The Collection Project Coordinator will support the delivery of Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery's Art Fund Reimagine grant funded project Flora Twort at the Heart of Creative Petersfield. The organisation continues to build resilience and sustainability following its £4 million redevelopment, and this role plays an important part in strengthening access to and understanding of one of our most significant collections.
This is a practical, delivery-focused project role. The postholder will support cataloguing and digitisation activity, coordinate volunteers and contribute to the development of an open-access, community-led platform connecting creative and local heritage. The role does not include formal line management responsibility, nor budgetary or strategic authority.
We are looking for an organised, enthusiastic and reliable individual to join our small team at a key time in the delivery of this nationally funded project.
Job Details
Job Title: Collection Project Coordinator
Reports to: Head of Collections and Exhibitions
Salary: £10,000 per annum
Contract: Part-time, fixed-term (1 year, with option to extend for a second year)
Pension: The Museum and Art Gallery operates the NEST Workplace Pension Scheme
Hours: 15 hours per week (0.4 FTE). Hours to be agreed. Some flexibility may be required to support volunteer activity.
Holidays: Pro rata entitlement equivalent to 25 days per year, plus statutory Bank Holidays
Notice Period: One month following a probationary period of three months
Location: Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery, St Peter's Road, Petersfield, Hampshire
Benefits
• Complimentary tickets for general Museum and Art Gallery admission
• Complimentary tickets for Museum and Art Gallery temporary exhibitions
• Discount on tickets for Museum and Art Gallery events and workshops
• Discount in the Museum and Art Gallery shop, subject to discount policy
• Free annual flu vaccination and eyesight test
Job Purpose
To support the practical delivery of the Art Fund Reimagine grant funded project Flora Twort at the Heart of Creative Petersfield.
To contribute to the cataloguing and digitisation of the Flora Twort Art Collection and to assist in the development of an open-access, community-led platform connecting creative and local heritage.
To build capacity within the Museum by supporting staff and volunteers in the care, documentation and sharing of the collection.
Key Responsibilities
Collections Documentation & Digitisation
• To support cataloguing and digitisation of the Flora Twort Art Collection, including data entry and item preparation.
• To ensure documentation is accurate and maintained in line with Museum procedures.
• To assist with the preparation of materials for online access and public-facing outputs.
Volunteer & Community Coordination
• To assist in training and coordinating volunteers and community contributors working on the project.
• To act as a day-to-day contact for volunteers during project activity.
• To support the recording of community knowledge and contributions linked to the collection.
Project Administration
• To help maintain project documentation and schedules.
• To support record-keeping to ensure project activity is clearly documented and accessible.
• To liaise with staff and partners to ensure smooth workflow and communication.
Other Duties
• To work closely with the Museum and Art Gallery's team of volunteers.
• To undertake any additional duties as may be reasonably required within the scope of the role.
• To undertake relevant and/or necessary training.
Skills and Experience
These skills/experiences are highly desirable for the role:
• A commitment to heritage, collections or community projects.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and databases.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Ability to organise and manage own workload effectively.
• Ability to work on own initiative, as well as part of a small, hard-working team.
• Flexible attitude and willingness to take a hands-on approach.
These skills/experience would also be beneficial for the role:
• Volunteer coordination experience.
• Interest in digitisation or cataloguing practices.
• Experience working in a museum, heritage site or cultural setting.
• Experience of working with community contributors.
About Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery
Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery is an accredited, independent museum and registered charity. Since reopening in 2021 following our ambitious £4 million Pathways to the Past redevelopment, the Museum and Art Gallery has undergone a period of significant growth in scale, ambition and national profile.
In recent years we have delivered an acclaimed programme of exhibitions, events and learning activity, welcoming growing and increasingly diverse audiences from the local area and further afield. Highlights have included major temporary exhibitions such as Peggy Guggenheim: Petersfield to Palazzo, which demonstrated the ability of a small, independent museum to deliver work of national significance, alongside a rich programme rooted in our collections, our place, and our community.
Like many cultural organisations, we are now taking stock of what we have learned during this period of rapid development. In the context of well-documented financial pressures across the museums and heritage sector, we are undertaking a thoughtful period of reflection and reset - focusing on sustainability, resilience and clarity of purpose - while continuing to deliver high-quality public programmes and care for our collections.
Situated at the foot of the South Downs National Park, the Museum and Art Gallery remains a vibrant cultural hub for the region. A rare example of a restored Victorian Justice Heritage site, centred around the town's original Magistrate's Courthouse and Police Station, the Museum's permanent collections include social history archives and artefacts relating to Petersfield and the surrounding area including important bronze and iron age artefacts found on Petersfield Heath, the Flora Twort Art Collection, the Photography Collection including the Don Eades Photographic Archive and the Fashion and Textile Collection, including the Bedales Historic Costume Collection. It also hosts the Tim Wilton-Steer Collection of works by and about the poet Edward Thomas, housed in the Museum's purpose designed Edward Thomas Study Centre.
Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery is a confident, outward-looking organisation, proud of what it has achieved and clear-eyed about how it will continue to thrive as an independent museum serving its community and visitors.