Project Curator: Ancient Anatolia

Project Curator: Ancient Anatolia
Full-time
Hybrid (at least 3 days per week on-site in Bloomsbury, London)
Fixed term (23 months)
£36,396 per annum
Application deadline: 23:59 on Sunday, 30 August 2026

About the role
We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our Greece and Rome Department as Project Curator: Ancient Anatolia.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the care, documentation and interpretation of one of the Museum's most significant collections as part of a major gallery redevelopment programme. Working closely with curatorial, collections management and documentation colleagues, you will take day-to-day curatorial responsibility for the Museum's collections from ancient Anatolia, with a particular focus on sculptural and architectural material.

Working alongside leading specialists in the archaeology and history of the ancient Mediterranean, you will help shape future research, documentation and display of an internationally important collection and contribute to its accessibility for audiences, researchers and communities.

If you are a specialist in ancient sculpture and/or architecture with a focus on ancient Anatolia and a commitment to collections stewardship, research and collaboration, we would be delighted to hear from you.

About you
• A Master's degree in a relevant subject area, ideally with memberships of relevant professional societies
• Specialist expertise in ancient sculpture and/or architecture with knowledge of the archaeology and history of ancient Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean
• Experience conducting original research and publishing scholarly work
• Experience working with museum collections, archaeological objects and collection documentation systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including some knowledge of relevant modern languages, ideally with command of spoken Turkish
• The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and manage competing priorities
• A thoughtful and culturally sensitive approach to collections, research and public engagement
• Experience of engaging public audiences with the archaeology or history of the ancient world and knowledge of Ancient Greek would be advantageous

Key areas of responsibility
• Daily curatorial responsibility for the collections from Ancient Anatolia, particularly sculptural and architectural material
• Support and contribute to the upgrading of the documentation of the collection, working closely with relevant colleagues across the museum
• Provide curatorial support for relevant storage moves
• Assist with the development of research projects and display plans, particularly relating to the redevelopment of the Western Range galleries
• Support the day-to-day running of the department, including overseeing study-room visits, organising seminars and supervising volunteers.

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.
• Civil Service Pension Scheme defined benefit with 28.97% employer contribution.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (and +5 days after 10 years).
• Learning and development through courses, mentoring and Athena as well as support for professional qualifications.
• Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for counselling, wellbeing support and more.

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 to [email protected].

Right to Work: The British Museum holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. Applicants are responsible for determining whether the advertised salary and role meet current UKVI sponsorship requirements and for ensuring they have, or can obtain, the appropriate right to work in the UK. The Museum cannot provide immigration advice, and eligibility should be checked before submitting an application.

Internal Applicants: We welcome internal applicants regardless of background, department or length of service but encourage you to let your manager know before applying. If you are on a permanent contract and want the fixed-term contract to be treated as a secondment, you will need to obtain your manager’s support before submitting an application.

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

Museum Website: https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com/Applicants/vacancy/8992/Project-Curator-Ancient-Anatolia