The National Portrait Gallery houses a unique collection of all forms of portraiture of the people who have made or are currently contributing to British history and culture; the collection is the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. With around 2 million visitors each year and a strong national and international presence through touring exhibitions and special projects, the Gallery is one of the country’s most important and popular galleries.

Curator, Missing Narratives on Women
Part time, 24 hours (3 days) per week
£18,469 per annum i.e. pro-rated to the full time equivalent of £30,782 per annum
Fixed term until 28 February 2023

The National Portrait Gallery has obtained funding from CHANEL to recruit a Curator, Missing Narratives on Women. The post holder will conduct a three-year research project to identify gaps in the collection with an emphasis on female sitters and artists. In addition, the post holder will work with the curatorial team on acquisitions and the Gallery’s Contemporary Commissions programme with the aim of filling gaps in the permanent collection that have been identified within the Inspiring People Missing Narratives research project.

This is an exciting time at the Gallery, as we prepare to undertake our most ambitious capital project since the Gallery’s opening. The Curator, Missing Narratives on Women will have an instrumental role in developing and writing content and facilitating the inclusion of these works in the Gallery’s new displays.

We are looking for candidates who have experience with acquisitions and commissions of visual art as they pertain to museum collections. They will need to have a postgraduate degree or have equivalent experience. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, with the ability to write up research to a high standard and the ability to speak with authority about women and missing narratives as they pertain to National Portrait Gallery’s collections from the 16th century to the present. It is fundamental that the post-holder has excellent organisational, research and planning skills, coupled with the ability to work calmly under pressure, in order to meet tight deadlines and retain excellent attention to detail.

Closing date for submitted applications is 9am on Monday 25th May 2020. Interviews will take place week commencing 1 June 2020. Please indicate on your form if you will be unavailable.

We are committed to the employment and development of disabled people. We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for this post. To be invited to interview/assessment, you must show in your supporting statement that you meet the minimum criteria for the role, across all essential criteria. If you tell us that you have a disability we can make reasonable adjustments at interview, and, if you join us, to your work arrangements.