Curator of Industrial History

Job title: Curator of Industrial History

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Based at Leeds Industrial Museum

As the Curator of Industrial History, you'll thrive on sharing your specialist knowledge to understand and interpret our collections and share this with our audiences.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As the Curator of Industrial History, you will bring to the role:

• A subject specialism related to the LMG Industrial History collection.
• A clear understanding of audience engagement, particularly in relation to museums, galleries and their collections.
• An ability to develop excellent working relationships with colleagues, partner organisations and other Leeds City Council departments.
• Knowledge of Collections Management issues including those relating specifically to industrial history collections.
• Educated to degree level, professional vocational qualification within a relevant subject/area or equivalent experience.

About the role

The Designated collection represents the industries of Leeds through the companies, products and personalities involved. The collections also aim to reflect the working life of Leeds people through their jobs and working environments. The collections comprise tools, machinery, industrial products, archive ephemera, photographs and other personal records. They connect to engineering, including locomotive and railway collections of international significance, the printing industry and textile machinery, amongst others as Leeds is sometimes described as the City of 1000 Trades.

The Curator will be responsible for the development, care and interpretation of this important collection, facilitating access with audiences and supporting our learning and community programmes. The collections are primarily displayed at Leeds Industrial Museum and also featured in exhibitions and displays at other Leeds Museums & Galleries' venues and external loans. A key project will be working with colleagues to deliver a new Railway Gallery at Leeds Industrial Museum.

The role is integral to Leeds Museums & Galleries' Collections & Programmes team and the site team at Leeds Industrial Museum. Working collaboratively with colleagues across Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds City Council, external partners and communities to maximise the impact of our collections and the experiences of our audiences is an important aspect of the role.

Leeds Museums and Galleries is one of the largest local authority-run museum service in the country and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Yvonne Hardman, Head of Collections & Programmes. Email: [email protected]

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose

To be responsible for the development, care, access and interpretation of the relevant collections and to develop exhibitions, events and engagement activities in order to appeal to all sections of the community and visitors to the city.

Responsibilities

• To be responsible for the care, maintenance and preservation of the relevant collections both on display and in storage.
• To work in partnership with site, learning, conservation and technical colleagues to implement and suggest exhibitions, learning and display proposals and ensure the best possible presentation of the collection focusing on the access needs of the audience while ensuring the safety of the collection.
• Working with the Registrar and Collections Manager, adhere to all agreed collections management standards and procedures.
• Advise on acquisitions, loans and disposals in accordance with the Collections Development policy, prepare funding applications and maintain and develop all necessary collection records both digital and paper.
• Liaise with other collections both locally and further afield holding related material and to cultivate appropriate relations with collectors.
• Courier collection loans where necessary.
• Line manage any Assistant Curators, project funded staff and volunteers. Participate in the briefing and training of front of house staff, guides and others as relevant.
• Participate in setting up of exhibitions and displays including the hanging and placing of objects working with technicians, conservators and others as necessary.
• Be responsible for the interpretation of the collections in your care including through displays, publications, lectures, talks, events and other outreach work and participation in the learning and engagement programme.
• Research and write accessible texts for use in exhibitions, online content, marketing and other publications as appropriate.
• Undertake research, fieldwork and visits relevant to the collections and their documentation, development and interpretation.
• Promote the positive image of the service at all times, work with Audience Development to advocate the value of the collections to key stakeholders, opinion formers, visitors and the people of Leeds through lectures, community engagement work, tours, displays, publications, loans and digital including responding to public, professional and academic enquiries and facilitating access to stored collections and records.
• Work with the Commercial team to maximise the commercial and merchandising opportunities offered by the collections.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the other museum services and to participate in appropriate professional networks for self-development ...