Location and Contract Details
- Location: Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner
- Contract Type: Permanent
- Salary: £22,400 – £24,000 per annum (Full-time equivalent: £28,000 – £30,000)
- Working Hours: 32 hours per week
- Start Date: April 2024 (negotiable)
Role Background
William Heath Robinson, an internationally recognized artist, significantly contributes to British cultural heritage. The museum’s collection is the only major public holding. It includes over 1000 items, offering a platform for studying illustration as an art form. The museum features a collection store, research space, workshop, permanent and temporary exhibitions, and an activity room.
Collection and Exhibitions Team (C&E Team)
The team manages temporary exhibitions, catalog production, and care for the William Heath Robinson Trust’s collection. It uses a Modes collection management database and manages loan records. The team currently consists of volunteer and assistant curators, a registrar, and additional volunteers. The museum aims to hire a paid curator while phasing out the assistant curator role by November 2024.
Role Description
The Curator will join the Museum’s Management Board, contributing to site-wide decisions and Trust goals. The role seeks a creative individual with experience in heritage art collections. The curator will manage collections, create exhibitions, and attract diverse audiences.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Design and organize exhibitions
- Consult on exhibition programs
- Produce special exhibition catalogues
- Arrange and evaluate talk programs
- Collaborate on exhibition-related merchandise
- Oversee collection care and development
- Implement curatorial policies
- Manage the C&E team and chair committee meetings
- Ensure museum standards and practices
- Liaise with the William Heath Robinson Trust
- Secure funding for collection and exhibition projects
- Respond efficiently to collection-related inquiries
Person Specification
Essential:
- Degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or equivalent experience
- Collections management experience
- Historical art collections work experience
- Arts administration expertise
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office
- Leadership experience with volunteers or staff
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills
- Understanding of museum standards and practices
- Innovative in curatorial approaches
Desirable:
- Modes database experience
- Publication experience
- Grant writing experience for collections and exhibitions
- Postgraduate degree in a relevant field
Other Information
- Annual Leave: 23 days (Full-time equivalent: 28 days)
- Appraisal System: Annual performance review
- Probation Period: 6 months
- Resignation Notice: Two months
Application Process
- Application Form: Available at Heath Robinson Museum website
- Email for Submission: manager@heathrobinsonmuseum.org
- Closing Date: Monday, February 5, 2024, at 12 noon
- Interview Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Note: CVs will not be accepted.
