Curator – Amberley Museum

This is an exciting opportunity to join Amberley Museum as our Curator, looking after our eclectic collections covering the industrial history of the South. We preserve rural, transport, industrial and communications history in a 36 acre former chalk pits and lime works that includes several Scheduled Monuments and relocated historic buildings. Collections include a narrow-gauge railway, South Down buses, an electricity collection, communications (Connected Earth), a Radio and TV collection and the Paviors Museum of Roadmaking. We are also home to craft workers such as a blacksmith, woodworkers, a pottery, stained glass maker and lead workers. If you are an experienced Curator with an interest in industrial heritage, please read on.

Main duties and responsibilities

The Curator oversees the acquisition, care, documentation, display and interpretation of the Museum’s collections and heritage:

• To ensure that the collections at Amberley are cared for and preserved in accordance with the Museum’s collection policies and Strategic Plan
• To lead on the interpretation of Amberley’s collections and heritage to inspire, educate and engage a wide range of audiences.
• To maintain our accreditation status and be responsible for submitting the accreditation return
• Collections management including accessioning, loans, acquisitions and disposals, and to ensure that all collections items are properly documented. We are about to introduce a new collections management system and the new Curator will lead on this project.
• To ensure that restoration and conservation work on historic and other buildings is carried out to the appropriate standards and is suitably documented. In particular, to ensure that correct procedures are followed for the Scheduled Monuments on site
• To work with the volunteer Heads of Groups to ensure the Collections Development Policy is applied consistently across the Museum
• To ensure that the exhibits in the stores are regularly monitored and the stores kept in good order
• To oversee the operation of the Museum library and archives
• To encourage the use of the collections by others for research and other purposes
• To advise the Director and Trustees on collections matters
• To assist the Director with fundraising and writing bids for grants
• To be part of the Duty Manager rota for operating the Museum
• To maintain the oral history collection
• To maintain and develop links with other museums and organisations and to actively promote Amberley’s collections and archives.
• To carry out research on the collections
• To assist with other duties from time to time as required by the Director

Experience and Qualifications

• Management of a collection database eg MODES or similar
• A good understanding of the Arts Council England Accreditation scheme and Spectrum guidelines
• To have led the creation of imaginative exhibition interpretation
• Experience of dealing with funding bodies and bidding for grant finance
• Working alongside and supervising volunteers
• Looking after industrial objects in an engineering heritage or working collection (preferred)
• To have a degree and/or substantial working experience in a museum or curatorial field.

Person Specification

• Good attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to work under pressure
• A flexible and adaptable approach with a ‘can do’ attitude
• Proficient in the use of word processing, spreadsheet and database packages, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• An understanding of, and a commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion

About Amberley Museum

We welcome around 50,000 visitors pa and are located by Amberley main line  station, near Arundel, West Sussex. We organise up to 30 events every year, from classic cars and miniature steam to Steam Punk, with children’s activities during school holidays. We have a small staff and over 350 regular volunteers, who run the narrow-gauge steam railway and vintage bus service daily, look after collections and interact with visitors. This is an exciting and challenging time for us, as we have ambitious plans to grow and prosper during the next few years.

Amberley Museum is an equal opportunities employer and committed to reflecting and representing the diversity of the UK.

Further details about the Museum may be found here>>

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter detailing how you meet the specification and why you wish to be considered for the role to valerie.mills@amberleymuseum.co.uk. The closing date for this role is Friday 10 December 2021.