Collections Assistant Warwick, West Midlands, England
Job description
Collections Assistant – Unlocking Collections Project
Up to 18 months, Fixed Term contract, Grade G (SCP 11 – 14) £24,496 - £26,845 pro rata
Working days/hours are flexible, ideally 25 – 35 hours per week
About the Unlocking Collections project
Funded by Arts Council England, the Unlocking Collections: Warwickshire Museum project aims to understand the 19th century Founding Collection of the Warwickshire Natural History and Archaeological Society at Warwickshire Museum the people that created the collections and why they collected, to discover the stories of individuals from the Society and biographies of individual objects. The starting point for the project is to research and catalogue the Collection, identifying new stories and hidden histories behind the objects and who collected. This will inform a community co-curation project, led by a specialist Engagement Officer, to develop new ways of working collaboratively with volunteers, visitors and participants. We hope to deepen visitors’ understanding of this collection, how people collected in the past and how Warwickshire Museum Service collects now.
The process of creating a new approach to co-curation will use the research into the founding collection to explore how and why people collect today – the what and the why, to focus on individuals to develop a narrative for public engagement within the First Museum gallery of at the Market Hall Museum.
The Collections Assistant Role
As Collections Assistant, you will be working with the Collections team to initiate and deliver research, documentation and collections care linked to the founding collection of Warwickshire Museum. You will be expected to have a good understanding of;
- Documentation of the collections (to include primarily geology, natural history and archaeology, with some social history and ethnography) and associated data
- Research into collections provenance, ownership and associated narratives with special reference to geology, archaeology and natural history
- Targeted digitisation of the Founding Collections
- Maintaining best practice in collections care undertaking basic condition checking and elements of pest management, improving storage of the identified collections, where appropriate
- Supervision of volunteers and establishment of voluntary work programmes
- Assisting with the creation of displays, exhibitions and web-based resources
The post-holder is expected to be familiar with and to abide by the Museums Association Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics
The role is offered as a fixed-term contract, up to 18 months, ideally starting in October 2023. Warwickshire County Council operates a flexible working policy, and we are happy to accept applications for individuals wishing to work between 25 and 35 hours per week on site at our Collections Centre in Warwick. A full induction will be provided, alongside generous pension and holiday allowance and opportunities to undertake professional development and training.
The role will be line managed by Richard Lewis, Delivery Lead (Collections and Development), with day-to-day reporting to the Curator of Natural Sciences and Curator of Human History.
About Heritage and Culture Warwickshire
Heritage and Culture Warwickshire (HCW) provide a wide range of services that help local communities and visitors to connect and engage with their local heritage. We safeguard Warwickshire’s archives, history and natural sciences, protect its historic and natural environment and provide high quality arts and cultural opportunities and lifelong learning for everyone in the County and beyond.
Heritage and Culture Warwickshire has several sites based in and around Warwick; Market Hall Museum, St Johns House, Warwickshire County Record Office and the Warwickshire Museum Collections Centre. We are a countywide service and working with partners from within and outside Warwickshire County Council offer outreach services to local communities.
Your application
For more information or for an informal conversation about your application please email Richard Lewis at [email protected]
Deadline for applications is Monday 4th September 2023
Interviews
Interviews are on Wednesday 20th September 2023, at Market Hall Museum, Market Place, Warwick, CV34 4SA
For the full Job Description and Person Specification please click the link here.
The Fluency Duty is outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. The Fluency Duty for this role is Required. You must be able to speak and provide advice in accurate spoken English to the public.
These are the benefits we offer including agile working, enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), a valuable part of the pay and reward package for employees working in local government, and a generous annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays and an additional day at Christmas.
To apply for this vacancy please click on the 'Apply' button.
Our method of application is online, please note, CV’s should not been submitted unless asked to do so.
If you are unable to apply using the 'Apply' button please contact the Recruitment Centre on [email protected] including your contact details and any relevant screenshots.
You will be notified of our shortlisting decision via email, so please check your email on a regular basis after submitting your application.
As part of being a Disability Confident employer we guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean that you must provide us with evidence in your application form which demonstrates that you generally meet the level of competence required for each competence, as well as meeting any of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential in the person specification.
Should you require application forms in an alternative format / language or any adjustments to be made throughout the application process or upon appointment, please contact [email protected] and we will make every effort to meet your specific requirements.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is committed to equality of opportunity for all employees and is keen to address areas of under representation in its workforce, this is because we really understand the importance of different voices, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds within our workforce. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups. WCC has a number of staff network groups which provide peer support and safe spaces for employees who hold these and other identities. See more.
