Curator (Modern & Contemporary Art) – Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
Institution: Manchester Art Gallery
Deadline: 17 November 2025, 23:59
Location: Manchester, UK
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Hours: 35 hours per week (Monday–Friday, with occasional evenings/weekends for public events)
Salary: £33,143–£36,363 per annum (bar at £35,412), pro rata
Reports to: Curatorial Team / Programming Team
Manchester City Galleries seek a Curator (Modern & Contemporary Art) to join their Curatorial Team. The role focuses on developing and delivering creative approaches to the use, care, and accessibility of the modern and contemporary collection, which includes painting, photography, film, installation, and new media from the early 20th century to the present. The Curator will collaborate across departments—learning and engagement, conservation, collections management, and visitor engagement—to ensure the collection is fully documented, preserved, and presented engagingly to the public.
Responsibilities
- Develop, interpret, and make the modern & contemporary collection accessible through exhibitions, displays, and online initiatives
- Contribute to strategic ambitions of the gallery as a civic art institution
- Facilitate loans, manage collection documentation, and maintain collections management standards
- Research, catalogue, and prepare engaging interpretive materials for physical and digital platforms
- Support public engagement through talks, tours, and educational activities for diverse audiences
- Collaborate with artists, communities, and other visual arts organisations locally and nationally
- Contribute to the development of collection policies and diversify the collection
Qualifications
- Experience working in a gallery or museum
- Good subject knowledge of Modern & Contemporary Art
- Strong administrative, research, and organisational skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
- Familiarity with collections management systems and loans procedures
- Ability to work creatively and collaboratively with colleagues, artists, and communities
- Commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) best practices
