Assistant Collection Manager: Loans and Display (Textiles)

About the role:
Assistant Collection Managers in the Loans & Display team are responsible for all practical aspects of care and preservation of the British Museum collection. The primary focus of these two roles relates to the mounting and display of the British Museum’s extensive collection of world textiles and costumes.

The post holder will work as part of a team, and their activities will mainly revolve around preparation of costume and textile objects for display in BM exhibitions as well as for loans to venues in the UK and internationally. This role will involve packing for loans, handling material in storage, and movement of objects around the building. This work may take place across all Museum sites.

This role is primarily technical. Problem solving is a key aspect of the role, and a flexible approach to working is essential.

Key areas of responsibility:
• To observe best practice in all aspects of object handling and collections storage
• To facilitate the display of objects, their packing and movement across the collections
• To construct mounts and to install objects in the Museum and at other venues
• To monitor security of objects and to maintain them in good condition in storage, in transit and whilst on display
• To maintain and update essential object documentation, including location information
• To act as courier on UK and international loans and carry out any Known Consigner training and duties as required.
• To assist the Collection Care, Conservation and Curatorial teams as required

About you:
• Familiarity with different methods of textile mounting, padded boards, soft 3-D mounts and working with costume mannequins (Desirable)
• Manual dexterity; practical experience of hand-sewing, use of sewing machines, hand tools and workshop equipment
• Understanding and appreciation of materials and objects
• Ability to work well as part of team; self-motivated and able to use initiative; good communicator
• Demonstrable interest in aspects of the Museum’s collections
• Museum or gallery work; object or art handling and installation, experience working with textiles in a museum setting (Desirable)
• IT skills and familiarity with databases
• Good general education including GCSEs or equivalent

About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is one of the leading visitor attractions and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, Egyptian mummies, the Admonitions Scroll, and the Amaravati sculptures.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays
• Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
• Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
• Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections
• Interest-free travel, bicycle and rental deposit loans
• Professional and personal development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

Additional details:
For more information about this role, please see the job description.
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of in order to support you with your application, please provide details to [email protected].

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a Museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.

Museum Website: https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_7886.aspx