Gulbenkian Foundation strives to attract and retain talent by recognising people as our most important asset in fulfilling the Foundation’s mission. Our organisational culture is grounded in the institution’s values, encouraging motivated teams to thrive in a healthy and inclusive workplace.

We welcome applications from all people, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, or disability, in particular of those who identify with underrepresented groups in the various initiatives promoted by the Foundation.

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Applications