Conservateurs assistants

Assistant Curator, Medicine (Two Posts)

Call for applications


Location: Science Museum - London
Level: Collections

Start Date: Not Available
Salary: £18,618-£21,903pa depending on knowledge & skills
Deadline: 11/07/2014 23:59
Hours: 36
Benefits: SCMG Enterprise benefits
Job Type: Full Time - Fixed Term


Assistant Curator, Medicine (Two Posts)
Based at the Science Museum, London
23 month fixed term contract


Would you like to join the Science Museum’s curatorial team, contributing to the development of major new permanent galleries?

We are looking for motivated individuals who have worked on diverse teams in an administrative capacity, with experience of working confidently with historical artefacts, catalogues and collections in a museum or gallery setting.

Under direction, you will be able to take responsibility for object-related logistics in the development of the Science Museum’s new Medicine Galleries, expected to open in 2018. You will also support gallery content development and delivery.

Previous collections experience, including handling and assessing objects, documentation and cataloguing is essential. Your attention to detail and ability to juggle a complex workload under time pressure will be second to none as you keep track of several hundred exhibits in a fast-paced project team. Experience of working with collections databases would be a distinct advantage. IT fluency is essential.

You will be self-motivated and able to work effectively within a team, and you will be comfortable communicating with a range of people including colleagues at all levels, contractors, consultants and external stakeholders. You will be willing and able to take on a wide variety of routine administrative curatorial tasks.

The Science Museum Group (SMG) comprises the Science Museum in London, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon and the National Media Museum in Bradford. Together they share a unifying mission to engage people in a dialogue about the past, present and future of human ingenuity in the fields of science, technology, medicine, transport and media.


Closing date: Friday 11 July 2014




Interviews will be held on Monday 4 August 2014

Candidates should be available to take up the post by August/September 2014.


Equal Opportunities
To help us monitor the effectiveness of our recruitment campaigns please can you update your details on the “My Details” section. This information will be used for monitoring purposes only and will be treated as strictly confidential.

Application details
When you apply you will be asked to upload a covering statement in Microsoft Word format (the document must be in .doc .docx .txt or .pdf format and the maximum file size is 2 MB). You are advised to prepare this document in advance of making your application online.

In your covering letter, which should not be more than two pages long, you are asked concisely to highlight how your experience directly relates to the requirements of this role. Please focus only on the experience you consider to be most relevant to this role.

SMG Job Description
Job Details
Job Title: Assistant Curator, Medicine Galleries Project

Department: Collections

Location: Science Museum, London

Reports to: Lead Curator, Medicine Galleries

Date: June 2014


Purpose of the Job
The Assistant Curator supports the Lead Curator and the Client Project Manager of the Medicine Galleries Project by taking responsibility for the object-related logistics and by supporting content development and delivery, in both cases taking direction from and reporting progress to the Lead Curator or the Client Project Manager as appropriate.




Key Deliverables/Accountabilities
Responsible for holding the gallery object list and version control;
Responsible for keeping object files and databases (primarily Mimsy XG) up to date, with support from Corporate and Collections Information (CCI) where required;
Responsible for providing accurate dimensions and weights for all objects and recording them accurately and to deadline onto MIMSY XG, liaising with Conservation and Collections Care (CCC) where required;
Responsible for key functions in the project delivery, as delegated by the Client Project Manager or Lead Curator, such as liaison with CCC, CCI and object Photography;
Planning (and undertaking where appropriate) object moves to and from storage, conservation studios and for photography, and during installation;
Organising and participating in object display mock-up processes;
Installing objects in the gallery during installation phase, liaising with CCC where required;
Ensuring compliance with Science Museum Group health and safety policies, including risk assessments and implementing safe systems of work, and taking care of personal health and safety and that of others, reporting health and safety concerns;
Carrying out administration of new object acquisition and loans;
Supporting development of gallery interactive display content, such as administering the preparation and filming of working objects;
Researching and cataloguing objects to support content development and label-writing, and drafting label text or other gallery content where appropriate.
Take care of personal health and safety and that of others and reporting any health and safety concerns. Ensure proactive compliance with Science Museum Group H&S Policies, including risk assessments and implementing safe systems of work.

Working Relationships and Contacts
Lead Curator, Medicine Galleries Project
Client Project Manager, Medicine Galleries Project
Steering Group members for Medicine Galleries Project
Curatorial, Conservation and Collections Care, Corporate and Collections Information, New Media, Learning and Design teams

Line Management and Budget Responsibility

Directly line manages: N/a

Indirectly line manages: N/a

Contractors/freelancers: N/a

Budget Holder of £N/a


Candidate Profile

Experience

Essential
Experience of working confidently with historical artefacts, catalogues and collections in a museum or gallery setting;
Experience of working successfully on a diverse team administrative capacity.

Desirable
Demonstrable interest in the history of medicine or related subjects;
Demonstrable experience of research in the history of relevant subjects;
Experience of communicating historical subjects to non-specialist audiences, for example in exhibitions, articles, outreach or teaching.

Skills, Knowledge and Relevant Qualifications
Strong administrative skills (including IT fluency) with demonstrable attention to detail;
Ability to work and collaborate effectively, drawing on good interpersonal and networking skills, with internal and external peers, subject specialists and external organisations;
Ability to prioritise work, identify and deal with obstacles, deliver to deadlines
Excellent levels of literacy and numeracy;
Research and writing skills across a variety of media, including web.

Behaviours
Team Working - Good team worker who demonstrates and encourages positive approaches, seeks to resolve issues and conflicts, focuses on win-win outcomes, actively champions the team; motivates others and enthusiastically shares knowledge & expertise.
Achieving Results - Actively seeks information, prioritises and uses time efficiently, thinks several steps ahead, seeks tasks, responsibilities & challenges, spots & rectifies errors, works smartly, builds in contingencies, self-starts, anticipates issues, proactively identifies areas for cost efficiency, actively seeks and responds to feedback, multi-tasks effectively,
Problem Solving & Creativity - Reacts positively to change and uncertainty, prevents problem re-occurrence, continually seeks improvement, thinks ‘outside the box’, seizes opportunities to be creative, develops processes, systems & solutions; Networks extensively; Explores root cause of problem
Customer Service - Proactively helps, understands customers and acts to meet their needs, enthuses about the product or service or working collaboratively with non-specialist audiences in developing cultural offers, goes the extra mile, answers all questions & provides additional information

Scope for Impact
Contribution to the delivery of outputs that ensure world-class standards in curation, research, exhibition and display
Establishing good team relations to support curatorial activity, knowledge and collections management
Establishing relationships with scientists, historians and stakeholders to ensure a high standard of acquisitions, content and to enhance the Museum’s profile in relevant sectors
Proactive team member acting as advocate for Medicine Galleries Project and wider curatorial / Masterplan team at all times

Please note:

This job description is not exhaustive and amendments and additions may be required in line with future changes in policy, regulation or organisational requirements, it will be reviewed on a regular basis.

This role is subject to a Disclosure Scotland basic criminal record check