Senior Collection Manager: Loans and Display

Senior Collection Manager: Loans and Display
Collection Care and Moves
Full-time
Permanent
£43,317 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on Thursday 23 October 2025

About the role:

We're seeking to appoint a Senior Collection Manager to manage the dedicated Loans & Display, Framed Works and Textiles teams and provide support and guidance to Collections colleagues across the Museum.

You will also lead on the planning and coordination of collection management operations, focusing on the scheduling and delivery of the technical aspects of the Museum's programme of loans and exhibitions at Bloomsbury, across the UK and around the world.

The role requires a high degree of resource assessment and planning for the practical delivery of an ambitious programme of exhibitions and loans.

Key areas of responsibility:

* Lead on the resource planning and allocation of dedicated Loans and Display teams to deliver an extensive programme of loan and exhibition projects.
* Develop and manage the implementation and monitoring of collection management processes and procedures to ensure that the Museum meets standards of best practice.
* Manage a team of Collection Managers, including robust planning and management of progression and development within teams and delivery of pro-active performance management as required.
* Maintain a comprehensive programme of projects and activities, reporting to senior management and other colleagues as required.
* Ensure health and safety standards for relevant activity and equipment are in place and are followed, ensuring that workshops, facilities and equipment are well maintained.
* Maintain the Museum's Known Consignor status, working with HR to support the annual auditing process.

About you:

* Degree or equivalent practical experience.
* Demonstrable interest in aspects of the British Museum's collections.
* In-depth knowledge of collection care and object handling, display, and preventative conservation practises.
* Demonstrable ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team.
* Proficient at managing timetables, resources, and budgets.
* Excellent communication skills including influencing and negotiating.

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 a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

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 to support you with your application, please provide details

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all employees 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 in line with their relevant knowledge, skills and experience.

We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you.

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

Museum Website: https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=ZW5pY2hvbGxzLjk2MjM3LjExMTkzQGJyaXRpc2htdXNldW0uYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t