This role is an excellent opportunity to join our busy Collections Management team for a year and learn how to carry out a range of core museum tasks in a national museum. You will work with staff across our departments and branches, seeing how different museum specialisms work together to care for and interpret collections.
You will have some experience or interest in collections management, and with supervision and training we will provide, you will be able to carry out the documentation of IWM’s handling and props collections. You will research the collection to understand the provenance of each item to contribute to a collections review and you will support the exit of items not required.
You will work collaboratively with many IWM staff (including conservators, curators and other collections professionals, exhibitions and public engagement and learning teams) so that your work supports our collections development and documentation strategies.
You will assess the collections, identifying potential hazards (after you have received appropriate training), and prepare items for safe transport. You will make sure all items are documented, researched and, where applicable, exited according to our procedures.
The role is based at IWM Duxford and will require travel to our other branches.
Your duties will include:
- Carrying out hazard assessments of IWM’s props and handling collections, complying with internal procedures and relevant legislation, and packing collections for transport.
- Completing the documentation of the collections using IWM’s collections management system (Axiell Collections) complying with internal procedures and maintaining accurate records.
- Conducting due diligence research to establish the provenance of items, including researching IWM’s archive and consulting colleagues (curators, exhibitions and public engagement & learning teams).
- Carrying out the exit of items not required by IWM according to internal procedures.
- Working transparently and collaboratively with internal IWM teams to ensure interdependencies are identified and reviewed regularly allowing for efficient and effective completion of collections documentation.
- Maintaining and delivering a schedule for the completion of collections documentation.
- Resolving obstacles in an effective and compliant way, knowing when to consult relevant colleagues and refer to appropriate managers.
For a full list of duties and the person specification (which your application will be marked against) please view the Job Description.