Curator: Modern and Contemporary Drawings

Curator: Modern and Contemporary Drawings
Prints and Drawings
Full-time (41 hours per week)
Permanent
£41,949 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 24 May 2024

About the role:
The British Museum’s curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings is responsible for the care and development of one of the UK’s largest and most comprehensive collections of drawings from the period 1900 to the present day. The postholder would be tasked with developing this part of the collection, which would fund raising for acquisitions and related projects. The job would include devising exhibitions that highlighted the Museum’s modern and contemporary graphic holdings and being a knowledgeable specialist and researcher in the field, able to communicate engagingly with specialist and general audiences.

Key areas of responsibility:
• To be a knowledgeable general specialist of the works under your care and their significance in the wider context of the Museum’s holdings of historical graphic works, collaborating with colleagues across the Museum.
• To be able to share specialist knowledge in an enthusiastic, engaging, and inspiring way to a broad audience.
• To publish books and articles about the collection and matters arising from the study of the collection and from broader Museum-wide research themes.
• To conceive and organise exhibitions and displays highlighting new research centred on the Museum’s modern and contemporary print holdings.
• To suggest acquisitions and help in fund-raising to achieve them.
• To maintain, update and improve the on-line records of around 10,000 modern and contemporary drawings.

About you:
• Degree in languages history of art, history or equivalent.
• Fluent speaking and writing ability in English. Reading knowledge of at least one foreign European language.
• Experience of managing curatorial records and database of modern and contemporary works on paper in a museum or gallery, and of being lead curator in an exhibition of modern and contemporary works on paper.
• Experience of income generation.
• At least 5 years of museum curatorial experience related to some aspect of modern and contemporary drawings.
• A track record of publishing in the field of modern and contemporary works on paper.

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 one of the leading visitor attractions and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, Egyptian mummies, the Admonitions Scroll, and the Amaravati sculptures.

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 in order to support you with your application, please provide details to [email protected].

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff 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 because of 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://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_7399.aspx