Assistant Collection Manager: Africa, Oceania and the Americas

Assistant Collection Manager
Full-time 41 hours per week

On-site daily in Bloomsbury, London
6 month Fixed term contract, with potential to extend
£29,642 per annum
Application deadline: 21 July 2026

About the role

We are looking for an Assistant Collection Manager to join the Africa, Oceania and the Americas department, playing a vital role in the care, preservation, and accessibility of the Museum's world-class collections.

Working as part of the Care & Access team, you will support the day-to-day management of objects, ensuring they are handled, stored, and displayed to the highest standards. This is a highly practical, technical role requiring precision, problem-solving, and close collaboration with colleagues across the Museum and external partners.

About you

You are a hands-on and detail-oriented individual with a genuine interest in museum collections and their preservation. You bring practical experience of object handling, mount making, installation, and collections work, alongside a strong appreciation of materials and conservation principles.

You are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and tight deadlines, maintaining high standards at all times. A strong team player, you're equally capable of working independently, using initiative and problem-solving skills to get the job done.

Key areas of responsibility

* Prepare and handle collection objects for display, storage, study, and loans across Museum sites and partner venues
* Support access to the collections by facilitating study sessions and source community visits, supervising study rooms, providing a professional and welcoming experience
* Coordinate and support the safe packing, movement, and transportation of objects, including acting as a courier for both UK and international loans
* Install objects on display, designing and fabricating bespoke object mounts
* Maintain essential object documentation and produce accurate condition reports, ensuring collections data is up-to-date and audit-ready
* Uphold the highest standards of collections care, including security, environmental monitoring, and best practice in handling, storage, and pest management

The Masterplan

The British Museum is undertaking its biggest transformation since its founding nearly 300 years ago. This physical and intellectual transformation includes large scale building and gallery transformation, new ways of connecting with audiences and different ways of working. As we look towards this exciting future, we remain guided by the words of our founder Hans Sloane - who dreamed of a museum connecting all arts and sciences, which would be accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Benefits

At the British Museum, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do and have designed a benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary. Our full list of benefits can be found here, but we've outlined some highlights below:

* Free exhibition entry for you and guests, exclusive private views, ICOM and reciprocal museum access.
* 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (and +5 days after 10 years).
* Discounts at onsite catering, Museum shops and local Bloomsbury partners.
* Social and wellbeing perks including Staff parties, social clubs, CSSC sports and leisure, and support from the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship.
* Peer support and allyship with five diversity networks for community.
* Enhanced parental leave including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.
* Support for carers through Employers for Carers.
* Civil Service Pension Scheme with a secure, inflation‑linked defined benefit.
* Interest‑free loans including season ticket, rental deposit and bicycle loans.

Our Values

Our values drive everything we do, from how we handle our objects to how we work in our team to fostering a culture where everyone feels heard and empowered:

* Care Deeply
* Embrace the Unknown
* Spark Curiosity
* Value Many Voices

These are a core part of how we recruit. Throughout the application, interview and selection process, we look for examples of how candidates demonstrate these behaviours in their own work and experiences. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with our values and reflect them in your application.

Additional details

If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details

*Unfortunately, for this role we are unable to offer Sponsorship to applicants*

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=YW5uYS5nZW9yZ2UuOTEzNzcuMTExOTNAYnJpdGlzaG11c2V1bS5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20