Jobs Archive
Natural Sciences - Curatorial Development Programme
National Museums Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body with responsibility for three national museums: the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park. Between them, the National Museums group is the largest visitor attraction in Northern Ireland and makes a significant contribution to cultural tourism.
Overall purpose of job:
As part of the senior organisational restructuring process in 2017 there is a commitment to recruit to six new curatorial posts - two each in art, history and science. Both art and history have benefited from the operation of a curatorial development programme in previous years which enabled the direct recruitment to curatorial posts in those areas, but natural sciences has not.
This programme is designed to identify and develop science curators for National Museums NI for the future.
The programme will provide training for two individuals in a range of key curatorial disciplines over a period of 18 months. On successful completion of the programme the two trainees will migrate to the posts as Curators of Natural Science at the F grade.
Programme participants will be involved in different aspects of curatorial work including documentation, research, digitisation, interpretation, web-based projects, displays and exhibitions and public engagement. They will also benefit from a broad mix of workplace-based training, workshops, learning forums, mentoring and self-directed study.
The programme will offer participants training in, and experience of, curatorial work, equip them with core museum skills and provide a good knowledge of the science collection.
Natural Sciences Collection
The Natural Sciences collections show a particular emphasis on the botany, geology and zoology of the north of Ireland but also include material of international provenance:
- Botany, an amalgamation of the Queen's University of Belfast herbarium and that of the former municipal museum as well as subsequent collecting
- Geology, comprising mostly Irish geological material (rocks, fossils and minerals), as well as gemstones and miscellaneous holdings such as microscope thin sections, micromounts and geological curiosities
- Zoology, consisting of terrestrial invertebrates (mainly insects and molluscs), marine invertebrates, vertebrates (mainly birds and mammals), and a collection of manuscripts, drawings and contemporary wildlife art paintings
- Related collections include early and rare natural sciences books, transparencies and photographs, and material generated through fieldwork.
Programme Outline
The development programme will incorporate the following curatorial areas of work, with differing emphases depending on the business needs and the schedule of activity.
The core areas that will be addressed by the programme are:
- Documentation
- Research
- Interpretation
- Digitisation
- Web and social media
- Display and exhibition
- Public engagement
Foundation module will include:
- An overview of the history and role of museums in society
- NMNI corporate indication - business plan and corporate strategy, site and collections orientation
- Information sessions on the breadth and strength of the national collections with curators
- Placement planning with mentor
Core skills module will include:
- Oral, written and technological communication
- Management information systems
- Financial and budgetary management
- Team working and project management
Collections skills module will include:
- Research
- Collections Care
- Documentation and collections management
Understanding the visitor experience will include:
- Audience research and evaluation
- Programming, including collection-based events
- Learning
- Interpretation and design
- Outreach and partnership working
The programme will offer participants a framework for Continuing Professional Development through involvement in a range of activities in the form of coaching, workshops, learning forums and seminars.
It is anticipated that all placements will be based at National Museums NI's headquarters at Cultra, with the requirement to travel to other sites, principally the Ulster Museum and Collections Store.
There may also be a requirement for occasional travel to other museums.
E. C. Pelham-Clinton Fellow (Entomology)
Pelham-Clinton Entomological Fellowships were established in the National Museums Scotland by the family of the late E. C. Pelham-Clinton, the Duke of Newcastle, who was Curator of Entomology, 1960-1981.
As a Pelham-Clinton Fellow, you will undertake original research on a portion of the Entomology collection that includes your special group of interest. We are particularly encouraging applicants with specialist knowledge of the Coleoptera. You will prepare publications to make accessible knowledge about the collection and disseminate your research results and. You will also curate and develop a portion of the collection through acquisitions, including fieldwork, and will be called upon to contribute to public engagement programmes.
Comprising nearly 2 million specimens, the Entomology collection contains material from all over the world, but emphases Scottish, British and then European insects. It has particular strengths in Lepidoptera, Odonata, small orders and certain Coleoptera Diptera and Hymenoptera.
Qualified to postgraduate level, or with equivalent experience in Zoology, you will have specialised knowledge of the taxonomy and systematics of a group of insects, as well as proven research ability and experience of working with Entomology collections and relevant subject areas. You must be able to work effectively to meet deadlines, both independently and as part of a team, and possess good communication and ICT skills. A driving licence is essential.
Your application must include an outline of a specific programme of curation and research that complements and utilises the National Museums’ Entomology collections. The research should centre upon a scientific question that you propose to investigate, and outline the approach that you will adopt during the tenure of the fellowship.
This is a fixed term post until April 2020.
To make an online application for this post and to find further details of this post and of all our vacancies please visit www.nms.ac.uk.
If you require further information telephone 0131 247 4094 (answerphone) or email applications@nms.ac.uk, stating reference NMS18/790
Closing date for completed applications is Friday, 16 March 2018.
It is anticipated that the selection event will take place on/around 4 April 2018.
Museum Manager
Reporting to the Museum Director, Professor Paul Brakefield, the Museum Manager is the senior nonacademic staff member for the Museum of Zoology, working as part of the Senior Management Team to develop systems and services and an active programme of exhibitions and events. The role is on an academic-related grade and therefore has no fixed hours of work. The Museum Manager has line management responsibility for four staff and acts as Team Lead for the Operations and Visitor Services Group, working alongside the two academic curators who act as Team Leads for Collections and Research and for Public Engagement.
Following a four-year closure for complete renovation of the David Attenborough Building and redisplay and reinterpretation of the Museum’s collections, the Museum Manager will be responsible for designing and realising plans for the future, and positioning the Museum of Zoology to play a leading role within the University of Cambridge Museums, engaging local, regional and international audiences, and supporting research and teaching.
The Museum Manager will lead and deliver the operational and administrative functions of the Museum, manage the outward-facing functions of the Museum including communications and visitor access, and advise and support the Director and the Senior Management Team in important aspects of the Museum’s operations, including strategic planning, budget management, gathering and analysis of management information and compliance.
Project Curator (Natural History)
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Project Curator to join us at the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens. The Museum is a world-renowned institution which is home to one of the most scientifically important collections of natural history and ethnography in the world. We currently attract 40,000 visits per year and have a target of 60,000 visits by 2022.
The curatorial expertise of our staff is in Ethnography. As the Project Curator you will curate, document, research and provide access to the Museum’s Natural History Collections. Working with the wider team you will develop and provide opportunities for visitors to engage with these collections. This is a fixed term contract. To that end we have identified discrete projects that are achievable in the contract period and have left enough flexibility for you to really make this a job that will benefit your CV.
We are looking for an individual who is enthusiastic, approachable and highly organised. The Head of Collections will be on maternity leave for a significant part of this contract (available 1 day a month) so you will need to be self-motivated and able to work independently.
Curator, Anthropology
This is an opportunity for an outstanding individual to take up an important role in a world-renowned institution with a unique scientific mission and public profile. The successful applicant will join a large science group composed of approximately 300 scientists, in an institution that houses some of the largest, most significant scientific collections in the world.
The Museum is also home to an internationally important natural history library, a suite of advanced analytical and imaging facilities, and offers the opportunity to communicate science to huge national and international audiences.
The Curator of Anthropology is responsible for undertaking the day to day curation and documentation of the NHM collections including Palaeoanthropology, artefact, fossil primate and Human Remains collections. Curation responsibilities include processing applications for and hosting of scientific research visits, processing loans and destructive sampling applications, answering enquiries and databasing. The post holder will also contribute to collections management and research projects, and may have research time of up to 20% allocated dependent on curation priorities.
Museum and Security Assistant
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.
As a Museum and Security Assistant you will assist the Natural History Museum at Tring’s Management Team in the delivery of the Museum’s vision, by enabling the provision of a modern, effective Museum Service.
You will provide a flexible, friendly and efficient service for visitors to the Natural History Museum at Tring both in the public galleries, and in the control room working with visitors to the NHM Ornithology research collections, the Ornithology and Rothschild Libraries and associated facilities. You will also assist in maintaining the security and safety of the Tring site
The overall purpose of the job is, to provide the highest standards of customer service and safety to all visitors to the Museum.
To be successful in this role you will have experience of working in a customer facing environment with excellent customer service skills. You work effectively as part of a team and have strong communication and interpersonal skills. With an interest in Natural History and Heritage you also have a basic understanding of Health and Safety regulations and till work or cash handling.
You must also have experience in site security work of following set procedures and reporting.
Museum Assistant
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.
As a Museum Assistant you will provide a flexible, friendly and efficient service for visitors to the Natural History Museum at Tring, assisting in maintaining the security and safety of the Tring site.
Specifically, the overall purpose of the job is, to provide the highest standards of customer service and safety for all visitors to the Museum.
To be successful in this role you will have experience of working in a customer facing environment with excellent customer service skills. You work effectively as part of a team and have strong communication and interpersonal skills. With an interest in Natural History and Heritage you also have a basic understanding of Health and Safety regulations and till work or cash handling.
Botanic Garden Curator and Head of Horticulture
The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum is recruiting for an individual to join its senior team as Botanic Garden Curator and Head of Horticulture. This is an exciting opportunity to join the oldest Botanic Garden in Great Britain as it approaches its 400th anniversary.
The Botanic Garden Curator and Head of Horticulture (BGCHH) is a full-time position and will be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the Botanic Garden. They will play a key role in delivering the Vision and Strategic Plan for OBGA as set by the Director, specifically implementation of the Collections Strategy and designing and producing creative botanical and horticultural displays.
The BGCHH will be a member of the OBGA general management team and work closely with the Head of Science and Public Engagement (HoSPE) and the Director to realise the vision for the Botanic Garden. The BGCHH will line manage the Glasshouse Curator and lead a team of botanical horticulturalists (currently six), two trainees and volunteers. The BGCHH is directly responsible to the Director of the Botanic Garden, who determines the strategic vision for the Botanic Garden and Arboretum.
PhD studentship: Preservation of geological collections in museums
We are seeking applicants for a 4 year PhD studentship available to start September 2018 to investigate: Preservation of geological collections in museums
Mineral specimens, despite their apparent stability, are prone to deterioration in museum environments. Currently available methodologies are not suitable for routine collection monitoring, as results are not necessarily replicable, and, in the absence of guidance on suitable storage conditions, triggers for, and the suitability of, conservation actions are difficult to determine. We need a more robust approach to the delivery of preventative conservation of geological collections. This studentship, based at the University of Oxford and in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales and BSRIA Ltd, addresses these issues. The student will define what kind of material change in minerals constitutes damage; develop a protocol for routine monitoring of museum geological collections for potential damage; establish optimum environmental and minimum air quality standards for different types of minerals; and test rigorously the suitability of conservation treatments that are presently available.
Full information about the project can be found at: http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/study-with-us/studentships/
Training path: The student will be part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SEAHA (Science and Engineering for Arts, Heritage and Archaeology). Students will register for the one year MRes SEAHA at UCL in year 1 and then register at the University of Oxford for years 2-4 of the studentship. The student will be encouraged to spend time working in the laboratories at the National Museum Cardiff.
Funding: The SEAHA Studentship will cover home fees and a stipend of up to a maximum of £18,172 per year (current rate) for eligible applicants (http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/opportunities/eligibility-criteria/), and a substantial budget for research, travel, and cohort activities. Non-EU applicants are not eligible for funding.
Enquiries: For further information, please contact the academic supervisor, Prof Heather Viles (heather.viles@ouce.ox.ac.uk)
Application deadline: midday (GMT) Friday 12 January 2018 (interviews on Thursday, January 25th)
Exhibitions & Design Manager
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in south east London has been open since Victorian times, when the tea trader and philanthropist, Frederick John Horniman first opened his house and extraordinary collection of objects to the local community. Since then, our collection has grown significantly and includes internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history gallery – all surrounded by 16 acres of beautiful Gardens offering breathtaking views across London.
We are currently looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Exhibitions and Design Manager to project manage and deliver the Horniman's programme of temporary exhibitions, as well as the delivery and maintenance of our high quality displays, graphics and other 2D and 3D designs. The position plays a key role in providing a positive experience for Horniman visitors and in promoting the Horniman brand.
Educated to degree level, you will have proven experience of project managing and delivery of high quality exhibition and design projects.
You will have current knowledge of exhibitions practice across the sector and practical experience of the issues relating to the care, handling, transport, installation and display of a broad range of museum objects.
You will use your creative and strategic ability to source touring exhibitions and work collaboratively with others on internally generated displays.
You will be an effective manager with excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.