Job Description
Salary £25,989 - £28,142 per annum | 29.6hrs per week | Fixed term, part time | Assistant Curator (Unlocking Collections) | Rossendale, Lancashire
Lancashire County Museum Service are recruiting an assistant curator to support the Conservation & Curatorial team in the delivery of the Arts Council England (ACE) funded Unlocking Collections 'Cottoning on' project. We are delighted to be offering this as an entry level curatorial position joining a diverse team made up of members of the collections team, on site museum staff and volunteers working on the Lancashire textile industry collection - designated by Arts Council England as being of national significance.
The project will focus on the collection management, review, documentation, and reinterpretation of the Lancashire textile industry collection housed at Helmshore Mills and Queen Street Mill working museum sites.
Your new role
Working directly to the Curator of Industry and Technology, you will be based primarily at Helmshore Mills Textile Museum in Rossendale. It is a four days per week fixed term contract for 18 months and will be paid at Grade 5 (£25,989 - £28,142). As the assistant curator you will support the team in the delivery of the project 'Cottoning On' and manage a workforce of up to nine volunteers.
Your responsibilities will include:
* To assist in the collections review, re-storage, and reinterpretation of the Lancashire textile industry collection
* To assist in the training and supervision of a volunteer workforce and of site museum staff contributing to the project
* To support the promotion of the museum service, the project, and the collection to local groups, colleagues, elected members, and museum visitors through events, activities, and outreach work
* To undertake documentation and collections management activities using the museums' electronic catalogue (EMu)
* To assist the Curator of industry and technology, in the development of a museum exhibition based on the collections and stories uncovered during the Cottoning On project.
What we need from you
We are looking for an interest in the industrial history of Lancashire, an enthusiasm for museums, and an ambition to pursue a career in heritage. Experience of collection management, museum documentation, or conducting collections reviews is not required, however some experience of working in the heritage sector would be an advantage.
What you do need is:
* Experience of computer-based systems and using electronic database systems
* Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range staff, volunteers, and the public
* Excellent organisational & communication skills
* An eye for detail and the ability to research and interpret collections
Contact us
If you want to find out more about this role, please make an appointment for an in-person chat with the curator Philip Butler
These are just some of the benefits you could enjoy by working for Lancashire County Council:
Great holiday entitlement
* 26 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata for part time employees)
* Ability to buy up to 20 days additional leave per year (pro rata for part time employees) - dependant on your job role and business need
* Eight bank holidays and two further additional statutory days during the Christmas and New Year period
Health and wellbeing
* Occupational sick pay scheme
* Occupational Health Services
* Cycle to work scheme
* Eyesight test contribution
* Employee Assistance Programme
Family friendly employer
* Help to balance family commitments, including generous maternity leave, paternity leave and support for working carers
* Adoption and parental leave
Financial benefits
* Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, death in service payments, life assurance and dependents pensions
* Access to the Blues and Twos credit union for you and your family
Staff discounts
* Our staff discount scheme offer you access to a huge range of discounts across the UK's major retailers including supermarkets, technology, fashion, travel and much more
Training and development
* Training and development opportunities
* Apprenticeship scheme - available to all employees
* Staff Recognition Scheme and Annual Awards Ceremony
Travel benefits
* Discounts on bus travel
* Bike stores, changing and showering facilities in some locations
The Lancashire values
We value our staff as individuals and aim to help them achieve their full potential while working for us. We offer a work environment that encourages staff engagement, team working and problem solving and we recognise the importance and benefits of a good work life balance.
All of our staff are expected to live by our Lancashire values. These values, which have been developed and agreed by our staff, reflect the way we work with our customers, partners and each other and they flow through everything we do.
Supportive
We are supportive of our customers and colleagues, recognising their contributions and making the best of their strengths to enable our communities to flourish.
Innovative
We deliver the best services we possibly can, always looking for creative ways to do things better, putting the customer at the heart of our thinking and being ambitious and focused on how we can deliver the best services now and in the future.
Respectful
We treat colleagues, customers and partners with respect, listening to their views, empathising and valuing their diverse needs and perspectives, to be fair, open and honest in all that we do.
Collaborative
We listen to, engage with, learn from and work with colleagues, partners and customers to help achieve the best outcomes for everyone.
Please ensure you have uploaded and attached your supporting statement to evidence how you meet the criteria for the role. The panel may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence.
In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.
We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.
Job description and person specification