Curatorial Assistant of Humanities (Provenance Researcher African Collections)

ROLE PURPOSE

To support the Curator of Living Cultures and the curatorial team. The role involves managing, caring for, and interpreting humanities collections, focusing on African collections’ provenance and biographical information.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Documentation and Provenance Research

• Assist in documentation and digitization of objects.
• Establish missing provenance and biographical information.
• Conduct collaborative research with African diasporans and originating communities.
• Support loans, acquisitions, disposals, and repatriations.
• Organize provenance workshops and meetings.

Collections Management and Care

• Aid in the curation and management of collections, including rehousing items.
• Collaborate with the Conservation Team for collections care.
• Support inventory and audit tasks.
• Maintain clean and safe work areas and equipment.

Access and Interpretation

• Facilitate access for researchers, visitors, and other users.
• Collaborate with Learning and Engagement teams for public programs.
• Develop comprehensive knowledge of the collection.
• Provide or support collection tours.

Training and Supervision

• Supervise and support student placements.
• Oversee and train volunteers in collection-related tasks.
• Undertake relevant training.

Other Duties

• Comply with health & safety regulations.
• Uphold ethical standards in all work areas.
• Perform other duties as required by the Museum.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

• Knowledge of anthropology, museum studies, or related fields.
• Understanding of African culture and history, and issues of cultural identity and decolonisation.
• Experience with museum documentation systems or databases.
• Awareness of repatriation debates in African cultural heritage.
• Ability to develop respectful and equitable collaborations.
• Knowledge of current community engagement practices in museums.
• Strong commitment to accuracy and organizational skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Skills in material culture analysis and visual anthropology.
• Experience in anthropological or archaeological fieldwork and ethnographic methods.
• Experience in supervising and training volunteers.
• Networks with African diasporans and originating communities.

Personal Qualities

• Commitment to equity, solidarity, and justice.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Commitment to sustainable practices in museum operations.