Jobs Archive
Senior Curator, Geosciences (Mineralogy/Geology)
Australia’s largest public museum organisation is seeking a Senior Curator, Geosciences (Mineralogy/Geology) to join Museums Victoria.
ABOUT MUSEUMS VICTORIA:
Welcome to Museums Victoria (MV), where we care for the state’s scientific and cultural collections, and every day brings new opportunities to inspire, challenge, and educate. From the awe-inspiring Melbourne Museum to the culturally significant Immigration Museum, the innovative Scienceworks, and the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, we are a team of passionate professionals dedicated to preserving the past and shaping the future.
And now, we are on the lookout for a Senior Curator, Geosciences (Mineralogy/Geology). If you are passionate about leading innovative research projects, preserving collections, and collaborating with a dynamic team to make geosciences accessible and impactful, this role could be your next great adventure!
ABOUT THE POSITION:
Museums Victoria has the largest Geosciences collections (Minerals, Rocks, Ores, Meteorites and Impactites) in Australia, and an internationally significant mineral collection. The purpose of this position is to develop research programs and collaborations in geosciences, particularly Mineralogy, develop the museums geoscience collections, provide collection access, and contribute to public program outputs for Museums Victoria.
Some of the key duties include:
Lead a research program in mineralogy and geology to enhance the Museum’s profile.
Conduct collections-linked research and coordinate development of mineralogy, petrology, and meteorite collections.
Initiate and maintain research collaborations with museums, universities, government departments, and community groups.
Secure research funding through grants, collaborations, and philanthropic programs.
Lead and supervise staff, postgraduate students, and volunteers in research and collection projects.
Provide geosciences expertise to Exhibitions, Education, Public Programs, Outreach, and Media.
Communicate geoscience to diverse audiences through public programs, exhibitions, online services, and other media.
Ensure ethical and safe work practices in laboratory, collection, and field research activities.
Comply with Museums Victoria's policies, procedures, and relevant legislation.
Curator of Zoology
Leading on the key management and ethical issues relevant to Manchester Museum’s internationally significant Zoology collections (including around 1 million preserved animals), you’ll use your specialist expertise and digital skills to improve access and spark connections. We are looking for someone who can work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to reconnect nature and culture and who will champion biodiversity and environmental action within and beyond the museum
Manchester Museum is proud to be part of the University of Manchester, so a diligent and engaging approach to building research and supporting teaching is essential. We are also one of the north’s most popular visitor attractions so you’ll need to be a brilliant communicator, able to talk about complex ideas to wide ranging audiences. If you love storytelling and exhibition-making you will thrive in this role; the Zoology collection is hugely popular with audiences and central to developing inclusive public programmes within and beyond our walls.
Curatorial Assistant - Entomology
The Entomology Collection at Manchester Museum is estimated to house more than two and a half million specimens from all over the world and is one of the largest entomological depositories in the UK. The collection house a great variety of arthropods, including insects, arachnids, centipedes, millipedes and crustaceans, preserved dried, in spirit and slides.
We are seeking to appoint a part-time (21 hours – 0.6 FTE) Curatorial Assistant to work with Manchester Museum’s internationally significant entomology collection in providing comprehensive support to the Curator of Entomology and the Curatorial Team at Manchester Museum.
We encourage applicants who are enthusiastic and motivated with a keen interest in working in natural history collections, especially insects and/or other arthropods.
This role involves assisting in the management, care and interpretation of entomological collections. Other responsibilities include supporting documentation, access to the collection, supervising visitors and volunteers, and facilitating public programmes.
Preferably, you will have previous experience in working with insects or other arthropods collections and with museum documentation.
What you will get in return:
Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here
Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.
Project Archivist – Phillips Archive
Oxford University Museum of Natural History is seeking to appoint a Project Archivist to work on the Phillips Archive, and assist with the running of the Archive for 20 months. Nephew of celebrated geologist William ‘Strata’ Smith, John Phillips (1800-1874) was Reader in Geology at Oxford University and the first keeper of OUMNH. The Phillips Archive consists of correspondence, geological papers, lecture notes, notebooks, watercolours, prints, sections, and more.
Reporting to the Librarian and Archivist, the post-holder will be responsible for arranging, cataloguing and repackaging the Phillips Archive. This will include creating an ISAD(G) compliant catalogue, supervising volunteers, participating in displays, and communicating your work both internally to the museum and externally to members of the public and other stakeholders. The post-holder will also spend one day a week contributing to the day-to-day running of the Archive including facilitating visits to the collection, answering enquiries, and cataloguing the backlog.
Project Assistant (Finding Nemo Project)
A six-month Project Assistant, based at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, is required to assist in the delivery of a project (Finding Nemo) funded by the Oxford University Digital Humanities initiative. The project aims at establishing the knowledge base to unravel biases in crustacean species eponyms (i.e. animal species named after persons), focussing in on symbiotic Decapoda (crabs, shrimp, lobsters and their allies) and by contrasting semantic (societal, historical) and biological influences.
The post holder will form part of an international team (UK, Netherlands, Belgium) data mining an extensive pdf library of relevant literature, combined with further internet and library searches, constructing a list of biological and semantic information to be extracted from the primary taxonomic literature and transferring the required information to an online database (marinespecies.org).
The position would suit a recent humanities graduate with an interest in digital humanities or a biology graduate, interested in biodiversity informatics. The position is flexible in focus and can be targeted to the research interest of the successful applicant.
This is a full-time, fixed-term position, working 36.5 hours per week for six months. This role supports a hybrid working model – please expect a minimum of two days per week on-site. This role is subject to a satisfactory basic Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Director
Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) was opened in 1860 and houses the University’s extensive scientific holdings in natural history, which are used for research, teaching, and public engagement with science. The Museum is ‘Designated’ by Arts Council England as having collections of national and international importance, and these comprise more than 7 million specimens that are second in importance only to the national collections. The Museum is one of the most popular science museums in the UK with over 800,000 visitors per year, including over 40,000 school visitors, and is the second most visited university museum globally (behind Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum).
Following the retirement of Professor Paul Smith in September 2024, the University of Oxford is now seeking to appoint a new Director for OUMNH. The Directorship is associated with a professorial fellowship at Kellogg College. The Director is responsible for taking forward the Museum’s strategic priorities in public engagement, in research, and in the curation of its 7m+ collection items. In addition to being one of the UK’s most important natural history collections, OUMNH is a department of the University of Oxford and a key part of the University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM). As such, the Director will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to the University’s core missions of education, research, and public engagement. The role involves strategic leadership of the Museum and the setting and delivery of the strategy, policies and goals for the future in line with the overall direction agreed by the Board of Visitors of the Museum, in alignment with the Strategic Framework of GLAM. The Director will also be expected to set an agenda for growing income from across public and commercial funding sources, with an increased focus on philanthropic fundraising.
Candidates for the position should possess well-developed leadership and management skills, strong organisational and financial acumen, and the ability to develop and deliver a compelling vision and strategy for the Museum. The successful candidate will have an outstanding track record in museums, with experience of balancing the needs of large-scale collection management and research, and the opportunities for broad public access and education.
Preserved Collections Manager
This position offers an opportunity to play a key role in Kew’s large and globally important science collections. Reporting to the Head of Collections, the post holder provides leadership and oversight to the Preserved Collections (Herbarium Collections Management Unit, Spirit, Fungarium and DNA and Tissue Collections) to develop and maintain high standards in the management of Kew’s internationally important collections. This is a vital role in the management of collections that is necessary to meet statutory obligations, sector standards and to ensure compliance with national and international legislation. The post holder will work closely with the Herbarium Curation team and Registrar and Accreditation Manager to ensure material is managed and transferred according to Kew policies and workflows.
This role also oversees the preventive conservation program, which involves managing the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) process and team, as well as leading environmental monitoring across all collection spaces. Additionally, it coordinates the monitoring system for other collection managers within the Science Collections.
Assistant Conservator
The University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge is seeking a full-time, fixed-term Assistant Conservator. Core activities will include a combination of interventive and preventive conservation activities. The post holder will assist with the management of preventive conservation including environmental monitoring and integrated pest management (IPM) in a museum setting. They will provide museum conservation treatments to the permanent exhibits as well as upcoming exhibitions and stored collections. The postholder will also be expected to work on the Museum's fluid-preserved specimens.
The role offers a unique opportunity to work as part of a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary team building practical experience working with natural history collections. The role requires the post holder to have good general knowledge and experience in the care and conservation of organic materials. Knowledge and experience in the conservation of natural history collections would be desirable but training in developing this specialism will be provided.
It is essential the successful candidate is able to work independently and collaboratively with colleagues as well as have the ability to work effectively to deadlines.
Collections Information Assistant
The Horniman Museum and Gardens has an exciting job opportunity opening up in our Documentation Team which will be supporting our NLHF funded Natural History redisplay, Nature + Love.
We’re looking for an enthusiastic, hands-on Collections Information Assistant to help us improve the records and documentation relating to our museum objects and archive.
Although experience of working in a museum is not essential, you will have an interest in museums and their collections.
If you work methodically and to deadlines while maintaining high standards and are flexible working as part of a team or independently, then we want to hear from you.
Climate Champion Trustee
The Museums Association is seeking a trustee to join our board as a climate champion for a three year term.
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 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.