Curator of Decorative Arts

It’s working with a shared and unique purpose, caring for and presenting one of the world’s largest art collections. This is what makes working for Royal Collection Trust so special.

The Royal Collection is one of the world’s most significant art collections, encompassing over a million objects spread across 13 royal residences in the UK.

As Curator of Decorative Arts, you will play a key role in researching, and presenting an impressive array of decorative arts, including furniture, ceramics, metalwork, sculpture, textiles, and arms and armour. Working across various royal sites, you will use your expertise and passion to interpret the decorative arts in the Royal Collection, ensuring the highest standards of scholarship, and presentation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborating with the Senior Curator to develop and implement the strategy for the Decorative Arts section, aligned with the Royal Collection Trust’s charitable goals.
• Contributing to the planning and execution of exhibitions, including interpretation, publications, press work, and public programming.
• Conducting original research on the decorative arts in the Royal Collection, developing specialist knowledge in European furniture.
• Assisting in the interpretation and presentation of objects across royal residences, working closely with conservators and other teams.
• Publishing research through various channels, including exhibition catalogues, journal articles, and online content.
• Delivering lectures, talks, and tours, and supporting educational programs and learning initiatives across all royal residences., contributing to the growth of the Collection’s digital presence.

About You:

• An experienced curator with a deep understanding of materials and techniques, you’re driven by your passion for decorative arts, especially furniture.
• As a confident communicator, you’ll be comfortable leading curatorial work and delivering lectures and presentations that bring your expertise to a wide range of public audiences.
• With excellent organisational and project management skills, you’ll be able to balance both long-term projects and day-to-day responsibilities.
• You’ll bring strong IT skills, including proficiency in collections management systems, and MS Office with the ability to manage data and create reports, and develop presentations effectively.

What We Offer:

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

• Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days pro rata (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.
• Flexible and hybrid working varies across different roles, and we’ll discuss the options available to you that will suit both your job requirements and individual preferences.
• Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.
• We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.