Art Handling Technician

About the role
You will participate in the care of art works and support Tate’s programme of exhibitions, displays, loans and acquisitions: including installation, handling and packing of artworks. You will be involved in art handling operations across Tate London sites: Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Stores, and other venues as necessary.

About your team
Collection Care:
Collection Care’s mission is to manage, preserve and enable access to Tate’s collections in both physical and digital format. The division carries out Tate’s legal responsibilities for the care of its collections, for the benefit of the public, now and in the future. Its operations embrace the management and care of Tate’s art, archive and library collections and the facilitation of Tate’s programmes of acquisitions, exhibitions, displays, loans and international touring. Collection Care comprises three departments: Collection Management, Conservation and Library, Archive & Collections Access. It manages storage facilities and provides access to art works held in storage, by appointment, and to the Library, Archive and Prints & Drawings collections through its Reading Rooms’ services at Tate Britain.

Collection Management:
The Collection Management department brings excellence and innovation to the care of Tate’s collections. The department is responsible for the logistical, legal, practical and technical aspects of looking after, moving, recording and installing the works of art in Tate’s care and for facilitating the delivery of Tate’s programme. Collection management holds the inventory of all works of art in the collection and is the guardian of information on the display and movement of works across Tate sites and for loans out to national and international partners and galleries. The department comprises the Art Handling, Registrars and Photography teams and is responsible for managing Tate’s storage facilities.


What you will do (Main Duties and Responsibilities)

• Handling art works in the course of movement, storage, packing and installation/de-installation in the galleries and at Stores.
• Providing a range of technical skills to support the installation/de-installation of exhibitions and displays.
• Working internally with colleagues across Tate, and externally with artists and other parties in the delivery of the exhibitions and displays.
• Processing and completing appropriate documentation (e.g. condition/packing and unpacking reports, documenting location art records following Tate procedure).
• Cleaning and maintaining art works, as advised by conservators.
• Complying at all times with security, conservation and health and safety requirements.
• Experience in manual handling, working at height and using gallery equipment for some heavy lifting.

What you will bring to the team

• Practical experience in art handling.
• Demonstrable technical skills withing a museum/gallery environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively and confidently at all levels, internally and with external contacts.
• A practical and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise and co-ordinate tasks in order to meet deadlines while staying calm under pressure.
• Willingness to learn new skills.
• A good understanding of best working practices and health and safety requirements.
• Willing to work with flexibility between storage locations and work out of hours where required.
• Awareness of, and commitment to the issues of equality and cultural diversity as they affect the work of a major museum.

Museum Website: https://workingat.tate.org.uk/pages/job_search_view.aspx?preview=preview&jobId=10204