Interpretation Developer

Role description:
At the Natural History Museum, we engage our audiences with the natural world in our world class exhibitions and galleries, through the use of our outstanding collection and scientific research. This is an exciting opportunity to join the Natural History Museum’s creative Interpretation Team to work on the Museum’s programme of temporary exhibitions.

Working closely with colleagues across the Museum, including researchers and curators, you will lead on shaping the stories of our exhibitions and how we use interpretation to engage our audiences. This includes developing exhibition content, making sure it is based on relevant science and research, shaping exhibition concepts, narratives, interpretation approaches, visitor journeys, messages and outcomes, as well as taking an active part in the object and specimen selection, ensuring we make best use of the Museum’s world class collections.

Using an audience focused approach and knowledge of best practice in interpretation; you will shape the broader interpretive approach. 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, as well as external stakeholders, such as exhibition designers, and ideally, you will have an understanding of the exhibition design development process.

You will have experience of developing and delivering interpretation in a museum setting, or similar, experience of communicating specialist knowledge to non-specialist audiences and the experience of using collections to communicate content. You will have the experience of successfully working with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, for example curators and other subject specialists, and an ability to solve problems. It is helpful if you have an understanding of the design processes involved in exhibition development as well as an interest in natural sciences. Experience of communicating scientific content in exhibitions or elsewhere is also beneficial, but is not necessarily essential.

Salary: £27,467 per annum plus benefits

Contract: Permanent appointment

Closing date: 9am on Tuesday 19 April 2016

Interviews: w/c Monday 25 April 2016

Role competences:
BEFORE beginning your application - Please read the section below about the ‘Online Application Process’ carefully.

If you wish to be considered for this role you will need to address each of the following competences in the ‘other information’ section of your online application:

1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent qualification) in Science Communication, Museum Studies or other relevant discipline, or equivalent relevant experience
2. Solid experience of planning, developing and delivering engaging interpretation and content in a museum, gallery, heritage site or a similar environment. Experience of planning, developing and delivering interpretation plans and methods for temporary exhibitions, or similar, and ideally, an understanding of the exhibition design development process
3. Experience of using collections to tell compelling stories and communicate messages
4. Experience of adapting interpretation, or other form of communication, to suit the needs of different audiences, with an understanding of how to use audience research to inform how to best engage different audiences
5. Highly skilled in text writing for a variety of audience; including text for museum audiences, as well as any documents that communicate exhibition concepts and content to internal and external stakeholders
6. Confident communicator with the experience of communicating openly, clearly and creatively with different colleagues and stakeholders, including subject specialists (for example, curators or researchers). Solid experience of communicating specialist topics to non-specialist audiences
7. Demonstrable experience of creating and delivering professional and engaging presentations, for example, presenting projects to internal stakeholders
8. Proven ability to inspire internal and external stakeholders about the work of the Museum’s interpretation team, including experience of effectively influencing others
9. Experience of delivering tasks through to completion, with a strong attention to detail and proven ability to solve problems effectively
10. Experience of being able to manage demanding workloads and remain calm under pressure, alongside excellent planning skills with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, whilst ensuring deadlines are met
11. Proven ability to work successfully both independently as well as part of a team, with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude and willingness to learn. Solid experience of working collaboratively to plan and develop exhibition content, or similar
12. An interest in natural sciences and the experience of developing exhibition interpretation, or other form of communication, for science related topics (desirable)

Online application process:
You are required to provide a response to ALL of the role competences listed above within the ‘Other Information’ section of the online application form (up to 140 words per competence). In order to demonstrate how you meet each competence fully, please provide specific examples from your achievements, knowledge, skills and/or experience.