Collections Curator – The Whitaker

Background

The Whitaker is a forward-facing museum and art gallery that aims to foster inclusive, vibrant communities that thrive within our natural environment. We have recently undertaken a re-development of interpretation with a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, connecting people, heritage and ideas with the past, the present and the future.

We are working to strengthen people’s rights and entitlements in terms of cultural access, education and participation in the life of the community. We are concerned with the sustainability of communities, the environment, local industries and the economy. We draw on history and heritage, to help imagine, design and begin to create the Valley we want for people and nature. 

This is a really exciting time to join The Whitaker as we re-open after our major expansion following a significant Heritage Lottery Fund investment that has seen our space double in size and the opening up of a new wing to the Museum and Gallery.

We have a small dedicated team who are passionate about The Whitaker, our collections and the potential to positively impact on the lives of our visitors.  This new role is crucial for the ongoing development of the organisation and will work closely with all areas of the team in an inclusive and supported environment. 

Job Purpose

We are are seeking a colleague with museum collections experience to support The Whitaker on its next stage of development into a larger museum and art gallery. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in enabling The Whitaker to deliver its ambitions, by:

• leading on the care and development of The Whitaker collection in line with accreditation standards.
• maximising opportunities to use the collection going forward.

• maintaining an accurate digital collections catalogue (Modes) and an organised collections store to enable ease of use/access for museum staff, volunteers and visitors, including providing training to navigate these systems.

 Key Tasks:

• Documenting and cataloguing the collection using appropriate systems for example Modes
• Ensure the collection is well maintained, cared for to a professional standard and available for use
• Lead on collection based partnerships
• Oversee assessment of the collections – auditing and identifying areas of potential risk, damage, or need for conservation work.
• Contribute to development of using the collections as a tool
• Development of a collections plan
• Lead on ensuring all in place to maintain museum accreditation
• Support the Volunteer Coordinator in training volunteers to enrich volunteer experience with collections care & documentation experience. and enable understanding of the collection to share with our visitors
• To support wider activities and projects at the Whitaker Museum when appropriate.
• Engage in continued professional development & undertake any training as required.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant museum/arts subject.

Experience:

Demonstrable experience of working in a museum or heritage organisation

Experience of using Collections Management systems, including Collections Management databases

Experience of volunteer training/supervision

Skills and Knowledge:

Excellent written and communication skills

Adaptable and flexible to meet the demands of a small team

Ability to work systematically, quickly, efficiently and accurately.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, the general public and visiting academics/artists/researchers. 

Informal discussions regarding the role are welcome – please email Gaynor Seville, Creative Director of The Whitaker, gaynor@thewhitaker.org  OR  carl@thewhitaker.org  to arrange a time to discuss the role.  

Closing date: 5pm 19 May 2021

Interview date: Tuesday 25 May 2021 at the Museum.

Application: by CV and a covering letter (2 pages A4 max). The covering letter should indicate why you are interested in applying for the role and how you meet the role requirements outlined above.

To apply: please email your CV and covering letter to Emily Cryer at emily.cryer@rltrust.co.uk