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This is an exciting opportunity to help develop the internationally renowned exhibitions and galleries programme at The Natural History Museum, London. Alongside events, publications and the web, you and the team will help develop new approaches to interpreting natural history, challenging our visitor’s perception of the natural world through innovative and exhilarating ways.

The Exhibition and Interpretation Manager is responsible for the successful development and delivery of a range of high profile exhibitions and permanent new spaces that appeal to target audiences and that inspire visitors with our collections and with science.

Working with colleagues from Public Engagement and Science Directorates, the Exhibition and Interpretation Manager will manage the development of content and interpretation for exhibitions and galleries, setting target audiences, creating interpretation strategies, managing content, all through a creative lens.

The postholder will manage a team of interpretation developers to work collaboratively as part of a project team with curators, scientists, project managers, learning teams, internal and external design teams in order to ensure that content and interpretation meet audiences’ needs and challenge their understanding of the natural world.

The Exhibition and Interpretation Manager is responsible for ensuring that the interpretive approaches in the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions are appealing, engaging, accessible and interesting for its intended target audiences.

The role will keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector and work to ensure best practice in interpretation development.

This role will also be responsible for managing the editorial services & processes within public engagement so that outputs across exhibitions, publications, and public-facing channels share a consistent tone of voice and quality.

This role will report to the Head of Exhibitions and Interpretation.

Interviews to be held on Tuesday 31 July 2018

Background
The Vertebrate Zoology collection comprises 78,760 specimens and is ranked amongst the top twenty in importance in the world. It includes NML’s founding collection - the 13th Earl of Derby's magnificent bequest of his internationally important collection to the people of Liverpool in 1851.
The post holder will be based in the Vertebrate Zoology section of World Museum (WM) (Collections & Estates Division) and will initially be managed by the Director of WM.
The successful candidate will make a significant contribution to the delivery of venue, collection, research, engagement and environmental justice programmes.
Our Mission
To be the world’s leading example of an inclusive museum service.
Our Values
We are an inclusive and democratic museum service; we believe in the concept of social justice: we are funded by the whole of the public and in return we strive to provide an excellent service to the whole of the public.

• We believe that museums are fundamentally educational in purpose.
• We believe that museums are places for ideas and dialogue that use collections to inspire people.
• We believe in the power of museums to help promote good and active citizenship, and to act as agents of social change: museums change lives.
• We believe in the importance of sustainable development and we recognise that we have a role to play in the conservation and protection of the built and natural environment.
• We believe in seeking out new opportunities and innovative ways of working, so as to keep our public offer fresh, relevant, challenging and competitive.

NML, which employs approximately 500 staff, is sponsored by central government through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It is a non departmental public body, an exempt charity, and has a limited liability subsidiary company, as well as associate trust and foundation affiliates, to account for. The day-to-day operations are managed by an Executive Board, headed up by the Accounting Officer and Director. The Executive is supported by a Board of Trustees and is chaired by Sir David Henshaw.
The current economic climate is extremely challenging for NML with core funding from its sponsoring department reduced in line with other public bodies. Strong financial leadership and management is critical to ensure that NML continues to deliver value for money, develops its funding and income generation opportunities, and manages its cost base.

Purpose of the Job
To support the Director of WM in the strategic development of WM’s internationally significant natural science collection totalling ca. 1.6 million items.
To manage and develop an internationally significant collection of scientific, historic and cultural importance.
To make the collection accessible through display, research and publication, including online, public enquiries, talks and contributions to education programmes.
To be responsible for the care, documentation and use of the Vertebrate Zoology collection.
To work with and support projects and initiatives across NML in line with corporate priorities.

Please see linked job advertisement for main activities and person specification.

We are recruiting for a Specimen Preparer to join the Specimen Preparation Team within the Science Directorate. As part of this team, that includes five other Specimen Preparers, the successful candidate will contribute to the creation of over 30,000 herbarium specimens annually.
The Herbarium at Kew contains around 7 million preserved vascular plant specimens, these specimens contain a wealth of information about plants and are used by Kew Scientists and researchers across the globe in studies into biodiversity, conservation, ecology and sustainable development. The post holder will be a highly motivated individual, able to contribute to the herbarium collections by producing herbarium specimens to Kew standards in a timely way.
More details
Kew is the world’s leading botanic gardens, at the forefront of plant and fungal science, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major visitor attraction.
We want a world where plants and fungi are understood, valued and conserved – because our lives depend on them.
We use the power of our science and the rich diversity of our gardens and collections to provide knowledge, inspiration and understanding of why plants and fungi matter to everyone.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with excellent organisational skills and the ability to undertake repetitive tasks through to completion. You will be keen to work as part of a team, but also have the ability to work alone and make independent decisions when preparing specimens.
The successful candidate will have good manual dexterity and an ability to work quickly and precisely. They will learn new skills, be able to demonstrate the specimen preparation process to others and be confident interacting with the public and visitors in an engaging manner.
The salary will be £18,135 per annum.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a broad range of Learning and Development opportunities, with access to the Civil Service training curriculum, generous annual leave entitlement for new starters, family friendly policies, a choice of competitive pensions and flexible benefits scheme.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
No agencies please.

The Natural History Museum at Tring was once the personal collection of Lionel Walter, the second Lord Rothschild, upon Lord Rothschild's death in 1937, the Museum and his collections were presented to the Nation to become part of the Natural History Museum. The Public Museum at Tring is part of the Natural History Museum. All Museum staff provide a wide range of services to both Museum visitors and internal customers.

The Interpretation Developer is responsible for developing and delivering interpretation for the Natural History Museum at Tring's temporary exhibitions, and occasionally, other interpretation projects, ensuring they are in line with our Public Engagement Strategy.

It is an exciting role that is based at the NHM's Tring site and liaises closely with the wider creative team in South Kensington that is responsible for developing content and delivering exhibitions for the Museum.

Working closely with colleagues across the Museum, including researchers and curators, as well as external stakeholders and lenders, you will lead on developing exhibition content, making sure it is based on relevant science and research.

You will lead on shaping and developing the interpretation for our temporary exhibitions.

This involves shaping concepts, narratives, interpretation methods, as well as specimen selection, ensuring we make best use of the Museum's world class collections and, where appropriate arrange loans of material in close liaison with the Museum's registrar team.

Using an audience focused approach and knowledge of best practice in interpretation, you will shape key messages and visitor outcomes.

You will develop interpretation methods that engage intended target audiences, ensuring that our exhibitions and galleries are accessible, interesting, informative and appealing, and suit our audiences' needs.

You will work closely with colleagues across the Museum, particularly within Technical Production, Design, Science, Audience Development, Learning and the Project Office, as well as external stakeholders.

Ideally, you will have an understanding of the exhibition design development process.

As part of a small public programme team based in Tring, you'll need enthusiasm, creativity, and attention to detail to see projects to completion.

The successful candidate will have previous experience in Museum (or similar) content and interpretation development and familiarity with exhibition processes.

Some off-site travel may be required. A UK driving licence is desirable.