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.
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https://www.horsham.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/jobs/associate-curator