Director

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Overview

Yale University Art Gallery seeks a visionary, collaborative, and dynamic leader to serve as its next Henry J. Heinz II Director. As one of America’s oldest and most significant university art museums, the Gallery stewards a global collection of more than 300,000 works and serves as a vital center for teaching, scholarship, public engagement, and object-based learning. The Director will provide strategic vision, fiscal and operational leadership, and staff development while advancing the Gallery’s role as an essential partner across Yale and an engaged cultural resource for the New Haven community and broader regional, national, and international audiences. The successful candidate will be an inspirational advocate and seasoned manager with recognized distinction in art history or a related humanities field, demonstrated professional stature, and the ability to represent the Gallery effectively among diverse academic, cultural, and community stakeholders.

The Henry J. Heinz II Director is appointed by Yale’s president, reports to the provost, and works most directly with the vice provost for collections and scholarly communication. The Henry J. Heinz II Director is responsible for overseeing an annual operating budget of $50 million and an endowment of $1 billion as of June 2026. They lead a staff of 147 full-time and 19 part-time employees, both union and non-union, and 129 student employees and interns. The six direct reports reporting to the Henry J. Heinz II Director are the chief curator, director of finance and administration, chief conservator, director of advancement and external relations, deputy director for exhibitions, collections and facilities, and the executive assistant to the Henry J. Heinz II Director. The Gallery welcomes more than 240,000 visitors annually and 446 K-12 visits totaling over 11,000 students.

Yale University has retained Isaacson, Miller, an executive search firm, to assist with this recruitment. A full job profile, as well as application instructions can be found here: Henry J. Heinz II Director | Isaacson, Miller

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Proven ability to work with faculty, staff, and students and sophistication in promoting teaching, research, and scholarship; familiarity with a unionized workforce; A desire and ability to embrace the New Haven and global community, build partnerships, identify opportunities, and expand the Gallery’s reach within the region and beyond.

2. Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to actively listen to, connect with, and inspire the public, staff, faculty, students, community partners, artists, patrons, and arts leaders; Demonstrated ability to develop innovative ideas and effectively implement them.

3. Extensive experience with financial management and administration and understanding of financial operations; an ability to facilitate both short- and long-term strategic decisions with financial ramifications.

4. Demonstrated success in leading and motivating a team, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, communication, and collective and individual accountability.

5. An advanced degree in an art-related field is required.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. A PhD in an art-related field is preferred

Principal Responsibilities

1. Directs one or more functional areas within an administrative department of the University and ensure compliance with University policies and procedures. 2. Directs analytic and research support for educational policies and planning and develops and approves administrative policies affecting assigned functional areas of the University. 3. Directs and establishes parameters for major projects for the department and University. 4. Interprets federal policies and regulations and educates staff and administration about regulations, restrictions, and the legal responsibilities of the University. 5. Directs and implements policy and program modifications and develops standards to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. 6. Develops and administers an operating budget for the assigned department consistent with University policies and procedures. 7. Develops cost savings objectives and goals; authorizes major purchases and negotiates contracts that range from routine to complex in nature. 8. Establishes and implements long- and short-range goals for the functional area consistent with University goals and objectives. 9. Directs the development of related automated systems to support the function; determines office policies and procedures for use of automated systems. 10. Directs the evaluation and selection of vendors and negotiates contract details including work steps and pricing with the vendors on behalf of the assigned functional area. 11. Works with internal and external contacts to solve problems that range from routine to complex in nature. 12. Represents the University in discussions and negotiations with various governmental agencies. 13. Directs a staff of exempt and nonexempt employees. Required Education and Experience Required Education and Experience: Minimum requirement of Bachelor’s Degree in related field and six years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Posting Date

10/20/2026

Job Category

Manager

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Leader (30)

Salary Range

$0.00 - $0.00

Benefits

A general description of the benefits to be offered with this Managerial & Professional position is available at:

Yale Benefits

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

On-site

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks basedon the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties throughtheir hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.