UCL Culture manages museums, theatres, and collections and facilitates engagement within and outside of UCL. This includes the Bloomsbury Theatre, the Grant Museum of Zoology, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the Art Museum, the Pathology Museum and collections including the auto icon Jeremy Bentham. We bring diverse performers and audiences into the heart of UCL to energise the student experience and fuel UCL’s creative culture with cutting edge cultural experiences. We collaborate with UCL students and staff to provoke, connect and engage more powerfully. We use our objects, insights and expertise to reframe questions and surface new ideas. We believe that open minds see further.
The Grant Museum of Zoology is one of the UK’s foremost zoology museums, with a reputation for innovative and experimental work. It is named after its founder Professor Robert Edmond Grant, who was the country’s first Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy. The collection comprises around 68,000 skeletal, taxidermy, fossil and wet specimens, covering the whole of the animal kingdom. It is accredited by Arts Council England and works to influence the museum sector in areas of audience engagement and collections management. Alongside a lively public programme, the Museum is used daily in academic programmes across the disciplines at UCL and other Higher Education Institutions.
The post-holder’s primary responsibility will be to undertake curatorial work and collections care and management for the Grant Museum collection, including documentation, imaging, storage, collections development and databases, in line with UCL Museums’ policies. The Curator will recruit and supervise volunteers and promote and facilitate research use of the collection. They will also play an active role in the development and delivery of appropriate university teaching, particularly for Museum Studies related courses. The post-holder will promote the use of the collection in teaching and make the collection available for object-based learning activities.
The post-holder will also participate in the development of exhibitions and displays, and will participate in the Department’s public engagement programmes. The post-holder will be expected to contribute to all areas of museum work such as visitor services (including staffing the front desk), fundraising, learning and administration as needed. The post-holder will also take part in cross-collections and cross-departmental activities, such as joint exhibitions, the development of new galleries and collections stores, and other special projects.
Key Requirements
The successful candidate will hold a degree in a relevant subject or have equivalent experience, and will have an excellent level of identification skills for zoological and/or palaeontological material, along with knowledge of taxonomic principle and practice. They must have excellent team working skills, and a commitment to customer service. Previous experience of curating and caring for natural history collections is also essential.
Further Details
Please note that this post is available from 24th November 2017.
A job description and further particulars for the position can be accessed below. To apply on line click ‘Apply Now’ below.
For further information about this post contact: Briony Webb (briony.webb@ucl.ac.uk)
We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within UCL at this level.
Closing Date 9 Jul 2017
Interview date TBC