Jobs Archive
Collections Management Project Assistant x 2
We are looking for two enthusiastic and motivated people to deliver a collections management project focused on the museum collections cared for and managed by the South West Heritage Trust. The role will involve carrying out a location audit of the stored museum collections following an existing plan and methodology.
You will need a passion for material culture, an ability to work flexibly in a team to deliver a project and a careful and methodical approach.
The South West Heritage Trust is a charity which delivers a broad range of heritage services across Somerset and Devon that were previously delivered by local authorities. We manage and run three museums (including the Museum of Somerset and Somerset Rural Life Museum), two Archives and Local Studies services and look after the historic environment in Somerset.
We welcome applications from people with a variety of backgrounds. This can include but is not limited to:
People looking for their first paid role in a museum;
People with prior experience of working in the museum sector in a voluntary or paid capacity;
People with experience of working in other sectors in a voluntary or paid capacity;
People without higher education qualifications;
People with first degrees in history, archaeology, natural sciences or a relevant subject;
People with post-graduate museums qualifications.
Applications are particularly welcomed from people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
The best candidate will be selected on merit and their ability to fulfil the needs of the job. Discrimination based on gender, race, age, disability, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation or for any other reason will form no part of our selection process.
For an informal discussion about the post please contact Bethan Murray (Curator of Social History and Textiles) or Amal Khreisheh (Curator of Archaeology) on 01823 278805.
For more information about the role, the Trust and the application process, please download the Recruitment Information Pack and Job Description, available below.
To apply for the role, please complete the application form and equal opportunities form and return by email to: recruitment@swheritage.org.uk
Collections & Learning Conservator
Do you have a passion for conserving, caring for and improving access to museum collections?
This is an exciting time to join our Museum Service as major developments of our museums are changing the cultural landscape of Colchester and Ipswich.
We are seeking an experienced Conservator with a passion for diverse museum collections and heritage venues. Our nationally significant collections chart both the human and natural histories of Colchester. From Stone Age artefacts to contemporary costume, fossils to spirit specimens, these collections inspire and inform our visitors. You will play an active role with these collections from acquisition and exhibition to rationalisation and digital access.
The role offers an exciting opportunity for those interested in new challenges with a creative approach, organising diverse collections, developing collection care strategies and engaging new audiences with stored collections. In this role, you will be responsible for all aspects of collections care at our four venues: Colchester Castle, the Natural History Museum, Hollytree’s Museum and our Resource Centre.
Required Skills:
We welcome applicants who can demonstrate their experience and passion for the care of collections and recognise the importance of museum collections to local communities. With an eye for detail and precision you’ll be confident in managing a complex workload across multiple sites. An excellent team player and communicator, you’ll enjoy working with, and supporting, dynamic colleagues in our busy and aspirational museum service. Above all you’ll understand the challenges of conserving broad collections and safeguarding their preservation for future audiences.
Application Instructions:
To download an application form and further information for this vacancy, and to find out more about working for Colchester Borough Council, please visit our website - http://www.colchester.gov.uk/jobs Please remember to include the job title and reference number on your application form.
Digital Technologies Officer
To manage a project for the digitisation of the Lapworth Museum's collections including the archive. This will involve recruiting and training volunteers to work on the project, including existing volunteers and those from target groups that the Lapworth is not currently meeting through its volunteering and engagement programmes.
Ensure the digital data developed is made widely accessible, and particularly via Higher Education (HE) research platforms. The post holder will also develop creative and innovative ways of utilising the digital data. This will involve working the Lapworth's current diverse audience, and also potential audiences through working and partnership building with community groups. The public engagement work will include close liaison with the Lapworth Museum's existing Learning & Community Development Officer, and the new Learning, Engagement & Development Officer.
The role is supported by Arts Council England (ACE), which is providing funding to the Lapworth Museum of Geology which is now one of ACE's National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs).
PERSON SPECIFICATION:-
Qualifications/Training
- Educated to degree level in an appropriate discipline (geology-sciences-arts-IT) or with similar professional qualifications. Have strong IT knowledge-training relating to digitisation technologies and processes.
Experience
- Significant and demonstrable experience gained in digitisation technologies, data processing-manipulation and data management.
- Experience of utilising digital files for public engagement.
- Experience of developing and delivering digital programmes, policies and action plans with a learning/museum/heritage/arts environment.
- Significant and demonstrable experience gained in social media and web based platforms.
- Experience of planning and delivering training for staff and volunteers.
- Project Management - including development of work programmes, managing budgets and monitoring progress.
- Experience of engaging and managing people from a diverse range of backgrounds (cultural, socioeconomic, demographic).
- Involvement in networks and evidence of working with stakeholder and user groups, including local communities.
Practical Skills:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of groups and organisations.
- The ability to organise and manage time and can prioritise time when faced with conflicting demands.
- Considerable competence in using a broad range of relevant hardware and software for generating and processing digital data.
Personal Qualities and Attributes:
- The ability to work independently or as part of a team.
- Interest in Geology/Science, Heritage/Arts.
- Understanding of issues relating to equality and diversity.
- Self-motivated and able to work un-supervised.
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,799 to £38,832. With potential progression once in post to £41,212 a year.
Learning & Engagement Officer
To develop, deliver and promote an engaging, inspiring and creative secondary school offer for the Lapworth Museum of Geology, which benefits from the outstanding collections and resources within the Museum. In addition, the post holder will work with the Museum team to further develop our existing outreach and public engagement programmes, particularly working with audiences that we are not currently reaching.
The role requires using new, creative and innovative approaches to engaging through STEAM subjects to devise a secondary school and outreach programme to inspire a larger and more diverse audience. The role will support the Lapworth Museum in its aspiration to develop as a centre of excellence for learning, and will engage our visitors and communities with collections and associated cutting edge research.
Working with the Lapworth Museum team, and target audiences, the role will include development of creative and innovative temporary exhibitions.
The role is supported by Arts Council England, which is providing funding to the Lapworth Museum of Geology as one of its National Portfolio Organisations (NPO).
PERSON SPECIFICATION:-
Qualifications/Training:
- A qualification at degree level in a science or science-related discipline.
- Ideally with experience of teaching within a school or museums/heritage environment.
- A museum studies qualification would be desirable.
Experience:
- Preparation, planning and delivery of formal and informal learning programmes.
- Significant and demonstrable experience of engaging public/communities with natural science topics.
- Experience of museum/learning environments and/or using science/arts within learning programmes.
- Experience of developing and delivering; programmes, policies and action plans for learning and community engagement.
- Experience of planning and delivering training programmes, and developing learning resources and interpretation material.
- Experience of undertaking community consultation and engagement activities.
- Experience of training staff and volunteers.
- Involvement in networks and evidence of working with stakeholder and user groups, including local communities.
- Working knowledge of marketing and promotion techniques.
- Knowledge of current good practice and policy within the education/museums/learning sectors.
- Awareness of issues relating to access, social inclusion, cultural diversity and disability.
- Understanding of the Health and Safety issues and risk assessment procedures associated with working with young people, volunteers and the local community.
Practical Skills:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of groups and organisations.
- The ability to organise and manage time and can prioritise time when faced with conflicting demands.
- Competence in using IT and Microsoft Office products.
Personal Qualities and Attributes:
- The ability to work independently or as part of a team.
- Interest in Geology/Science, Science and Arts interactions.
- Self-motivated and able to work un-supervised.
- Willingness to work evenings, weekends and public holidays as required, on and off-site.
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £26,495 to £28,936. With potential progression once in post to £32,548 a year.
Digitiser
Become part of an expanding team at the cutting edge of citizen science, informatics and biodiversity research. The Natural History Museum is recruiting a Digitiser to support the digitisation of specimens as part of the Digital Collection Programme.
The post holder will be responsible for specimen digitisation in order to support the project. Digitisation responsibilities will involve the capture of digital images of specimens and associated labels. It will also include data manipulation and enhancement, such as georeferencing and providing general species information for the project.
The project may include opportunities for travel to meetings, workshops, conferences and presentations.
Curator, Ores
The Natural History Museum’s Ores Collection includes samples from many of the world's most significant ore bodies and is a scientifically, historically, and culturally important part of the Department of Earth Science collections. The collection supports and is being developed through many of the Earth Science Department's current income generating projects in the mining sector as well as being used extensively for teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
For this rare opportunity, we are seeking a suitably qualified, curation-experienced and self-motivated candidate to undertake the curation, management and championing of this important collection. They will work closely with the curatorial and research staff in the Economic and Environmental Earth Sciences Division and report to the divisional Senior Curator in Charge and Head of Collections, Earth Sciences.
Exhibition and Interpretation Manager
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.
Project Curator
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.
This is an excellent opportunity to join the dynamic Identification & Naming Department at Kew.
We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated individual to help to curate to a high standard our globally important botanical collections, enabling Kew to deliver on its ambitious Science Strategy and facilitating access for our many visitors to the collections from around the world.
This role will specifically address specimens that are yet to be incorporated, and as such, the successful candidate will liaise with the Senior Project Curator as well as staff from all teams in the Herbarium.
The successful candidate for this full-time post will have a botanical background with experience of working with Herbarium / natural history collections. They will have excellent personable skills both working in a team and independently.
The salary will be £21,001 per annum.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a generous annual leave entitlement for new starters, family friendly policies, a choice of competitive pensions and flexible benefits scheme.
Curator (Vertebrate Zoology)
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.
Insect Preparer
Please email enquiries@anhrt.org.uk if you have an enquiries about this position.
The African Natural History Research Trust (ANHRT) is a charitable research trust (Charity no. 1159955) and museum focused on African entomological biodiversity. Our research is aimed at
increasing the scientific knowledge of African insects with an emphasis on the taxonomy of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).
Working as part of small team, this role requires an organised individual who is able to work in a logical manner, with excellent manual dexterity and with meticulous attention to detail.
The role requires the daily handling of delicate and fragile insect specimens and their associated collecting data. Using tools and methodologies that will be taught in-house the Insect Preparer will relax, manipulate and set the specimens into place, whilst ensuring codes and other essential information is kept with the specimen from start to finish.
SKILLS REQUIRED – INSECT PREPARER
Essential:
Excellent manual dexterity.
A high level of attention to detail with a commitment to accuracy.
Ability to follow guidelines and workflow processes.
An ability to undertake close-up work and ensure visual accuracy.
A good team player and a flexible ‘can do’ attitude to problem solving.
Preferable:
Previous experience of preparing insect specimens.
Excellent written, read and spoken English.
An awareness of Museum practices.
An understanding of the collections needs of an insect collection.
Additional Requirements:
Own transport – ANHRT is located in the remote Herefordshire countryside, so own transport is necessary.
To apply for this position please send your CV and covering letter to enquiries@anhrt.org.uk