Jobs Archive
Project Placement - Rooted in history: Understanding Leeds's plant collection
Leeds has a large and interesting plant collection. This project will investigate this collection, and the people who put it together, with the intention of making the plants and their histories more accessible to everyone. Work will include documenting and researching the collection in store as well as independent research at home. Producing social media content and blog posts to communicate the findings of this research will be an important part of this project. Training will be given on handling plant collections and using museum collection databases.
Our Project Placements are a training and development opportunity. We are looking for people who are:
• Starting out in heritage, culture or the arts
• Looking for a change of career and exploring options in the arts and cultural sector
• From a diverse range of backgrounds under-represented in the arts and cultural sector
What matters most is your passion for the project.
This is one of six Project Placements at Leeds Museums and Galleries in 2021. The funding for Project Placements comes from Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation funding to give people paid experience of working in a heritage/cultural setting, training and support.
Project Placements are a maximum of 30 days to be completed before the end of March 2022. We are open to it being fewer days to help people access the opportunity. Working days and times are flexible and are agreed between the individual and the supervisor.
To find out more, or if you need support in applying, we are hosting a 45 minute digital session on Zoom about all of the Project Placements and how to apply through the Leeds City Council online recruitment system on Wednesday 21 July 2021, 4pm. For the meeting details, email, kate.fellows@leeds.gov.uk
For further information about the Plant Project Placement, or further support in applying, contact: clare.brown@leeds.gov.uk
Climate Champion Trustee
We are a small independent charity that campaigns for museums to change lives and has a vision of inclusive, participatory and sustainable museums at the heart of their communities.
We know that the climate crisis is having a devastating impact on our planet and we believe that museums can play a critical role in raising awareness, changing behaviour and championing change with our communities.
A core aim in our Strategic Framework 2020-21 is to campaign for museums to address the climate crisis and we are seeking a trustee with experience in this area to join our board.
Becoming a trustee is a great opportunity to help us to develop new policy, and advocate to governments across the UK and other stakeholders on behalf of museums. Our board is made up of a diverse group of people who work in and with museums. The board works closely with the senior management team to deliver our strategic aims.
The role is unremunerated but expenses are reimbursed.
Person specification:
In addition to the qualities needed by all board members set out in the role description, this trustee should also demonstrate the following:
experience of campaigning on sustainability and climate issues
passion and commitment to tackling the climate crisis
a track record of making change on sustainability and climate issues
an understanding of how museums can engage with their audiences to awareness of climate issues
a vision for championing change in museums.
It would also be desirable but not essential to have knowledge of the museum sector.
To apply, please send a letter of application and CV to charlotte.lindus@museumsassociation.org with subject heading ‘Climate champion trustee’.
The closing date for applications is midnight on 5th July.
Interviews will be held via Zoom on 2 August 2021.
We welcome applications from people with a range of diverse backgrounds, particularly people with disabilities, people of colour, people who identify as LGBTQ+ and people from a range of socio-economic and educational backgrounds.
Senior Curator of Natural Sciences
National Museums NI is an ambitious organisation delivering award-winning museum services to more than 900,000 visitors annually. Our museums are filled with passionate knowledgeable people who aim to celebrate who we are, telling the stories of our past, challenging our present and shaping our future. It is our mission is to:
- Develop, manage and care for our collections to benefit current and future generations
- Make our collections accessible to the widest possible audiences
- Play a leading role in the economic and social wellbeing and future of this place
- Build an organisation where people feel valued
The Senior Curator of Natural Sciences will be a key addition to the Curatorial team, taking a lead role in defining and implementing a new strategic direction for the natural sciences collections, ensuring their potential is maximised in response to key strategic environmental and biodiversity agendas. They will be responsible for leading and setting the strategic direction for the team of natural sciences curators, overseeing and participating in the research, management and development of the natural sciences collections, developing key strategic partnerships and ensuring a user focused approach to collections-based activities.
Our natural sciences collections represent the natural scientific heritage of the island of Ireland, with a focus on the north of Ireland and material of international provenance. They cover botany, zoology and geology, supplemented by a range of essential supporting documentation and interpretative material.
We are looking for someone with significant experience as a senior member of a curatorial team who has a demonstrable commitment to making museums, collections and collections knowledge accessible to the widest audiences. They should have a working knowledge of current issues relating to natural sciences collections, and their interpretation and use for public benefit. They should also have experience of managing and supervising staff, volunteers or researchers and dealing with a range of people management issues.
Assistant Curator (Natural Science)
Kirklees Museums and Galleries are looking for a natural historian to join our curatorial and technical team as an Assistant Curator. This is an excellent opportunity to work with an outstanding collection and to develop and improve curatorial skills.
You will lead on cataloguing the natural history collections as we continue to work on our inventory backlog and work towards Accreditation. Significant collections include Porritt lepidoptera, MD Barnes coleoptera, Learoyd minerals, Foggitt and Lee-Hobkirk herbaria, and Soppit mycology. A focus of this post will be involvement in the early stages of a project to curate and redisplay the highlight of our collection; Tolson Museum’s 100-year-old bird room, and the development of a community-focussed natural history resource.
This is a challenging role within a small, close-knit group of enthusiastic and hard-working curators. You will bring valuable natural history expertise, especially zoology, to the team. You will be able to share your enthusiasm with diverse audiences. You will be flexible, organised, work well under pressure and be able to juggle conflicting demands. You will be supported by a skilled and experienced curatorial team and rewarded with access to fantastic collections and a wonderful opportunity to develop an exciting and ground-breaking project.
Head of Conservation Unit
The Natural History Museum of Denmark is seeking an experienced natural history conservator to establish and manage a Conservation Unit which is to be established at the NHMD.
The position is available from 1 August 2021 or as soon thereafter. Currently the position is funded for a 3 year period with a possibility for extension, if funding can be obtained.
In the coming years, the primary focus of the Conservation Unit will be to conserve, prepare and install objects for the new permanent galleries which are currently being developed in connection with the build of a new national Natural History Museum in the midst of Copenhagen. Currently, seven exhibition core groups are developing the content of the new permanent galleries, which are planned to open to the public in October 2024.
The objects to be prepared for the new exhibits include mainly specimens from the museum’s vast collections, but will also include preparations of new acquisitions and taxidermy.
Beside managing and coordinating the preparation efforts, once the Conservation Unit is etablished (see responsibilities of this unit below), the initial tasks of the Head of Conservation will be to map and plan for the preparation needs in regard to the object requirements of the seven core exhibitions teams, develop a hiring strategy based on those needs, and subsequently employ relevant preparator specialists – either inhouse or via outsourcing to private contractors.
The museum wishes to ensure that the preparations on display in the new galleries will be state of the art, while ensuring compliance with international museum standards and best practices. It is the overall responsibility of the Head of Conservation to fulfill these goals within the current deadline and budget.
The ideal candidate has documented international experience in preparing objects for and setting up larger natural history exhibitions. Besides having extensive knowledge of all aspects of preparation of natural history objects, the successful candidate should be comfortable heading a larger interdisciplinary team and be able to work in a fast-paced environment with many collaborators; curators, collection managers, exhibition staff, designers and external contractors.
Collections Information Officer
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced person to take on the role of Collections Information Officer in our Collections & Learning Team at Ipswich, to help update and manage data about our varied and extensive collections and bring them to life for a wide range of audiences.
This is an exciting time to join our Museum Service as major capital developments and new ways of working are changing the cultural landscape of Colchester and Ipswich. The Collections Information Officer has an important role to play in the Collections & Learning team, as well as working with colleagues across our busy and aspirational Museums Service. A major initiative, and focus of the role, is to enhance the documentation of our collections, further developing our collections online presence and providing information for gallery re-interpretation as part of the Museum’s Redevelopment Project. The role will also support our wide-ranging exhibitions and engagement programme.
This is an exciting opportunity for those with a commitment to the important role of collections management in a modern museum, enhancing the stories we can tell. You will be a strong team player and communicator, with technical knowledge of database management and able to accurately gather information from museum and other sources. You will be an ambassador in CIMS for our digital databases, encouraging colleagues to share their knowledge of the collections.
Among the projects you would be working on are:
Helping to provide collections information for our Ipswich Museum Redevelopment Project
Planning and implementation for improving storage/ moving collections
Supporting planning and procedures for important loans
For more information regarding this role please click here.
Colchester Borough Council has a wide range of services and facilities that can involve dealing with children or vulnerable adults. We treat our obligations for the safety of children and vulnerable adults seriously and expect our staff to be committed to the principles of our published policies and to adhere to the procedures contained within them.
NHM@Harwell Workstreams Manager, Earth Sciences
The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most visited natural history museum in Europe. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.
It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens. The scale of this collection enables researchers from all over the world to document how species have and continue to respond to environmental changes - which is vital in helping predict what might happen in the future and informing future policies and plans to help the planet.
The Museum has been awarded a substantial government investment of £182m, over 6 years, to create a new science and digitisation centre at the Harwell Science and Innovation Centre in south Oxfordshire. As part of this development, the Museum is planning to move approximately 40% of its 80 million specimens, library and archive collections from up to four sites (in London, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire) to the new site.
You will act as a senior lead and contact with the Department of Earth Sciences on all aspects of the NHM@Harwell programme, and be an ambassador for the programme within the Museum and with external partners. You will work with the Moves Project Manager, department staff and teams across the Museum to deliver the Earth Sciences specimen moves workstream, including proposing, recruiting and line-managing a dedicated NHM@Harwell collections team.
This is a multidisciplinary role, requiring the skills, knowledge and experience of a highly competent collections manager, as well practical project management experience and strong people and relationship management experience. You will have the ability to motivate staff (including those you don’t have direct line-management responsibility for) over a long-term project.
You will have a proven ability to lead and engage with curatorial or other Science teams through a period of change, and demonstrable experience of leading and successfully delivering major collections- based projects. Experience of planning and delivering collection moves is desirable.
Museums, Heritage and Collections Manager
Parental Leave Cover (temporary until 31/08/2022 or the day before the return of the substantive post holder).
It is essential that applicants ensure that they do fulfill all of the full requirements of the role as detailed on the job description/person specification criteria.
Only those applicants who can fully demonstrate their qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge and personal qualities and who can provide relevant examples of meeting this will progress in the short-listing process, which may also include the completion and submission of an additional assessment within a specific timescale.
We have an exciting opportunity to curate and manage heritage and museum collections under the care of Durham County Council as maternity cover for the Museums, Heritage and Collection Manager.
We are looking for an experienced curator and collections manager to care for and manage collections comprising of art-work, social, industrial and geology collections, civic items, archaeology collections and collections relating to Killhope Museum and the DLI Collection.
This position will include all aspects of collections work and will include all Spectrum procedures, accreditation preparation, collections database administration and management, exhibition research and preparation, loans management, working with hazardous collections, preventative conservation, collection relocation and movement, historical research and dealing with enquiries, project management, learning and engagement development, and managing staff and volunteers.
The ideal candidate will have recent experience in museum or heritage management and the ability to be hands on as well as experience of preparing policies and procedures such as accreditation standards and grant applications.
The post holder will be able ensure effective working relationships with partner organisations and stakeholders, as volunteers, placement students and the wider museum and collections network.
Required qualifications: Degree qualification or equivalent in a relevant subject.
Further details including the job description and person specification are available on the North East Jobs site.
VACANCY REF. REG21/131 - North East Jobs Site Ref. 206662
In line with the County Council's Recruitment & Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CV's. Any information provided on CV's will not be considered for short-listing purposes.
APPLICATION FORMS ONLY - on-line via the North East Jobs Site www.northeastjobs.org.uk or for further assistance contact the Payroll & Employee Services Team on tel. no. 03000 263154/266148/264469/264086 or email PESREG@durham.gov.uk
Conservator
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is recruiting an experienced Conservator to join the Collections Team and work with them to care for our collections.
You will have an appropriate conservation qualification and a broad knowledge of conservation practice to be able to work with a multi-disciplinary collection of national significance with an emphasis on industrial heritage.
Your primary role will be the remedial and preventative conservation of the collections and project management of conservation projects, with the opportunity to improve access and understanding of our inspiring collections for our visitors.
The successful candidate will report to the Collections Manager and will be responsible for conservation volunteers and external contractors as required.
Please visit www.ncm.org.uk/opportunities for a Job Description and Application Form.
Associate Curator
Horsham District Council has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Associate Curator to join a small and dedicated team at Horsham Museum. You will be joining at a key time in the development of the Museum as the galleries are currently in the middle of a refresh and refurbishment programme. We are looking forward to reopening the Museum during the summer and see this as an opportunity to review our digital offer as well. The team are supported by a large number of volunteers and are part of the wider leisure and culture offer within the Council.
You will work closely with the Curator and be at the heart of the Museum. As the team is small, this provides you with plenty of opportunities to influence and lead on distinct pieces of work. As part of the refresh programme, we are fitting out 10 galleries, redesigning the visitor welcome experience, rationalising collections and closing a storage facility, creating an online search mechanism, have recently installed new documentation systems, increased our social media presence and continuing to design and promote our successful temporary art and social history exhibition programme.
As Associate Curator, you will be involved in all aspects of the museum with an emphasis on the operational aspects including collection care, documentation, computer exhibitions, social media and traditional press, website, volunteer management, site security. You will be expected to learn about the collections and the heritage of Horsham District. The museum's collections are extensive and diverse, including costume, ethnography, social history, agriculture, crafts, watercolours, photographs, archaeology, geology (including three type specimens). It also holds an archive of some 26,000 documents and a library of historic publications and posters.
In 2022 the museum will be holding an exhibition on Shelley, the Royal Watercolour Society and an exhibition with loans from the British Museum. We will also be undertaking major collection rationalisation involving moving items from an offsite store to onsite space which is smaller, as well as re-opening the Barn display and transport and the outside space. Seeking ways to enhance income is also important. You will also assist the new Volunteer Coordinator post to deliver support and development of the volunteer workforce and ensure compliance with the Council's health and safety procedures. You will on occasion be deputising for the Curator.
The role operates on a shift basis working 5 days over the 7-day week including evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays.
To succeed as Associate Curator you will have a post graduate qualification in Museum studies and a relevant degree.
You will have experience of working with and supervising volunteers within a museum setting.
You will be resilient, experienced in multi-tasking, work to tight deadlines, be able to prioritise effectively, work well as part of a team and have a flexible and can-do attitude.
You will be customer-focused and able to engage with visitors and volunteers in a positive manner.
You will be curious, have a wide range of interests and be able to think on your feet and contribute to discussions.
You will also have a good understanding of museum professionalism.
For an informal discussion about this role please call Jeremy Knight, Curator on 01403 282 590 or 07880 011 295
Horsham District Council encourages and supports their employees to have a healthy work life balance by supporting their professional development as well as offering 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), a generous benefits package and an online platform offering discounts from online retailers. Staff are eligible to join a contributory pension scheme where the Council contributes 20% of pensionable salary. The Council also provides reimbursement for professional subscriptions and access to a car lease scheme.
If you would like to apply for the role, we highly recommend you show clearly within the 'Experience Section' of the application form how you meet the essential criteria detailed within the Role Profile when applying. If you do not make this clear, it is unlikely you will be shortlisted for interview.
Apply
https://www.horsham.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/jobs/associate-curator