Assistant Director - (Narrative and Content), IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS

The Assistant Director Narrative and Content provides strategic leadership of the curatorial function at IWM ensuring it remains at the heart of all IWM projects and programmes. The AD N&C leads an audience-centred approach, maximising available curatorial resource and expertise to enable creative thinking around the IWM's collection and its development, historical interpretation and storytelling of the objects in the collection.

A key member of the Senior Management Team, the role ensures that Narrative and Content is collaboratively engaged in strategic planning, providing input, thought and creative leadership, to support and deliver the IWM's Corporate Plan. The role is responsible for ensuring that all resources are well managed within budget. Working with the AD Resources, the AD N&C will introduce new systems to enable regular reporting against strategic delivery, including additional and ad hoc demands. The AD N&C ensures that all people within Narrative and Content are inspired, developed and well managed; able to present their best professional selves whilst delivering the department's plan.

Key Duties

• You will be expected to work independently as well as across different teams in order to contribute to and deliver the priorities of IWM - using your knowledge, skills, talent and potential to the best of your ability.
• You will focus at all times on delivering excellent customer service, ensure value for money at all times while being professional, courteous and demonstrating the behaviours and attributes expected of all IWM employees. You will also adhere to all corporate standards, and use corporate systems as directed to ensure consistency of service, brand and operational standards.
• You will be expected to work across departments effectively, working with individuals, partners and where appropriate volunteers.
• To identify and implement learning and development needs for both yourself and your team, including volunteers, if appropriate.

For a full job specification, which your application will be marked against, please visit IWM Careers Jobs | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

The closing date for receipt of applications is 9am, Friday 15th July 2022. First round interviews will be held on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th August 2022. If you are successful at round one you will be invited to attend a second interview on Thursday 11th August 2022.

Head Curator, SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP

Do you have substantial experience of developing collections and communicating them in innovative ways? Are you able to lead and motivate a team effectively to deliver results and promote an open and inclusive culture?

About us

The Science Museum Group (SMG) is here to inspire futures. As part of this world-leading collective, the National Science and Media Museum explores the culture of image and sound technologies and their impact on our lives. It holds internationally significant collections of film, television, photographic and sound technologies as well as extensive library and archive collections. As well as maintaining and developing its historic collections, the museum has ambitions to collect more contemporary and digital material, as well as developing innovative, collaborative modes of collecting.

The museum has an exciting strategic vision, delivered through its masterplan, that will see it become an internationally recognised museum, while retaining a strong sense of place and relevance for its local communities. Over the coming three years the Museum will undergo significant transformation, delivering two new permanent galleries to showcase its world-class collections, a new lift and redevelopment of the visitor entrance.

We are now looking for a Head Curator to join our expanding Curatorial team at the National Science and Media Museum in the heart of Bradford - the new City of Culture for 2025! This role is a permanent contract, working 35 hours per week.

About the role

As Head Curator you will play a pivotal leadership role in National Science and Media Museum's senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and decision-making across all areas. You will lead the Curatorial and Archives team to ensure work is delivered in line with museum priorities and to shape the museum's narrative through exhibitions, events and public programmes, increasing physical and intellectual access to the collections.

As well as developing our historic collections, you will champion our ambitions to research and collect more contemporary materials, working collaboratively with key academic and industrial partners, particularly in areas such as the digital and creative industries.

Working closely with curatorial colleagues across SMG, you will share knowledge and expertise, maximising the impact of being part of the world's leading group of science museums. Together with the Curatorial and Collections Services senior leaders at other SMG museums, you will be leading a drive towards a shared approach to collections development, ensuring we draw effectively on the skills and expertise of colleagues across SMG and beyond.

As a key contributor in the ambitious development of the museum, you will take a strategic lead in the delivery of two new permanent galleries - the Sound & Vision project - ensuring the narratives and content align with our vision and ambitions and showcase the very best of our collections.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become a key part of the leadership team at the National Science and Media Museum at an exciting time for both the museum and the city of Bradford as a whole.

About you

Joining us you will have the ability to enthuse colleagues, partners and stakeholders, and be prepared to drive change where needed. You will have substantial experience of developing collections and communicating them in innovative ways, in addition to being able to devise narratives and lead others towards a narrative vision.

You will have experience of leading and motivating successful teams to deliver great results, whilst managing resources and budgets effectively. You will use your enthusiasm to work in a dynamic, forward-thinking environment to promote an inclusive and open culture within your team and beyond.

Due to the collaborative nature of this position, you will have good interpersonal skills and demonstrable experience of advocacy and stakeholder management. Crucially, you will have the confidence and skill to influence and negotiate effectively at senior level, both with internal colleagues and external stakeholders and organisations.

Applying

To apply, please visit our website via the button below.

What we offer

The Science Museum Group (SMG) is here to inspire futures. As the world's leading group of science museums, we share our unparalleled collection spanning science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine with over five million visitors each year. Joining us as an employee, you will have the opportunity to develop your career in a world-class museum group. We know work/life balance and wellbeing is crucial to our colleagues, so we currently offer up to 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays; BUPA medical and dental care; employee assistance programme; enhanced contributory pension; enhanced occupational sick, maternity, paternity and adoption leave and career breaks.

Curator of Photography and Photographic Technology, SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP

Do you have experience of working with museum collections and the research skills to uncover interesting stories related to our collection? Do you want to explore the history of photography and photographic technologies and help create opportunities to engage with our visitors?

About us

The Science Museum Group (SMG) is here to inspire futures. As part of this world-leading collective, the National Science and Media Museum explores the culture of image and sound technologies and their impact on our lives. It holds internationally significant collections of film, television, photographic and sound technologies as well as extensive library and archive collections. As well as maintaining and developing its historic collections, the museum has ambitions to collect more contemporary and digital material, as well as developing innovative, collaborative modes of collecting.

We are now looking for a Curator of Photography and Photographic Technology to join our expanding Curatorial team at the National Science and Media Museum in the heart of Bradford - the new City of Culture for 2025! This role is a permanent contract, working 35 hours per week.

About the role

As the Curator of Photography and Photographic Technology you will take a leading role on championing and raising the profile of our world class collections of photography and photographic technology.

This is a highly collaborative role which will involve working alongside other specialist Archivists and Curators and fostering links with internal and external stakeholders in photography and photographic technology communities. Working closely with the masterplan team, exhibitions team and digital content teams you will develop the content and interpretation for our new permanent galleries, Sound & Vision, as well as our temporary exhibition programme.

As a Curator you will research and explore the history and current practice of photography and photographic technologies. You will help to create opportunities for engaging visitors with media, technology and engineering-related content across a variety of public programmes, creating new ways of understanding and presenting the collections, particularly focusing on local community engagement. Crucially you will look to embed an 'Open for All' approach in the development of the collections, ensuring that diversity, inclusion and access are core to the ways of working.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become a key part of the team at the National Science and Media Museum at an exciting time for both the museum and the city of Bradford as a whole.

About you

Joining us you will have a broad knowledge of the history and current practice of history of science and/or media, with deeper knowledge in a particular subject area within this topic. You will possess experience of working with museum collections in addition to good research skills which will enable you to uncover interesting stories related to our collection.

Due to the collaborative nature of this position, you will have good interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively and proactively to build relationships with internal and external peers, subject specialists and external organisations.

Crucially, you will have excellent oral and written communication skills and good attention to detail, with experience of communicating complex information to non-specialist audiences, for example through blogs, exhibitions, articles, outreach or teaching.

Curator of Archaeology, HAYS

We are looking for a diligent and motivated individual to undertake the role of Curator of Archaeology within Southampton City Council's Cultural Services team.

You will be part of a busy Collection & Exhibitions Team responsible for looking after and providing access to Southampton's collections. Southampton's archaeology collection is Designated by Arts Council England as being of national significance and gives a unique insight into the role of Southampton as an international port and gateway to the world for over 2,000 years. Particular strengths are the collection of material from Hamwic (Saxon) and medieval Southampton and from the Roman settlement at Bitterne Manor. The collection also contains a large amount of prehistoric stone artefacts; Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery and metal artefacts; and a range of post-medieval material from excavated sites.

You will be responsible for the stewardship of this collection, including acquisitions, documentation, cataloguing, maintaining the archive and fielding research enquiries.

You will also support access and public engagement activity including exhibitions, learning, social media, talks and tours.

We are looking for someone who is self-sufficient, with strong organisational and planning skills, including the ability to plan and prioritise their own workload with high levels of accuracy. Strong written and oral communication skills are essential, including the ability to interact effectively with the public and wider stakeholders.

The applicant must have relevant museum/ gallery experience and a sound knowledge of and experience of working with archaeology collections.

The role is 0.5 FTE (18.5 hours a week), with flexibility to set working days and hours, but with occasional requirements to be in on specific days to assist with activity across the team.

For further information about this role please view the job description.

If you feel you have the necessary background, experience and skills to undertake this role we would like to hear from you.

Additional information:

• This post requires DBS check.
• For any posts that require a DBS check, if you have lived outside the UK within the last 5 years, you will be required to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct or a police certificate from the country/countries you have resided in. Kindly note that this is at the expense of the candidate, as well as any costs involved for translating into English.
• Please note the salary quoted is based on full time hours (37 hours).
• Working hours 18.5 per week