Ralf Nädele was Administrative Director of the German Center for Art History in Paris (DFK Paris) from 2017 to 2025, initially under the direction of Thomas Kirchner and later under Peter Geimer. In this role, he was responsible for a wide range of tasks in the areas of organization, human resources, budgeting, and infrastructure. Among other things, he oversaw the renovation of the conference room and helped implement a structured doctoral funding program modelled on the French contrat doctoral. He also supervised numerous interns as part of the practical training for the upper-level administrative track of the German civil service (gehobener nichttechnischer Verwaltungsdienst). 

In September 2025, he will assume the same position at the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome. 

Previously, he served as Administrative Director at the German Historical Institute in Paris (Max Weber Foundation) and at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. He received his training at the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration in Kehl (Baden-Württemberg), graduating as Diplom-Verwaltungswirt (FH).