Image Rights & Research Manager

Job Type: Part-time, 15 to 20 hours per week

Location: Remote

Compensation: $2,750 per month Position Description The Art Canada Institute (ACI) is seeking an experienced, highly organized, and proactive Image Rights & Research Manager to oversee image research, copyright clearance, and permissions management across its publishing, education, and public programs. This is a specialized position responsible for ensuring that artworks, photographs, archival materials, and other visual content can be reproduced accurately, legally, and on schedule. Working as part of ACI’s Publications and Programs team, the successful candidate will collaborate closely with staff and editorial contractors to develop image acquisition strategies, coordinate permissions with rights holders and image lenders, and oversee the organization’s permissions process across publications, educational resources, newsletters, social media, marketing, and other public-facing initiatives.

As ACI’s subject matter expert on copyright, the Image Rights & Research Manager will provide strategic guidance on image licensing and permissions throughout the organization. The successful candidate will take a proactive, solutions-oriented approach—anticipating potential rights issues early in project development and creating plans that respect and strengthen ACI’s relationships with artists, estates, museums, and other rights holders/lending partners while balancing editorial and production needs. They will develop consistent rights management practices that enable projects to move efficiently from development to publication while maintaining the highest standards of copyright compliance.

This role is ideal for a self-directed professional with sufficient experience in museum publishing, scholarly or academic publishing, or visual arts rights management. The successful candidate will possess a strong working knowledge of Canadian copyright law as it relates to visual art reproduction and must have experience working with institutions and/or licensing agencies. They will also possess excellent judgement, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multiple teams.

About ACI The Art Canada Institute (ACI) is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to making Canadian art history a contemporary, multi-vocal conversation. We promote the study of an inclusive Canadian art history to as broad an audience as possible. Through digital and print publications, educational initiatives, and public programming, ACI celebrates the artists and artworks that have shaped Canada’s cultural landscape.

The Image

Rights & Research Manager plays a central role in supporting these initiatives by leading image research, copyright clearance, and permissions management across the organization, helping bring Canada's artistic heritage to audiences in Canada and around the world.

Key Responsibilities of the Role Lead Image Rights and Research Management

Manage a team of freelance Image Research Associates.

Serve as ACI’s subject-matter expert on image rights, copyright, and licensing.

Develop and maintain organization-wide policies, workflows, and best practices for image rights management.

Oversee image permissions across ACI’s publications, education resources, newsletters, website, social media, marketing, and other public programs.

Advise staff on copyright requirements,



licensing restrictions, and appropriate image use across platforms.

Proactively identify permissions, copyright, or licensing risks, escalating issues and recommending solutions to senior editorial staff before they affect production schedules.

Monitor the status of image permissions for multiple concurrent projects to ensure timelines and licensing requirements are met.

Manage Image

Research, Copyright Clearance, and Licensing Research copyright status and identify rights holders for artworks, photographs, archival materials, and other visual content.

Develop image acquisition and permissions strategies during project planning, identifying potential rights issues early in the editorial process.

Prepare and submit permissions requests and negotiate reproduction licences with artists, estates, museums, galleries, archives, agencies, and other stakeholders.

Coordinate the acquisition of high-resolution image files and ensure required documentation is complete.

Review licence agreements to confirm permissions align with intended use, publication formats, and organizational requirements.

Review and verify image captions, credit lines, copyright notices, and licensing information for accuracy.

Maintain Image Rights

Documentation and Records

Maintain centralized permissions trackers, image databases, licence agreements, correspondence, and image rights records for all organizational projects.

Monitor licence terms, usage restrictions, and permission expirations to ensure ongoing compliance.

Prepare and maintain image lists and related documentation to support editorial, production, and organizational report.

Build Relationships with Rights Holders and Cultural Partners

Develop and maintain productive relationships with artists, estates, museums, galleries, archives, libraries, collectors, and licensing agencies.

Represent ACI professionally in rights-related correspondence.

Maintain current knowledge of institutional image request procedures and licensing practices.

Drive Continuous

Improvement and Organizational Support

Identify opportunities to improve image rights workflows, documentation systems, and organizational efficiency.

Review image research, permissions documentation, and related materials to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance with ACI’s standards.

Maintain current knowledge of Canadian copyright law, licensing practices, and emerging issues affecting visual arts publishing.

Provide regular updates on permissions status, project risks, and licensing considerations to the Publications & Programs team.

Work with senior editorial staff to support responsible budgeting for image licensing and identify opportunities to maximize the efficient use of image rights resources.

Contribute to special projects and organizational initiatives as required.

Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate will possess:

Minimum 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in image rights management, copyright, permissions, or image research within museum publishing,



academic or scholarly publishing, galleries, archives, libraries, or other cultural organizations.

Bachelor’s degree in arts administration, art history, museum studies, archival studies, library and information science, or a related discipline. A graduate degree in one of these fields is considered an asset. Equivalent combinations of education and professional experience will also be considered an asset.

Demonstrated knowledge of Canadian copyright law, licensing practices, and intellectual property issues related to the reproduction of visual art and archival materials.

Significant experience securing and negotiating image permissions with artists, estates, museums, galleries, archives, collectors, and licensing agencies.

Robust understanding of publishing and production workflows, including the role of image rights within editorial, design, and production processes.

Demonstrated ability to anticipate rights and permissions challenges, assess risk, and develop practical solutions before issues affect production schedules.

Experience coordinating or supervising the work of freelancers is considered an asset.

Exceptional organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy.

Excellent written communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience maintaining databases, spreadsheets, or digital asset management systems.

Knowledge of Canadian art history, artists, museums, and cultural institutions is considered an asset. Why Work with ACI?

This is a remote, part-time position offering flexibility within a collaborative work environment. The successful candidate should be available to work primarily during regular business hours, as the role involves frequent communication with ACI colleagues and external stakeholders. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant publishing projects that make Canadian art accessible to audiences across Canada and around the world.

Working as part of ACI’s Publications & Programs team, the Image Rights & Research Manager will play a central role in shaping the organization’s rights strategy and supporting a diverse portfolio of publications, educational resources, and other digital initiatives. This is an opportunity to lead a specialized organizational function while collaborating with Canada’s foremost scholars, museums, galleries, artists, estates, archives, and cultural institutions. ACI is committed to supporting the ongoing professional development of its contractors and staff.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to expand their expertise in image research, copyright, and licensing, strengthen relationships within Canada’s cultural sector, and participate in professional learning opportunities.

Application

Submission

Please submit your CV and cover letter in a single PDF document to [email protected] with the position title “Image Rights & Research Manager” in the subject line. Please also paste your cover letter into the body of your email. Applications that do not follow this format will be considered incomplete.

Review of applications will begin after August 12, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. ACI does not use artificial intelligence (AI) in the hiring process.

📌 Image Rights & Research Manager (Toronto)
🏢 Art Canada Institute
📍 Toronto