Museum Curator – The Mary Rose Trust

About Us

Formed in 1979, the Mary Rose Trust (MRT) has the honour of conserving and displaying King Henry VIII’s favourite Warship, the Mary Rose, and her unique collection of artefacts.

The Mary Rose provides the finest insight into life 500 years ago; the warship tells the story of the ship and her crew through their personal possessions and their professional tools.

We are now seeking a Museum Curator to join us in Portsmouth and play a critical role in the success of our iconic museum.

The Benefits

• Salary of circa £30,000
• The chance to make a key impact on the Mary Rose Collection
• Drive the historic maritime agenda in Portsmouth
• Deliver an outstanding historical programme of work.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a talented professional with a background in curating and collection/archive management to make an incredible career move and oversee our ground-breaking museum.

From the very start of the Mary Rose journey, when we raised the remains of the ship from the depths of the Solent, we have been at the forefront of historical insight and research. With unrivalled access to a huge array of artefacts, we have been able to tell the most incredible story of Tudor England.

Now it’s your chance to take the baton and write a new chapter from one of the maritime centres of the UK: Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. Sound like the opportunity you have been waiting for? Then read on to find out more!

The Role

As the Museum Curator at the Mary Rose Trust, you will be responsible for creating and delivering fantastic, awe-inspiring, and engaging exhibitions, displays and public events.

You will be the driving force behind our exhibition, ensuring that the development of the museum continues to be rooted in integrity, authenticity, sound research and compelling storytelling.

Taking this exceptional chance to inspire others with the Mary Rose story, you will lead from the front; engaging with staff and volunteers, as well as donors and external partners, in addition to the general public who visit us in person and online.

Ensuring that the reputation and profile of the Mary Rose remains world-leading in the academic and specialist world, you will lead the drive for new exhibitions and experiences through the latest creative interpretation and presentation techniques.

Additionally, in this all-encompassing and highly rewarding role, you will support colleagues in the selection of artefacts for conservation and display, encourage and facilitate research, ensure that knowledge is safeguarded and publish research within suitable publications.

About You

To be considered as the Museum Curator, you will need:

• At least five years’ experience of curating a collection and/or archive, creating and delivering successful exhibitions, and working with external partners to drive collections-based research
• Experience in working effectively with multifunctional teams
• Experience in representing a heritage organisation in specialist sectors and the media
• Experience in working with multiple interpretation techniques
• Experience in using a digital collections management system
• Experience in project management
• A clear understanding of what makes a world-class visitor experience
• A good understanding of interpretation techniques and latest technologies
• A good understanding of best practice in research techniques
• A relevant degree level qualification, or demonstrable equivalent experience

A relevant postgraduate qualification would be beneficial to your application. Experience in using leading-edge interpretation techniques would also be an advantage, as would experience in working with an archaeological collection.

Experience of Maritime Archaeology would be desirable, as would knowledge of, and passion for, the Mary Rose collection. An understanding of the importance of the underwater cultural heritage would be equally favourable.

Other organisations may call this role Curator, Collection Curator, Maritime Museum Curator, Historic Maritime Curator, Project Curator, or Maritime Project Curator.

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2021 at 5pm.

Webrecruit and the Mary Rose Trust are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you’re seeking an exciting opportunity as a Museum Curator, please apply via the link below. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

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